Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!

Where Is Katma Tui?

2012-01-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I am enjoying quite a number of the new 52 books. I am not enjoying some of the others, but I felt that way BEFORE the reboot, so not a lot has changed. Continuity however...continues to gnaw at my vitals.

The Green Lantern books, like the Bat books sailed through the whole kerfuffle fairly easily. And yet, that very ease, is one of the things that also continues to gnaw at me. Exactly WHAT is still there, from the Sinestro Corps War, from Blackest Night, and from the War of the Green Lanterns?

Hal lost his ring, and he STILL doesn't have a ring, except for the one that Sinestro gave him. Sinestro is again a Green Lantern. This is fine with me, I rather enjoy Sinestro, but suddenly Hal seems to be back to being a complete rookie all over again. He's certainly portrayed that way in the new Justice League book,which is also written by Geoff Johns. I don't have much of a problem having Hal being a wet-behind-the-ears overeager jackass...but where does that leave John and Guy, not to mention Kyle? Are their origins all different now?

And what about all the cool dead Lanterns? Specifically, what about Katma? She was shown in the War of the Green Lanterns, as being dead, inside of Mogo, but trying to warn John, before he decided to blow Mogo into tiny little Mogo pieces. But that was before. Now, everyone is back to square one, and younger and a bit more inexperienced. Could Katma be alive again, and could she and John get back together? Where they ever together to begin with? Guy and Tora weren't apparently, their whole history has been wiped out, and they've only dated a few times. Hell, bring back Ch'p! And Tomar Re, and Kreon, and Laira.

Heck, while we're at it, bring back Ted Kord, and Ralph and Sue Dibny, and Jean Loring. You heard me, bring back Jean! We NEED an utterly ruthless whack-job! DC pushed the Re-Set button, so let's do it right.

I know, I know, I just won't let go of this sort of thing...but it bothers me. I have all these wonderful characters that I would love to read about, and I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one out there, who misses them. I'm getting pretty tired of grim and gritty all of the time, but I realize that I am not the chosen age or gender that Comics are aiming for. Still...I've got a lot of nice disposable income, that I am simply dying to give to DC. In return that is...for my favorite characters, some of which are a lot of fun, rather than dark and gloomy.

And I liked Katma.

The End of an Era

2012-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Damn. I HATE the End of Eras! I'm not sure if they are distributed throughout the rest of the country, but here in New England, we have been enjoying the deliciousness of Grote & Weigel hotdogs, sausages, kielbasa and other meat-based culinary delights for years. And suddenly, the Bloomfield, Connecticut business is going...out of business. No more two-foot hotdogs at Doogies!

I am distraught.

I understand that old family-run businesses are under a lot of strain nowadays, but that doesn't make it any easier. I almost fainted dead away when they closed down Shiek's in Torrington last year, or the Dairy Bar, or any of the myriad small restaurants, hotdog stands, ice cream parlors, and pizza joints that enjoyed my custom. It's purely selfish on my part of course...but one just ASSUMES that these kinds of places that you went to since childhood (or your parent's childhood) would always always be there.

Damn.

Now I need a hot dog.

More Reviews

2012-01-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

Well, now this was a fairly interesting week.

All-Star Western #5

Poor Jonah. He really really hates Gotham City. And who can blame him? He is stuck palling around with Doctor Arkham, who is a bit of a wet blanket really, and he keeps getting involved in these absurd situations. Giant bats in the caves beneath the city? Vampire people? Slave labor, and greedy politicians, and all the rest? He'd probably just like to go back west and get shot at by various bandits and owl-hoots for a change of pace.

As good as it always is.

Aquaman #5

Gosharootie, that splash page is insanely gorgeous. It takes up a helluva lot of space, but it IS gorgeous.

Purty, eh?

Anyhoo, Arthur is a bit moody after the mess with the Trench creatures, when he gets a phone call from the U.S. Navy of all people, who found an artifact when they were taking apart the cocoons around those nice people. They want Aquaman to help out, and of course he does. The artifact, which looks a lot like his belt buckle is talking, and he tells them that it is from ancient Atlantis. Naturally, they don't believe him, until a bunch of people with helmets and laser guns show up and steal the artifact back. Artie goes after them, and in the struggle, they manage to blow up their own ship, and he falls to the ground. The hot DRY ground. He's bleeding, dehydrated and hallucinating just a bit, when he comes across the wreck, and some water from the helmet of one of the Atlanteans, and manages to conjure up a holographic image, that blames their plight on the ancient rulers of Atlantis. He's intrigued naturally, and then manages to get rescued by a Navy Helicopter, to the amusement of the media. Oh, and Mera goes into town for some dogfood. What could possibly go wrong?

The art is stunning of course, and I'm enjoying this thoroughly.

Flash #5

The Flash continues to deliver as usual. The story is fun, and the art is gorgeous, and Barry is learning how to do all these wonderful wonderful things. Too bad about his old buddy. And that cliff-hanger is...ominous. Very ominous.

This is a great book, and I love it.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #5

I...I just don't know what it is about this book. I just can't seem to summon up the enthusiasm that I have when I'm reading Green Lantern or Green Lantern Corps. It's not that I don't like Kyle, because I LOVE Kyle. I think it is perhaps, that I'm not that thrilled with the whole concept of him running around with these various other Color Corps members. I also am not thrilled with him being on the outs with the Guardians, but hey, who ISN'T on the outs with the Guardians lately?

I miss having him bounce off Guy, or John, or Kilowog or Hal, or any other members of the GREEN Lantern Corps. I don't have the affection for Fatality or Atrocitus or Munk really. They're...ok. Just not my cup of tea.

Anyway, they go and slip aboard the Orrery, and stuff happens, and Larfleeze is apparently up to no good.

Meh.

Justice League #5

Well, things are just booming along nicely now. Darkseid shows up, as we were all pretty sure he was going to...and He manages to defeat Flash, at least temporarily, and kidnaps Superman of all people, which I thought was interesting. Hal is busy doing his best to defeat Darkseid, with no thought to the consequences, and even manages to get his arm broken. Batman is trying to talk him down, and points out that the two of them are probably the ONLY people on this new team without powers, which makes Hal blink a bit. Heck, Bats even takes his cowl off, and tells Hal who he really IS! Hal of course, the self-centered jackass that he is, hasn't the least idea who Bruce Wayne even is, which I found awfully amusing.

Cyborg shows up,and Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, and they all fight the goons, and Hal is drawing Darkseid's fire, while Bruce goes after Superman, and gets quite a surprise.

It's just good comic book fun. Nothing too cerebral, but it's flashy and a bit fun, and has lots of good old fashioned violence. And a fair amount of Hal, which is always a bonus.

Justice League Dark #5

I do like this book as well. Such pretty art for one thing. The Dark version of the league does manage to get together,and more or less save the day, but not without a lot of angst, and a lot of accusations and outrage. Now that they're together, despite the pleas of Madame Xanadu, they immediately split up again. And poor June Moon is back together with the Enchantress, and Deadman is really pissed, and Constantine is pissed, and oh, it's lots and lots of fun.

Hal, Ollie and Dinah

2012-01-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

Oh, what a winsome trio they were. And I say "were", because in the present state of DC continuity, their happy little menage is no more. And that's a pity, because the three of them were fun.

In my mind, Hal always works best when he's bouncing off of another character, which is why I always enjoyed Hal and Barry, Hal and Ollie, Hal and Guy, etc. etc. Now, Hal has Barry again, but they are still pretty new to their friendship in the newly formed Justice League, and heck, Hal and Ollie don't even seem to have MET! And the same thing with Dinah. Which makes me sad. This is probably why Hal is running around with Sinestro at the moment...there ISN'T anybody else! I haven't seen Tom Kalmaku lately either, I hope he is still in existance at least.

Ollie just isn't the same without Hal. He's not frothing at the mouth, or calling people "fat cats" or comparing Hal to a Nazi or...or anything! No Arrow car, no Arrow plane, no Arrow cave...wait a minute, with his fancy-ass new corporation, he probably DOES have an Arrow Car and an Arrow Plane! Interestingly enough, he's STILL a pale imitation of Batman!

Haw!

But no Dinah in the picture, so there is a whole lot less angst. And romance. I liked Hal being friends with Dinah, because she had to be just about the only woman that he was genuinely FRIENDS with! As a serial flirt, Hal always seems to see women as potential girlfriends. He didn't seem that way with Dinah...at least much.

But man, I miss stuff like this.

Green Lantern Corps #5

2012-01-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

Somehow in all of the excitement, I forgot to do a review of my favorite book! Although I still think that the cover is just ridiculous.

John and his captured cohorts aren't in this very much, basically, they are being tortured by the extremely disgruntled Keepers, for information about how to invade Oa and steal the main Power Battery. Naturally, being Green Lanterns they are remaining mum. The Keepers aren't particularly nice people, but you have to admit that they do have a valid reason for being cranky. Something really weird is going on with the Guardians. Have they really been this ruthless for this long?

Anyway, the rest of the story is mainly Peter Tomasi having fun with his version of the Wild Bunch, the Dirty Dozen, and any number of manly manly old-time movies, starring the likes of Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, and so on and so forth. Guy needs to round up a posse of the toughest Lanterns around, and they don't come much tougher than the "Mean Machine". Attrition has eaten into their numbers apparently, but there are a few of them left, hiding out beneath Warriors, where they meet to play cards and drink Guy's beer for free, I guess. Guy takes it pretty well, all things considered, and rounds up these gruff old veterans, so that they can all go and rescue John and the rest of the Lanterns. Brik and Sheriff Mardin and H'onnu aren't particularly thrilled, and there is a certain amount of trash talk going on. Then they all fly off and raid a bunch of Khund pirates, and take their stash of weapons, and they get to stand around posing with automatic weapons and looking very very macho.

It's perfectly absurd of course. But I don't care. I get the impression that Tomasi is just having a bit of fun with this, and Pasarin's art is pretty as usual, so I enjoyed it.

Reviews

2012-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

This has been a somewhat...tumultuous week for me, but I have to admit...the comics were amazing this week. Therefore, without further ado...!

Batman #5

I'm not a Bat fan. You all know this, I mention it about once a week or so. But I do have to say that I AM a Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo fan! This has to be one of the most perfect comic books that I have read in a very long time. And furthermore, it is a story that could ONLY be told in Comic Book Form.

Bats has been trapped in the Owl's labyrinth, without food, and only drugged water, and he's slowly but surely losing his mind. Batman of all people, is lost and afraid and going nuts. I love it. He of course thinks that he's in control, and to see him slowly losing it, is amazing. But what is really amazing, is the way that the story unfolds, with the layout going from standard panels, to sideways, to upside-down, all of which reflects Bruce's descent into madness. It is, quite simply, mind-boggling.

Buy This Book.

Neal Adams Batman: Odyssey #4

On a completely different level, this has crazy Batman in it too! Once again, we have a stunningly gorgeous Bruce on the first page, giving his blow-by-blow account of the story. He looks a lot like Hal again, and he's even wearing a Green Lantern T-shirt! My mind is officially blown. There is Deadman, and Robin, and trained giant bats, and trolls, and goblins, and Ras's crazy old son, and a talking hippo, and none of it makes any sort of sense at all...but I don't care, because it is such HAPPY insanity.

Birds of Prey #5

Well, they all show up out on the street, with only fragmented memories of what just happened in the last issue, and Starling's hand is healed, and Batgirl is missing, and what the heck just happened? We have a rather good story with all of the Birds trying to figure out what is going on, and a bit of a look at their personal lives, and it's all pretty darned good.

And gosh, but the art is just so pretty too. They look like real women! The cover is ridiculous of course, but in the actual book they have real bodies, that can actually house real organs, and they do active sorts of things without thrusting their bosoms and butts out. It's such a relief sometimes!

DC Universe Presents: Deadman #5

Another excellent issue, with Deadman going up against Rama. He's actually got the upper hand here, although she is certainly not happy about it...not happy at all. However, as Boston points out, she'd make a pretty piss-poor poker player. He ends up being freed from some if not all of her manipulations, she ends up with a question, and it's all good.

Fables #113

This is a break from the story that is actually going on, with a look back at some of the history of the Fables, and how things that happened before tie into things that happened afterwards, and it's all quite nice, as usual. We have some very nice artists showing up for the various stories, such as P. Craig Russell, whom I adore, and even Adam Hughes. The stories intertwine a bit, and it's a nice little interlude.

Green Lantern Corps #5

Naturally I enjoyed this, and I'll get to it tomorrow, but there is one thing that I just can't let go without a comment.

Please take a look at this cover, by Andy Kubert. Please note Guy's pose. How on earth is that even POSSIBLE? I am reminded of Ami's excellent new blog, Escher Girls, where she shows the insane positions that comic book women are placed by their artists, such as showing both boobs and their butts at the same spine-cracking time. This is one of those positions. His head and his legs are facing one way, while his chest and torso are facing the other. When someone is coming at you with a light sabre, perhaps this isn't the best stance for fighting. I don't care if he WAS a gymnast! That's just not possible!

Moving along....

Wonder Woman #5

Man, I did love this. It may not have had Cliff Chiang, but Tony Akins does a pretty damned good job in his stead. Diana, Pregnant Girl, and Hermes are having a nice chat at a sidewalk cafe in London, when a new player named Lennox arrives, and sits himself down. He knows who they are, he knows WHAT they are. All sorts of interesting things ensue. He ends up in the sewers, and Diana ends up on a bridge, while the most fabulous sea-horses show up, with Poseidon in tow. And WHAT a Posiedon! They have a nice little chat, and Diana manages to bring Hera into the mix, in a particularly clever way. This is SO good.

So...a darned fabulous week, at least for comic books.

In Memoriam

2012-01-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

No Reviews today. My Father-In-Law died yesturday, and I'm feeling a bit...bruised.
My Sweet Babboo flew out Tuesday afternoon, after we received word that he was failing fast, and got there late in the evening. His Brother picked him up at the airport in Phoenix, and they were originally going to go home, and see his Dad in the morning, but the nice lady at the Home strongly suggested that they come and see him that night. They demurred, because they didn't want to keep her up so late, but they did go...and got to see him and talk to him, and he knew they were there. Thank goodness they DID go...because he passed away about six the next morning.

He was 88 years old, and would have been 89 in May, so he had a good run. He was tired, and sick, and ready to go...but I'm not sure that I feel the same way. He was smart, and funny and handsome (just like my Sweet Babboo). He fought in World War II, in North Africa, France and Germany when he was barely 20 years old. He came home and married his childhood sweetheart, had two sons, and started as a teller at the bank, and became the President and CEO of the Bank, and loved his kids, his grandchildren, German cars, Marinara sauce, red wine and Pepe's Pizza.

So...no reviews today. Except a toast to Frank J. Pascale/

I'm An Old Fogey

2012-01-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

Let us take a travel in time, back to the Good Old Days, of my misbegotten youth. I speak of the early 1970's...a time lost in the mist for so many of you young whippersnappers. In these bygone days, a great many of us were encouraged to take "Typing" so that we could grow up to become secretaries, and clerks and other worthwhile sorts of jobs. Being able to type accurately and quickly were the hallmarks of a good student and a good employee.

We were taught, to always leave two spaces between the period, and the beginning of another sentence. To this day, I continue to do this. It is just something that was hammered into our little heads, and I do it without thinking. Besides...it looks nice.

However...

...apparently this is no longer the rule. Various bloggers and other people of import have declared this habit to be passe', and old-fashioned and unnecessary. Only dinosaurs use two spaces.

To which I say...phooey. Actually, I would say even stronger things, but I'm trying to be lady-like here and not use bad words, like goddamned, shit and piss-off. Why, I ask, is there such a furor over those two little spaces? Is it one of those things like typing out l0l, or wtf, or other text-speak stuff? Do your little thumbs not have enough stamina to type out that extra space? I don't know, and I don't understand.

I have recently learned to text. I am "with it". Whatever "it" may be. I also use capitals, proper punctuation, and I NEVER use text-speech. I write it all out. My texts tend therefore, to be on the long side...but at least they are easy to figure out. I'm not usually in all that much of a hurry anyway. I still can't figure out twitter, but at least I can follow a tumbler account, and I do manage to get myself on and off of my old computer every day, so that is something. I don't have any aps on my phone, nor have I seen the need for them. I don't look at my phone for the time, I have a wristwatch for that. I don't take pictures with my phone, I have a camera for that. I use my phone to TALK on. And I have to admit, texting is highly addictive...and occasionally handy.

BUT...I am damned if I am going to give up my two spaces. You will have to pry my cold palsied fingers off of my keyboard. I LIKE my two spaces, along with finger bowls and fish forks.

I'm sure that the JSA would agree.

What the HELL?

2012-01-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

I am flabberghasted. Slum-guzzled. Confused even.

DC has announced that it is going to keep producing 52 comics. If they want to add new ones, they must replace ones that are failing. That's fine with me, it's not my plan. It seems a tad rigid, but whatever works, eh?

So...One of the series that is going to get the axe is Rob Liefeld's Hawk & Dove. I have not been reading Hawk & Dove. I don't really give two hoots about Hawk & Dove, although I liked Dove well enough in the Birds of Prey. Liefeld's artwork however is NOT something that I admire.

At All.

So, in their infinite wisdom, DC has seen fit, to hand over the reins to Rob Liefeld on THREE other books! Starting with issue #9, he is going to be plotting for Savage Hawkman, plotting for Grifter, and Writing and Drawing Deathstroke.

What the hell?

I don't read these three books either. I've never been much of a Hawkman fan, although he has his occasional moments. I don't like Grifter and I simply loathe Deathstroke. So it is no real skin off of my nose. But all I can think of, is that either Liefeld has a safety deposit box somewhere with pictures of Dan Didio and a goat, or else DC has some really bitchin' new books lined up, and want to start using them, but they first have to get some existing books out of the way.

At least that's my take. What's yours?

Green Lantern #5

2012-01-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

I have to admit it...I am having an awfully good time with the Hal/Sinestro team-up that Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke have going on. It's nice to see Sinestro's character being explored, without CHANGING his characterization. He's still completely ruthless, he's still egotistical, and he's still smart...but it's nice to see WHY he is like he is.

On Hal's advice, Sinestro has just given all the imprisoned Korugarians Green Lantern rings, which they naturally try to use against him. That goes over about as well as you would think it would, since they naturally cannot use the rings against him. Arsona is smart enough to figure out that you can't be afraid, so she at least gets a shot off. It impresses Sinestro, but doesn't harm him. Hal, in the cell next door, keeps shouting out advice, he's trying to get them to all work together, in order to beat the Sinestro Corps. Too bad they're all locked up.

But as Sinestro points out...he's not Hal, and he's got a secret weapon...mainly his power battery. His former ally, Professor Insidd is trying to figure out how to use it, so that HE can take over, when Sinestro calls for the battery. Let's just say that Insidd isn't going to be a problem any longer.

So there is a massive jail break, and the Korugarians are fighting the Sinestro Corps, while Sinestro and Hal zip over to the Yellow Battery. Hal's a bit leery about going in again, so Sinestro calls him chicken. Just then the Korugarians rings run out of juice. Fortunately, Sinestro and Hal are using all the power in the Yellow Battery to drain the Sinestro Corps, to devastating effect. Oh, and if you push hard enough you can break the ring. Hal scoffs, but Sinestro says that he's done it. Twice.

You know...I believe him.

So, the Sinestro Corps is pretty much in ice, they aren't dead, but they are all in a coma, from which they can only be wakened if Sinestro turns the battery back on. He says he won't do it, but the people of Korugar can be excused if they are a bit skeptical. Some of them, mostly the kids, think that Sinestro is a hero for saving them, but the older ones remember what he was like before. Sinestro himself says that he doesn't deserve their praise, and that he's going to take his old Corps away...and that he hopes he'll be able to return some day and be welcomed. Arsona says no way, no how...but knowing how fond the Korugarians seem of being dominated, I would say that Sinestro just has to save them a couple more times, and they'll be eating out of his hand again.

So...Sinestro and Hal are chugging back to Oa, with the big Yellow Battery in tow. Hal wants to help, but Sinestro rather dryly points out that since he's persona non grata on Oa at the moment, showing up would be...stupid. Even Hal realizes that. He's not too sure about Sinestro's motives however. Sinestro points out that the Guardians have become far more dangerous than he EVER was, and when Hal feels inclined to argue with him about it, he calmly sends him back to earth. He still has the ring...but no battery.

Oh Hal.

Hal lands in an alley in a pile of trash cans, which I find oddly hilarious. He's all wound up, and set on finding a battery...anything, so that he can charge the ring. He admits that it is all he has...all that he wants...!

And next thing you know, old Hal seems to have an epiphany of a sort. Carol is getting out of her car at Ferris airfield, when Hal calls to her, and goes over and kisses her and apologizes, admits he's been a complete jackass, and that he's really in love with her, he doesn't deserve it, but could he have a second chance. Carol, smiles rather wryly and says it's more like a tenth chance...but what the heck.

Awwww...!

For once in his life, Hal has the sense to realize what he's been missing, and that perhaps there is more to life than ring-slinging. He'll probably manage to muff this up sooner or later, but for now at least...he's actually doing it right.

And then we close with the arrival of Sinestro on Oa. The Guardians are gloating because this means that the Sinestro Corps is out of their hair...just like Hal. So they are going to march right downstairs to the rumpus room and let the First Lantern out of the closet, and then, they'll have the Corps of their dreams...and woe to any who get in their way.

They've turned into a nasty little bunch of buggers, haven't they!

So...a lot of fun, a lot of good stuff, and the Hal/Sinestro bromance continues.

Thursday's Reviews

2012-01-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Urrgghh. Still in a fog, but nothing will stop me from getting my comic books, by God! And although I still can't breathe through my nose, this was definitely a superb week, when it came to comics.

Batman & Robin#5

Oh, the plot is thickening nicely. Damian has gone off and joined Nobody, and Bruce is wringing his hands over it. As well he should. Maybe you should actually LISTEN to Alfred once in a while, you Bat-Twit! We get some additional background on the Ducards which is nice, we get beautiful artwork from Pat Gleason, and it is all just So GOOD.

Batgirl #5

Well, things are getting interesting here as well. Barbara's mother of all people shows up, but Barbara isn't leaving out the welcome mat quite yet. And she's having some problems with a new villainess and the number 338. Oh, and Bruce. It's starting to get...interesting.

Batwoman #5

Can this art get more beautiful? Oh, and the story isn't too bad either. We find out more about the drownings, Kate lets go of her guilt about Beth, and Mister Bones and Cameron show up with an offer that she can't refuse. Batman shows up too, boy, he's all OVER the place lately. And as pissed as she may be at her Dad, she still saves his bacon. Gosh, this is a great book.

DC Universe: Online Legends #21

I only picked this up because it had a whole lot of Lanterns on the cover, so I don't really know what is going on, but it has Hal and it has Batman, and Brainiac, and what the hell. It's fun in an average sort of way.

Demon Knights #5

And we continue to learn more about our protagonists. We have an Amazon, we have have all kinds of different motivations and desires, we have the Queen and Mordru slithering in and making them all offers, in order to get them out of the way, and it is just...fun. I'm enjoying the heck out of this book. It also looks as though Vandal Savage is the only one to actually take them up on their offer, but it is quite possible that looks can be deceiving.

Green Lantern #5

Oh...Hal!

The Ray #2

I picked this up on a whim last month, and I was awfully glad that I did, because it is light-hearted, and fun, and reminds me just a little bit of the John Rogers version of Blue Beetle. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have already proven they can write the heck out of Jonah Hex and Power Girl, and they are doing a fine job here, not to mention the gorgeous artwork from Jamal Igle.

For some reason there are flying stingrays, which our hero manages to cope with fairly cleverly. At least he can think on the fly. He also pulls something of a scam in order to impress the traditional Indian parents of his girlfriend, which backfires on him in a rather spectacular fashion...and then giant bug-like creatures attack...and oh, just get it.

Resurrection Man #5

Wow, Mitch was something of a real jerk before he started dying! No wonder nobody likes him! He's having a little bit of trouble coming back from his latest demise, so the Angel is feeling a bit pressured. We also get some welcome backstory, and boy howdy, there were all kinds of shenanigans going on! Good stuff.

Shade #4

Be still my heart. We get artwork by Darwyn Cooke and J.Bone. We get a "Times Past" story. We get action and skullduggery in World War II, and it is all just so fabulous! Goddamn, I am loving this series.

And finally,

Journey Into Mystery #633

We continue with the misadventures of young Loki, and I am loving it. He takes Leah out of her giant dirty hole in the ground, into Broxton and sets her have a sip of his milkshake, although he's quite indignant when she drinks all of it. A bully tries to beat him up, he is talking his way out of it, when Leah throws the bully through the window. Later of course, the Goddesses hear about it, and he has to do some fast talking. Oh, and his has Thori, the Hellhound, tied up outside.

Daimon shows up, children are having deadly dreams, and he's trying to save them. Loki has a dream too, and is saved by Ikol, and is trying to figure it all out, when the son of Satan shows up, and oh...I think it's going to be epic.

Naturally, since I love this book, Marvel will probably be cancelling it.

Blurg

2012-01-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

I am dying, Egypt, dying. Or maybe it only feels that way. Dinsdale, the much unbeloved scion of my place of employment, came to work last week, snuffling and sneezing, and now at least six of us are sick as dogs. SICKER than dogs. As you may have guessed, I am one of them. I actually am staying home and dosing myself with massive amounts of Nyquil, Dayquil, and any other sort of Quil that may be available.

It isn't helping much.

So...between the phlegm and post nasal drip, I am currently plotting my revenge. And I can think of at least five other people who would be more than happy to join in my plot. Unfortunately, my drug-addled brain can only come up with things like giant wedding cakes, wherein, the top layer is filled with quicksand, and that's not really too practical right now. Can any of you think of anything better? Points for imagination as always!

Whatever "It" is...!

2012-01-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

What exactly is "it"? That special spark, that thing, that makes you irresistable, that appeal...? Whatever it is...it seems as though Hal Jordan has it. Even people who can't STAND Hal...and there are a LOT of them, should concede that the very act of hating Hal makes him...interesting.

I am speaking of course, of the newest Green Lantern books, by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke, which have been pairing up Hal and Sinestro, in a particularly entertaining fashion. Love him or hate him, Hal does seem to have a way of making OTHER people more interesting, simply by being around. I don't know how he does it. As much fun as it is to pair up the other Lanterns, still, the primo gig seems to be getting to star with Hal.

Right now of course, Hal is more or less Sinestro's bitch. He was stripped of his ring by the Guardians, who were appalled that he was able to apparently kill Krona. They thought that they had finagled things so that a Lantern could never kill a Guardian...because they are also big chickens. In their infinite wisdom, instead of trying to figure out HOW he was able to do such a thing, they simply took his ring back,and dumped him on earth. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

Except that Hal of course is a magnet for trouble. He's having a rough time cutting it in the real world, because for Hal, he's an action junkie, and a hero to his fingertips...he simply can't cope in the mundane existance occupied by the rest of us. And seriously...do you think that Batman or Superman or Green Arrow, or any of the rest of them would necessarily do any better? Guy and John discovered that for themselves, when the tried to GET jobs in the real world...and since they have been outed from the beginning, there really isn't any place for them...other than doing what they are doing. Still, they've managed to cope...which is something that Hal has been having trouble achieving.

So, when Sinestro shows up with a ring and a promise, Hal JUMPS at it. He doesn't even stop to think...which is typically how Hal acts all of the time anyway. Even though the ring isn't as powerful as a regular ring, even though he has to do more or less whatever Sinestro tells him to do...he is so hungry for that power, for that rush, that he does it. Willingly. Eagerly.

But that's Hal. What I am also finding quite fascinating, is how he is playing off of Sinestro. Sinestro is a BAD man, there is no doubt about that. Yet...Geoff Johns is doing a superb job of making him a bit more relatable and certainly more interesting than merely a villain. Besides, in Sinestro's mind, he isn't a villain...he's a hero. All he wants is to take care of Korugar, and by extension the Universe. He has admirable ambitions...it is just the WAY that he does it, that is so reprehensible. Not that the Guardians are doing a particularly better job, at least lately.

It's fun to see Sinestro using his ring with such ease and skill, and incidentally showing up Hal by comparison. Sinestro is right of course, Hal SHOULD be able to do more with the ring than he does, simply because he doesn't think as big as he should. But as much as I am enjoying Sinestro, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun, without having Hal around for him to bounce off of. A sole Sinestro book wouldn't really work.

Just like putting Guy with Hal, makes for some of the very best Green Lantern stories, just like putting him with Kyle or John. In the new Justice League book, Hal makes the rest of them look pretty good!

And he does it all with style. And showing off his ass-ets.

Thursday's Reviews

2012-01-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

A small week. But a pretty decent week, all things considered.

Action Comics #5

Different art this month, with Andy Kubert stepping in, and yet another retelling of Superman's origin. This time, Grant goes into some detail about exactly how and why, they Jor El stuffed his baby into that neat little space ship, what happened to Krypto, some time with the Legion, and why it is, that Jonathan Kent is my hero.

Seriously, that thing with the goat is sheer GENIUS!

Justice League International #5

This is a book that is getting better and better each month. We actually have Bea and Tora acting more like themselves, Guy continues to snark, Booster continues to do his best, Batman doesn't show up everyone else, Gavril and the General have their moments, and heck, even Vixen has a line or two. It's wonderful.

Booster has saved them all from certain death, by the use of his forcefield, which annoys Guy, since HE could have done it just as well, but at least he gets to apply some cool green rockets to get them out of danger. Things are not going well on Earth, the four giants are busy pulverizing the planet and Peraxxus continues to gloat about all the profit he's going to be making.

They send in their cool ship, to attack, but naturally it gets blowed up, which is ok, since they PLANNED for it to be blowed up, and actually they sneak into the ship inside of a giant rock, with Fire providing the power to get there. Sneaky and clever. Once inside, they split up, with Batman, Rocket Red and Ice going to the Ship's controls and the rest of them attacking Peraxxus. Godiva is freaking out a bit, since she's a pretty low level hero, apprehending bank robbers and muggers is what she's used to...not going into space and attacking aliens. Guy is pretty disgusted that she's afraid, but Ice puts in a good word for her. Ice is actually acting more like...Ice. Thank Goodness!

They really aren't doing that great a job of beating up Peraxxus, but they are holding their own, as Gavril manages to pop the ship out of orbit, and it's drawn towards earth, both by gravity and the lure of one of the giants. Peraxxus manages to take off, and Guy would have gone after him, but he's got to stop the ship from crashing, with all of them on it. He can't quite do that, but he does manage to limit the damage, and they all manage to get themselves out, and back in one piece. A victory!

There is a mysterious someone who isn't too pleased that they all managed to survive, but at least Guy has calmed down a bit, and Booster has proved that he's more than just a pretty face. I am enjoying the heck out of this book.

Red Lanterns #5

Each month, I get this, and each month, I think to myself that I shouldn't really bother, but this time I think that I have really reached the end. Krona is missing, Atrocitus is having a hissy fit, Bleez is being treacherous, and various other Red Lanterns show off their origins, but it is all pretty...dull actually. And that other Earth guy becomes a Red Lantern too. But at least Dex-Starr showed up for a panel or two.

Swamp Thing #5

Now this is a good book. Alex and Abby are fighting her little brother, who controls the rot, as opposed to Alex controlling the green. At first it seems as though the Green is winning, but then things go...awry. Pretty art, and an excellent story.

Tuesday...Argghh!

2012-01-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

What is it about Tuesdays, anyway. I haven't a thought in my head, so I'm just going to tell you all to go over to Kalinara's site at Pretty Fizzy Paradise, and give her some suggestions for one of those Meme thingies that she does so well.

Do it. Do it for COMICS!

Otherwise, you will piss off Hal. And you would never want to do that.

Oh...Comics!

2012-01-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, when perusing my favorite blogs and such, I like to take a nostalgic journey through the archives and waste a few minutes. Ok, hours. All right, all afternoon! Yesturday I did this with Scipio's Absorbascon, and laughed myself sick.

But what REALLY startled me, was an idea that he threw out...waaaaaaaay back in 2005. Scipio thought that it would be a good idea if Aquaman got a dog.

Well...here it is 2012. And lo and behold...!

It just goes to show that good ideas do sometimes actually come true! "Salty the Sea Dog" indeed!

Now I'm just hoping that someone at DC will make that Fire and Ice mini-series that I've been panting for.

Farewell to 2011

2011-12-31T08:10:00.000-08:00

This has certainly been an...interesting year. Although I suppose that you can say that about ANY year. The weather was bizarre, at least in my little corner of New England. A tornado, an earthquake, hurricane, blizzards, floods...there weren't any red skies or locusts, but that was about ALL that we didn't experience. And so far, except for the Halloween disastrous snowstorm that knocked out our power for a week...we haven't had any snow. Not that I'm complaining. I'm just worried that we'll suddenly get twelve feet in February, because these sorts of things have an odd way of evening themselves out.

I understand that the rest of the country has had interesting weather as well!

There has been the unrelenting parade of Republican candidates, which has been alternately hilarious and terrifying. And gosh, we have another whole year of it to look forward to! The price of everything has gone up...and up. On the plus side, we are coming home from Iraq which is a very good thing, and the economy seems to be improving...very very slowly.

For the world of Comics, it has also been an interesting year. There was Thor, The Mighty Avenger by Landridge and Samnee over at Marvel that was simply fantastic, although it ended far far too soon. There has also been Journey into Mystery, with Loki as a young boy, and it has also been fantastic. DC had its reboot in September, and has surprisingly been putting out some pretty decent books. On the other hand, other than the marketing coup, I can't really see that any of those books couldn't have been created using the OLD Continuity. I miss my continuity...I really do.

Action Comics with a young and raw Superman has been superb, but there is no reason it couldn't have been brought out as a new book, it's written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Rags Morales. People were going to buy it no matter what. Same thing with Wonder Woman, which has also been excellent. She's been rebooted and redone so many time already...what's one more? The Bat Books and the Green Lanterns passed through the tumult mostly unscathed, although I am still uncertain as to what is still in their combines history. The the JLI being new, does this mean that Guy never got the "One Punch" moment? He doesn't know Martian Manhunter anymore, and he's only dated Ice a couple of times, which makes me sad. Also, we lost Secret Six which also makes me sad.

They broke up a LOT of couples, which also depresses me to a certain extent. In the meantime however, I can only assume that someday it will all be put back as it should be, and I'll keep buying and enjoying my books. On the plus side, Batwoman was fantastic.

The Green Lantern movie came out and I don't care what anyone says...I loved it. The Thor movie was also very good. I haven't seen the Captain America movie, but I understand that it was pretty decent as well, and I will be looking forward to the Avengers movie. The Green Hornet movie was just awful. Although Kato and the car were ok. We also had the epic story of Wonder Woman' pants.

I had two kids get married, my Sweet Babboo started a new job, we marched in a lot of parades, and I made the last payment on my car. Huzzah! The New Year beckons, with all sorts of promise and hope. I do trust that you will ALL have a safe and happy New Year and that good things happen. And when bad things happen, we'll get through them.

And please please, let the comics be good.

And you can count on there being a lot more of this sort of thing.

Thursday's Reviews

2011-12-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well, this was a fine little crop of comics for the last week of the month. Heck of the year! So let us begin.

All Star Western #4

Man, Jonah just can't seem to get clear of Doctor Arkham. He's out minding his own business, hunting down bounties, when he's approached by a gentleman who is missing a child. Hex isn't interested until he offers an ENORMOUS reward, and then he's all ears. He ends up at an orphanage and is being given the bum's rush by a nun, when the good doctor shows up and vouches for him.

It turns out that there have been an awful LOT of kids gone missing over the years, but since they were from the wrong side of the tracks, nobody has bothered looking for them...'till now. Jonah and the Doctor end up going underground, and find what appears to be a monstrous construction site with the kidnapped children as slaves. Hex is quietly going around picking off the overseers, while Arkham tries to shepherd the kids out of there, but naturally, he gets caught. Lots and lots of fun as usual. There is a second story as well, of the "Barbary Ghost" with a Chinese girl looking for the man who killed her family and she has eerie powers. Nice.

Aquaman #4

It's always just so nice seeing Ivan Reis's artwork. Arthur and Mera head down to the Trench,which is the home of the nasty nasty baddies who have taken all those nice surface dwellers home with them. They are a little startled to discover what appears to be a centuries-old ship embeddened in the wall of the Trench...from before Atlantis sank. Pressing on, they discover a whole slew of the creatures, and they aren't doing that well. Their offspring are weak and mutated, the Queen can't breed, and Mera thinks they should be exterminated. Arthur is more concerned about getting the kidnapped people back to the surface. He breaks off the whole wall where they are imprisoned, and Mera takes it back,while he stays to run interference.

Naturally, the critters aren't too happy about seeing their meal tickets disappearing and attack. He's about to be eaten by the Queen, when he hurls his trident at the volcanic vent, and things immediately go sideways. The ensuing volcanic eruption collapses the Trench, and the lava seals it off...presumably. They are able to return the townspeaple to their homes, with only two fatalities, which is pretty good all things considered. The sheriff is still being a bit of a jerk, but a little boy tells Arthur that he is is bestest most favorite superhero.

Awww...!

So, Arthur and Mera end up back at the Lighthouse, which does seem to have just the purtiest sunrises and sunsets. And the other nice sheriff shows up with the dog that they had rescued a couple of issues ago, and now they have this nice Golden Retriever who can't swim.

Double Awwww...!

Now Arthur and Clark can play frisbee together with their puppies.

Flash #4

God, I am loving this book. The things that Francis Manapul is doing with the art boggles the mind. It is beautiful, it is innovative, deceptively simply in line, but oh, the craftsmanship is there, and it is amazing. The story isn't too bad either. Barry's friend is still a bit of a jerk, and his clones are still trying to get him back, and all sorts of things are going on, and Iris is captured, and she thinks the Flash is a menace, and it just zips along, and Flash decides that he needs to run, and...It's Just So PRETTY! And fun!

Green Lantern: New Guardians #4

I'm finally getting involved in this book. Larfleeze showing up certainly helped, and he brought Sayd with him! Man, we haven't seen her in ages. Too bad that Ganthet can't appreciate it,since he's been brain-washed by the other Guardians. Bummer. Larfleeze is kicking the Guardians collective tiny wizened blue asses with astonishing ease, and Ganthet is trying to persuade Kyle to dump these losers and stay with HIM, because he's just so exceptional, and by the way, can they study him?

Kyle wavers for a minute, because after all, he does owe a lot to Ganthet, but Ganthet isn't precisely in his right mind at the moment, and Kyle tells them all to stuff it, and they ALL take off for Okaara. The are getting along about as well as one would expect them to. St. Walker tries to calm down Arkillo and creates a Hope version of Sinestro, who restores Arkillo's tongue, which had been ripped out by Mongul. Arkillo can talk again! He's not particularly grateful, but hey.

Sayd keeps getting in these little digs at Larfleeze, which is fun. But she's discovered a huge threat in the middle of an even huger black hole, and they all apparently need to get their colorful asses over there. Good. Pretty darned good.

Justice League Dark #4

I'm also enjoying this book. June Moon is still running around with Deadman, Dove is still pissed, and even more pissed to come home and find John Constantine in her kitchen, looking for Deadman. Shade is having some problems, Madame Xanadu is looking for drugs,and Zatanna is in a bit over her head. The story is interesting, and the art by Mikel Janin is quite beautiful. So definitely worth your while.

I also picked up DC Comics Presents: Elseworlds 100 page Spectacular! As I recall, this is the one that they pulled years and years ago because of the baby in the microwave bit, although I do have to say that having read that story, it is QUITE amusing. This is bizarre and crazy and absurd, and I enjoyed the heck out of it. It also includes some spectacular Superman dickery, which is always a plus.

Not a bad week, not a bad week at all!

Back In The Groove

2011-12-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well...Christmas is over, and I do have to say that having Monday off, was a wonderful wonderful thing. It was so nice to have time to pick up all the wrapping paper, put one's feet up and eat left-overs and just relax for a little bit.

I do have to say that it is a wonderful thing to have one's children competing for one's love. Heh. I got home-made peanut/chocolate thingies from one, not to mention fudge, a blue Hope-Lantern sweatshirt from another, and a gorgeous turquoise necklace from a third. Not too shabby! Also a Guy and Soranik figure, so I'm just as happy as a clam. I hope that YOU all got some wonderful goodies as well!

And by Jove, tomorrow is Wednesday yet again, with still more literary delights coming to our beloved local Comic book shops. My equally beloved comic book store owner gave me a book of Romita artwork...signed by both John Romita Sr. and Johnny Romita Jr. I am beside myself. It is always a good idea to bring cookies to your comic book store!

And...because I simply cannot help myself...one more goodie from Black Cat.

Adorable!

Oh...You know.

2011-12-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Be sure to have A Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, and a Klassy Kwanzaa. A Superb Saturnalia, and a Fine Festivus.

Have I left anything out?

Just a little something from Black Cat, who continues to delight us all.

Green Lantern Corps #4

2011-12-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

This wasn't bad...seriously, NO Green Lantern book is ever BAD, but it does seem to be spinning its wheels just slightly. John and several other Green Lanterns have been taken prisoner by the Bad Guys, who simply blow one GL's head off, simply to prove their point. The others are enraged of course, but John keeps his head, and tells them to wait for their moment. In the meantime, they are told to walk across the "Emerald Plains", which is quite stunning...with the imprint of countless Green Lantern batteries pressed into the ground.

In the meantime, the Green Lanterns that made it back, are still upset. Sheriff Mardin is practising hard, and Honnu is having a tantrum more or less...because Lanterns were left behind. It wasn't his fault, but he doesn't see it that way. Guy is busy interrogating the lone Bad Guy that they managed to take prisoner, with mixed results. He is trying to pull the old "Good Cop/Bad Cop" routine, but Salaak keeps flubbing his lines...much to Guy's disgust.

He's not getting anywhere, and is becoming increasingly frustrated, when who should appear but J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter! Woohoo! I love J'onn! However, in this continuity, he and Guy have never met, and certainly have never been teammates before. Guy is understandably a little disconcerted by this large green gentleman who rises out of the floor in front of him, but J'onn manages to convince him that his intentions are good, and that he and Stormwatch ARE on the side of the Green Lanterns. Which doesn't stop him from getting in a few digs about the Guardians, and just where were the Lanterns when Mars was being decimated.

J'onn discovers that the Bad Guys call themselves the "Keepers". The Keepers of the Lantern's Power Batteries no less. I guess that explains the imprints in the dirt of the Emerald Plains, then. Guy is a bit confused...but the two of them come to the realization that the Guardians have been...less than forthcoming when it comes to explaining some things. What a surprise!

And what exactly to the Keepers want? Well...just the Central Battery.

It was nice to have Fernando Pasarin back, and it is an interesting story, with some more plot points explained, and it is always a thrill to see J'onn. But I am ready for this story to pick up just a little bit. This issue seems to be mostly exposition...which isn't necessarily a bad thing...but not a whole lot of action. However, I am sure that there will be action galore soon enough.

Reviews!

2011-12-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Well bless me, but this was a simply sensational week, when it came to comics. Which I rather needed, quite frankly, since yesturday morning, I managed to trip over the new bag of dog food while heading from the kitchen to the dining room, twist to save my breakfast, and landed on my left knee, with a handful of oatmeal. HOT oatmeal! So now my palm is burned and my knee hurts. But I do have new comics, so it all works out.

Batman #4

Dagnabit, but this is good. Dick shows up, which is always nice, and gently tries to convince Bruce to slow down a bit. Bruce still...even with all of the evidence before him...doesn't really believe in the Court of Owls, mainly because he went looking for them after his parents were killed. He basically was looking for someone to blame other than a petty criminal, because really, who would have murdered his parents for handful of pocket change and some pearls? Oh Bruce.

It's a lovely look at the burgeoning Bat's first case...taken when he was just a kid. But a relentless kid! Beautiful art, wonderful dialogue, and a heck of a story. Twelve thumbs up!

Batman: Odyssey #3

You know, this book is making less and less sense as it goes...not that it ever DID make much sense...but I Do Not Care. If it gives Neal Adams a chance to draw Batman riding a dinosaur or giant bat, or tiny evolved little...critters try to take a nip out of Robin's rear end, or for Batman to have a duel with Ra's crabby old son...then I Am FOR it! I basically didn't even try to make any sense out of the story, I just looked at the pictures. The purty purty pictures.

Birds of Prey#4

This is actually growing on me. I wasn't too sure at first, and I do still miss Gail Simone, but the story is picking up. I think that I wrote pretty much the same thing about this book last month...but it's true. Batgirl shows up, which is nice, and Poison Ivy is helping out, and being all fierce and darned efficient, which I always admire. Even Katanna does stuff. I still don't like Starling that much, but at least Dinah gets the bomb out of her brain, and the plot is advanced,and interesting things manage to happen. So pretty good.

But boy, that cover by Finch is really terrible. They...they ALL have the same face! And some peculiar body positions.

DC Universe Presents: Deadman #4

This has also been an excellent ride. Deadman takes the knowledge that he's gotten from the Librarian, and goes to a carnival where he meets the Morningstar, and has one craaaaazy roller coaster ride. He also asks a lot of questions, and gets some rather interesting answers. He also finally is beginning to understand Rama's motivation. Too bad that she's not particularly happy with his quest for knowledge.

Very good.

Fables #112

Good as always, although for some reason, it makes me think that I missed something. For some reason, Rose Red is now being picked to be an avatar of Hope? A cricket (Jiminy?) shows up on Christmas Eve, and takes her all over the place to see the other Hope entities, although some of them are now dead, and she owes a kiss to a dead guy who rather resembles Boy Blue, and to be brutally honest, I didn't really quite follow all of it. I guess we'll see.

Green Lantern Corps

Oh...you know, I 'll cover this tomorrow.

Justice League #4

You know...this is big sloppy fun. Aquaman finally shows up, and thinks he should be the leader. He's not too happy about the parademons in the water. And Cyborg freaks out a lot. And Hal makes a complete ass of himself, but heck, I always enjoy that. Barry is amusing, Batman is also dryly humorous, and Wonder Woman is just so happy to be cracking heads, that she could cry. Hal just can't quite understand who Aquaman thinks that he is...until Aquaman SHOWS him some of the things that he can do...like have giant sharks eat parademons by leaping out of the harbor. At which point, Hal decides to just shut up.

Oh, and Darkseid shows up. There is no pretense here, to being anything deep or particularly cerebral. It's just loud and violent and I have to admit...I loved it.

Wonder Woman #4

I loved this too. Diana isn't too happy with the revelations about her parentage, and she takes off to listen to a concert. Apollo and Ares are plotting, Hermes is hanging out, and Eris just can't seem to tear herself away. That is one messed up family that she's got. And Hera goes to Themyscira, and has it out with Hippolyta.

Damn. You know, we have GOT to stop killing off Amazons.

Done!

2011-12-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hah! I'm finished...completely finished with my shopping, and I am simply overflowing with smuggery. Bwhahahahaha! Even the wrapping is mostly done. Of course, I still have to finish the fudge and the cherry-chip bread, and cook the ham and make applesauce...!

I think this is more of a "girl" thing. Most of the guys I know don't obsess over Christmas...or any other holiday for that matter. In fact, my Sweet Babboo pretty much takes it for granted that I'll do his shopping FOR him. There are bonuses in this...I usually end up with exactly what I want...like that Kilowog action figure a couple of years back! On the other hand, no pressure at all.

I don't think that there is going to be a separate Holiday book out this year, at least by DC...which is a bit of a shame. I LOVE Holiday books! Last year, the Larfleeze Christmas Special was...well...special! But I suppose that if I am in the need of Christmas cheer, I can unearth them, and read them all over again. That's one of the benefits of collecting comic books...they aren't perishable! You can read them over and over and over...and I do.

Is It Just Me..?

2011-12-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

...Or is December just FLYING by? It's the last week before Christmas for heaven's sake! I need cider! I've made my fudge and cookies, and now I need Wassail. Delicious delicious Wassail. Oh, and the home-made eggnog (with the BOOZE in it) isn't too bad either.

I have family flying in from Arizona today, so blogging may be light for a few days, as we wallow in family and food and stuff. But to get us all in the mood...

Courtesy of Black Cat. I DO wish that DC would give you a book. I would read "Batman & Sons" religiously.

A New Record!

2011-12-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I'll be damned. This, according to that handy dandy little counter thing, is apparently my 1500th post. That is a LOT of Green Lantern Butt objectification! It all just goes to show what a fetish can do for a person! So thank you to every one who has read this silliness. And please be warned that I have a whole lot more silliness in mind.

And now, here's the Review of Green Lantern #4. Because it is all about the Lanterns. And their behinds.

As you all no doubt recall from LAST issue, it sure looked as though Hal had just been disintegrated by Sinestro's Yellow Battery. Hal certainly wasn't very happy. But naturally...being Hal...he used his last seconds to think about Carol.

Sinestro isn't too happy either, wondering how Hal managed to screw things up. But the Battery realized that Hal wasn't Sinestro, and therefore spit him out, instead of sending him to Qward. Of course he is promptly taken prisoner by the Sinestro Corps, and tossed into a cell, which will drain his ring of its power. I'm not quite sure if Hal was out of it when he was tossed into the cell, because the tosser DID announce quite loudly that it would drain his ring. He also thinks that Hal is beautiful.

Hal IS beautiful. And dumb, because he immediately starts making constructs to cut his way out of the cell, and none of it works

Hal is nothing if not persistent. He does eventually realize that he just blew all his power, and decides that he only has enough power for one more thing, so he conjures up an image of Carol. Awwww...that's so sweet! Now if he could only actually TELL HER of his feelings!

Anyhoo...Sinestro isn't having a much better time of it, as he's being tortured by his erstwhile followers. They just can't understand what he's doing with a green ring and are doing their level best to get it off of his finger...and throwing a little torture into the mix, because why the hell not? But the ring won't come off, and they are contemplating removing his whole hand. They don't but do toss him into another cell, that is holding all of the Korugarians. Sinestro can't quite understand why they are all so mad at him. We also learn more about Arsona, and it turns out that she was one of the few who stood up for him way back when, except that she's not too happy with him NOW. Sinestro tries to defend his methods, but she's not having any of it. Meanwhile, Hal is listening in, from his cell next door.

Then Sinestro does something amazing. He...he actually says that he's sorry. And I actually think that he even...means it! The rest of the Korugarians aren't necessarily buying his remorse, but still...for Sinestro, that's quite a step! Hal decides to put in his two cents right about this point, and says that Sinestro could make rings for EVERYONE, so that they could escape. He also gets in a little dig about how Sinestro's ring isn't as good as a REAL Green Lantern ring, just to that Sinestro doesn't think that Hal thinks he's All That.

Sinestro is skeptical, and who can blame him, but with Hal playing cheerleader, he pours out his willpower, and lo and behold, everybody has a ring! Woohoo! Too bad that all they want to do is kill him! Oh Hal. Oh Sinestro, for listening to Hal!

As usual, the art by Doug Mahnke is sensational and the colors just...glow. Geoff Johns has a deft way with the story, I swear to God, that Hal and Sinestro act like an old married couple. This is just a whole lot of comic book fun.

Thursday's Reviews of Wednesday's Comics

2011-12-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Well bless me, but what a fabulous fabulous week this was! So let us just leap into things right away.

And without further ado...

Batgirl#4

I...liked this. It took a couple of issues, but I think that Gail Simone is finding her footing on this book. Barbara begins by going down memory lane, after her encounter with the Mirror guy, but fortunately for her, it all turns out to be a dream. But a most disturbing one. She also finds out that her new roomie, is a whole lot cooler than she had originally thought. After warming up with a bunch of low-life thugs, where she incidentally saves some very nice vegans, it's off to the cemetary where she lays out an invitation...which leads to a confrontation in an abandoned Hall of Mirrors.

Oh Gotham, I love you. You just have SO MANY abandoned things! Seriously, Gotham City's tax rate must be really weird, with so many unproductive taxpayers. Here however, she confronts the Mirror guy, and there is a nice little fight and a lot of psychosis, and...and stuff. And a very unexpected guest shows up on Christmas.

Batman & Robin #4

This is also very good. Nobody has captured Bats and Damian and is holding them in an abandoned Movie Drive-In. (Please see my previous comment on exciting Abandoned Property in Gotham City) and he and Bruce exchange bon mots about what does and does not work, when it comes to crime-fighting. Fortunately, Bruce is thinking ahead, and calls for backup in the form of Alfred and heat-seeking missiles or something, and they manage to get out their predicament.

Later in the Batcave, as Alfred is patching Bruce up, Bruce continues to show why Dick is so much better at handling Damian. Alfred continues to prove that Bruce IS a Dick. And Damian and the Bat Hound begin to bond. The art by Pat Gleason is lovely as always, and I'm enjoying this a lot.

Batwoman #4

Good God, but this is a pretty book. So...so pretty. While Kate manages to have a VERY interesting evening, poor Flamebird goes out on her own, in order to prove something,and only manages to get one heck of a whuppin'. Unfortunately for her she's rescued by Cameron...but not with particularly atruistic motives. She's tricked into giving up Kate's name, and Mister Bones makes his much anticipated appearance. Oh, and Kate is also finally figuring out more about the drownings.

All sorts of interesting things are coming to a head, and it should be quite the ride next issue.

Demon Knights #4

This book also continues to be enjoyable. We find out a heck of a lot more about the Shining Knight, as Merlin enters into the picture. Jason Blood isn't too happy about Merlin, and Vandal Savage continues to be my favorite character. He's just so...so happy! The Horsewoman shows up, but is she friend or...foe?

Green Lantern #4

Really, Hal and Sinetro just need to get a room! More tomorrow.\

The Ray #1

I was of two minds about picking this up, but then realized that it was by Gray and Palmiotti, whom I have enjoyed so much with Jonah Hex and Power Girl. And Jamal Igle is the artist which is always a plus. But I liked the OLD Ray, and I loved that black and gold costume with the stand-up collar SO much.

This however, is awfully good. And funny. That's got to be one of my favorite origins, that's for sure. So do pick this up, it is fast-paced, and fun, and has a charming hero and interesting cast of characters so far. In fact, it reminds me a little bit of Jaime Reyes in his original book...which is high praise indeed.

Resurrection Man#4

We learn more about the Transhuman, and it is actually rather an interesting twist. The Body Doubles finally realize that Mitch isn't lying about not knowing who they are, and he agrees to go with them, mainly in order to figure out just what the heck is happening. And a really cranky angel shows up. It's a little weird sometimes, but I'm liking this book too.

The Shade #3

Oh Shade. You continue to delight me as well. For some reason, Dickie is off to Australia, where he encounters a number of interesting people from his past, and learns a bit about Dream Time, and duels quite the unnusual foe. And all to meet someone out of HIS past. Dang it, but this is good.

And finally, my lone entry from Marvel...

Journey Into Mystery #632

Well, Thor is dead, and Odin went back to Asgard with the dead body of his Serpent Brother, and Bifrost is shattered, because when Odin sulks, he does it in a MAJOR kind of way. There is still the ruins of Asgard in Oklahoma, which is being ruled over by a triumvirate of Goddesses, who quite frankly, can't possibly do a worse job of it than Odin. And Loki, bless his little heart, is still my hero.

Leah has reluctantly come to live on earth, and he's dumped her in a cave. She's not particularly happy about it, and then Hela shows up with a box. It turns out to be full of puppies. PUPPIES! But not just ANY puppies, but the offspring of Garm, and the Hel-Hound, and Loki is presented with the task of finding homes for these little bundles of joy or else...disposing of them. Mephisto takes one, and Gaea/Jord is a sucker for cuteness. Heimdall takes one, and Tyr, and one is posted on the internet, but the last one is a bit of a puzzle, because it is the only one that can talk, and all it wants to do is pee on the rainbow bridge and kill people. But...but it's just SO CUTE! Loki is advised to throw it off the cliff by the World Tree, but he just can't do it. He names it Thori.

Oh, and Volstagg plays Santa for the children of Broxton.

The art is beautiful, the coloring is beautiful, the dialogue is hilarious...there is SO much to love in this book. Which naturally means that they'll be cancelling it any time now, because that seems to be what always happens when I fall in love with a Marvel book. But for now...enjoy!

Tuesday Twaddle

2011-12-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

Oh I am just on fire with the alliteration! And desperate for an idea...ANY idea! And what do we do when inspiration has gone off Christmas shopping? Why, we head to Photobucket! My savior!

This seemed awfully appropriate for the Season

Oh Phantom Stranger, I love your dapperness.

Monday Meanderings

2011-12-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well, my Christmas shopping is done. Almost. Mostly. I need one or two more at the most, but at this point in the game, is where I start to second-guess myself. Christmas drives me nuts! Now if I can just find the wrapping paper.

There are various changes going on with DC's 52 new books. Gail Simone is off of Firestorm, which doesn't really break my heart, since I just couldn't warm up to it for some reason. Now, if they would just give her Secret Six back, I would have the best Christmas gift of all! Gene Ha is going to be doing the artwork instead of Jim Lee on Justice League which also warms the cockles of my heart. I love Gene Ha! I don't think that they've cancelled The Shade miniseries...yet.

However, in the midst of my musings, it occurs to me, that lately I've been wandering away from the original premise of my beloved blog. And that of course, means showing Hal flying with his legs open.

Oh Hal. No wonder Sinestro wants to keep you and make you his pet.

Slightly Delayed Reviews

2011-12-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry about that. Out Christmas shopping. 50% sales at Macy's! Woohoo!

*ahem*

A fairly small week for me, but some decent stuff and some stuff that was...eh.

Action Comics #4

Man, I just love this book to death. Rags Morales artwork is simply sublime, and he does such a fantastic job of rendering those jeans and old work boots! Grant Morrison's writing isn't too shabby either. I love his weaselly version of Lex "I for one, welcome our alien overlords!" Luthor.

Bad things are happening, with machines being randomly taken over, including the army's secret weapon against Superman. Lex of course has sold out to our mysterious alien friend, who naturally betrays him. What I find quite amusing is Lex's indignation at being betrayed. Superman is fighting the good fight of course, with varying degrees of success, while Jimmy and Lois are right there too, and Lois doing her best to get through to John Corben. Too bad it's not working. And then Steel shows up, swinging his hammer and being all cool and stuff. There is also a nice extra story in the back, all about Steel, by Solly Fisch and Brad Walker, which is very well done.

This book is fabulous. I have always liked Superman, but in a nebulous sort of way. THIS Superman is great.

Green Arrow #4

I mean it this time, I think I'm going to drop this book. Which pains me to say, and perhaps it will get better when Anne Nocenti takes over, but it is just so...generic and rather dull. This Ollie isn't anything much like the crazy OLD Ollie. No Hal, no Dinah, no rants about nazis...it's just not the same. The art is pretty of course, by Dan Jurgens, and I really do like Keith Giffen, but this just isn't singing for me.

As for the plot, some ninja type named Blood Rose shows up with a serious hate for Ollie for some reason, that I'm sure will be eventually shown.

Justice League International #4

I...don't quite know what to do with this book. It is about some of my absolute favorite people, and I do like Dan Jurgens very much. The artwork by Aaron Lopresti is also very nice. The new JLI continues to fight against Peraxxus, the baddie introduced in the last issue, and it turns out that he has usurped power over the four giant robot-thingies, which were placed there by a now extinct alien race, because he wants to harvest all our minerals and stuff, and apparently make a killing on the intergalactic stock market or some such thing. Not a bad premise by any stretch of the imagination.

It's nice that Ice and Godiva had a few stand-out moments this issue. It's always a bit of a problem with team books, making sure that everyone gets a few moments to shine. The bit where Godiva is using her hair to look for a weapon in Batman's utility belt, and finds...something else, made me snicker. It pleases me to no end that there are actually a LOT of women in this book, and for a change, all of them are actually covered decently, instead of having their boobs hanging out all over the place, ala Benes. Their costumes are practical and attractive, and I like that.

What does annoy me to a degree, is that it seems as though everyone in the team has been defeated just so...so easily. None of their powers seem to work against this guy, who really doesn't seem to me to be that big of an obstacle. Guy in particular is a bit of a misstep. He's a Green Lantern for God's sake. An HONOR GUARD Green Lantern. He should be able to take this guy out with one hand tied behind his back, before even having his morning coffee! And yet, Peraxxus defeats him and beats him up and hauls him off, and all Guy does is stand there and sneer a bit and spout a few tough guy aphorisms. He doesn't ONCE use his ring to actually even defend himself or land a blow on this villain. I find that quite perplexing.

Booster has all these nice powers, so does Fire, so does Ice, so does Rocket Red, and even General In Iron. Vixen and Godiva's powers aren't quite so amped up, but they should be able to hold their own. And Batman isn't doing too well either, which I am actually enjoying for a change. Well, I assume that they'll all get their shit together by next issue. Maybe they're being psychically influenced or something.

So...not my favorite issue, but still, I'd rather have the JLI around to mock, than not, so I'm still happy. In a confused comic books sort of way.

Red Lantern #4

Meh. Peter Milligan uses this issue to focus on a few more Reddies, giving us their backstories, and Atrocitus continues to be a Red Lantern version of Hamlet. He does a lot of standing around and soliloquizing, without actually doing too much. He likes to talk to Krona's rotting corpse apparently, and is highly indignant, when it disappears at the end.

Again, I'm not really loving this too much. Needs More Dex-starr!

Swamp Thing #4

This is pretty darned good in comparison however. Alex Holland is still being told by the Green, to get his act together and help them out, but he's resisting being turned into a muck monster again...and really who can blame him? Abby has shown up, and he can't help but feel some emotions towards her. They are after her little brother, who is not a very nice person at all. Her family is prone to causing Rot, as opposed to the Green. It's a little hard to explain, but I like it. Pretty artwork too.

That's it for this week. Some highs, some lows, but I do have to say that the artwork for the most part has been awfully nice lately. That's always a plus.

Geoff Johns and Guy

2011-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Everyone says that Geoff Johns has a mancrush on Hal Jordan. I'm not too sure that necessarily go along with that. I think that he likes Hal a lot. Heck, I like Hal a lot, when I'm not in the mood to kick him. I like John and Kyle too. There is no denying that Geoff Johns has done an exemplary job of bringing back Hal...AND the entire Green Lantern Corps from comics purgatory, to the fabulous position it now occupies. Hal is back to being a stand-up and take-charge sort of fellow again, as opposed to the whiny, vascillating maniac he had been reduced to.

But I think that in all of the hoopla over Hal, Guy has been overlooked. That's not unusual of course. Hal has a habit of overshadowing everyone. But what I have noticed, is that in the issues where Geoff Johns writes BOTH Hal and Guy...inevitably, Guy simply shines. He certainly gets all the best lines. For the most part, Hal is reduced to being the set-up man for Guy's snarky comments and witty one-liners. Obviously, there is some affection on the part of Mr. Johns for my favorite red-haired lunatic.

Heck, way back, in issue 12 and 13 for example, when Hal and Guy defy the Guardians and fly off to rescue the Lost Lanterns from the Cyborg Superman, it's pretty obvious that Guy is the hero of that story. Hal lies to him right from the start, saying that he has permission from the Guardians, not to mention that Guy was the one who stood up for him in the Cafetorium on Oa, when some of the other Lanterns wee dissing Hal. Guy probably knows that Hal is lying, but he still flies off with him into the unknown with nary a problem. And when they get back, with all the Lost Lanterns in tow, and are being yelled at by the Guardians, it is Guy who stands up to them and says that it was all his idea, and HE is the one who receives punishment...not Hal. And Hal stands there and lets him do it.

More recently in the War of the Green Lanterns story, there is the delightful issue where Guy and Hal are being influenced to violence by the tainted rings, and start beating each other up. For once, Guy actually gets to let lose, and tell Hal a few home truths...not to mention beating the crap out of him. They do manage to realize that they're being mind-controlled, and cooperate to get to Oa, with all the hilarious banter and one-upmanship that goes with a Hal/Guy pairing. And in the end, it's Guy who manages to save the day, and free Parallax and all that stuff.

Johns does write a very very good version of Guy Gardner. He writes him as being smart and funny and honest. Usually, he ends up being the moral superior of Hal, which I find rather breathtaking. I like Hal, but he can be awfully petty sometimes. Guy is never petty. Obnoxious yes, petty no.

Johns writes a good John and a good Kyle too, but still, I have to admit that I just love it when he gets Hal and Guy together, because it always is magic. Plus he gets to show off his sense of humor more readily. Hal isn't a particular amusing character, and Guy IS.

Man, I just love this picture.

Bored

2011-12-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

I hate to say this...but things are a little dull comic-wise lately. Maybe it is having a fifth week in the month, that has thrown me off of my stroke or something, but I am feeling just a wee touch of...malaise.

Nothing terrible has happened lately! Oh yes, Frank Miller has made an ass of himself, frothing all over the OWS people, but heck Frank Miller makes an ass of himself on a regular basis. Besides Ty Templeton and Alan Moore mocked him rather superbly. There haven't been any mind-bogglingly misogynistic drawings of Catwoman or Starfire in a week or so, no trolls, things have been smooth and dare I say it...pretty good natured.

This...shall not stand!

Oh, I'm sure that there is hate and discontent somewhere, but I haven't found it much. Maybe there is something to this whole Christmas spirit thing after all. Maybe I'm not just looking hard enough. Maybe I shouldn't be wallowing in shadenfreude at this time of year.

Or maybe...just maybe I've been deprived of Green Lantern butts for too long, and I'm starting to get cranky. Oh, it's happened before. Thank goodness that JLI comes out this week!

Speaking of which.

You know...I miss stuff like this.

Shadenfreude

2011-12-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

I've been making my usual round of the various blogs and message boards and stuff, and it has come to m attention, that James Robinson is expressing some doubt about whether or not DC will continue to publish his Shade Mini-series...due to faltering sales.

Gahhhh!

This...will not stand! I LOVE the Shade! I've naturally bought and devoured the first two issues of the Mini-series, and have loved them. It has good art, and the best writing by Robinson in quite some time. There are other crackerjack artists lined up as well, not to mention the possibility of a gander at Shade's actual origin, which would be rather delightful.

I do hope that DC doesn't pull a Marvel and start cancelling their mini-series, and other offerings before they even make an appearance. I really don't want to see a lineup of JUST Wolverine and Avengers from Marvel, or JUST Justice League and Batman from DC. I wouldn't mind about twelve Green Lantern books, but that's just because I'm warped. Even I understand that not everyone wants to see a Kilowog and Arisia mini-series (but you know it would be good)

You know what mini-series I WOULD like to see? How about Ralph and Sue Dibny: Ghost Detectives. They could team up with the Justice League: Dark or something. Or throw in Detective Chimp and Traci Thirteen. I would also happily buy something with just Fire and Ice, because I love them, and they don't get much attention, which is a darned shame. I also wouldn't mind having Justice Society Quarterly, or Green Lantern Quarterly, or Justice League International Quarterly. Or something with Ted Kord. Or Milago Reyes. Or heck, even Hal and Ollie going camping or something.

There are tons of good characters and tons of stories that can be told. So please...buy the Shade, and save it from an ignoble demise. You won't be sorry.

New Green Lantern

2011-12-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well I'll be gobsmacked. In all of the fuss and fury of Statement Day, I completely forgot that I also picked up the new Green Lantern Book, #0, and by cracky, it was pretty darned fabulous. It basically is a nice all-ages book that more or less is drawn the same way as the new Green Lantern Cartoon, which debuted with its hour-long pilot a week or so ago, and it's just a heck of a lot of fun. So far, they are sticking with just Hal and Kilowog, but for somebody just starting out, or for kids, it is the perfect plunge into the Green Pool of Lanternage.

You don't need to know years of continuity, and Hal is actually NOT a complete jerk for a change, and Kilowog is awesome...as usual. Fun for everyone!

And...because I simply can't help myself...

By Alex Ross, and darned, if they don't all look wonderful. You can tell that Hal is puffing out his chest and sucking in his gut, because Katma is there.

Egad!

2011-12-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

My goodness, it is December already? It's the first, and that means that it is Statement Day! Got to send out the bills! This is always a long and all-hands-on-deck sort of circumstance in our beloved place of business, and today was no exception. First you have the constant clunking and whirring of the printer, spitting out the statements and invoices. The phones are ringing, and the assistant Manager who for some reason thinks that he is Pavarotti, is wandering around singing Christmas songs through his nose. The crazy Brother of our Boss, who is useless, but nevertheless still works here, because his name is on the building, is busy screaming obscenities at deadbeats over the phone. There's nothing quite like it.

I have to come up with a better way of referring to the Crazy Brother. I think that I shall henceforth refer to him as Dinsdale. As in Doug and Dinsdale. If you are too young to catch that reference, please ask your parents. One of these days I'm going to stab Dinsdale in the heart with my letter opener.

But anyway...Comics! Only a very few comics, but comics nevertheless.

Fables was great as usual, they are still trying to figure out who amongst Bigby and Snow's children should be the new North Wind, and apparently we have a winner. And bad things happen to Bufkin in Oz. Or...do they? Fabulous.

Batman: Odyssey

This is just the weirdest book. It makes no sense whatsover. I really am not quite sure what the heck is even going on, but heck, the art is pretty, and as I have mentioned previously...and frequently...I REALLY enjoy seeing Batman be somewhat less than omnipotent. Or even potent. Or even, in this case, competent. I don't know what Neal Adams is ingesting, but it must be really good stuff.

And now, I think I have to go and lie down. Statement day takes a lot out of me.

Itty Bitty Wednesday

2011-11-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I skipped Tuesday, because I honestly didn't have a single thought in my head. Things have not improved perceptibly today. It is going to be an awfully small Wednesday this week, because it is the fifth week of the month, and that usually means whatever happens to be leftover. However...I did see that Batman: Odyssey is coming out, and I LOVE that book! It is completely insane, totally overwrought and makes very little actual sense...and I don't care in the slightest. It's Neal Adams, and the art is gorgeous, and it's Batman being an idiot for a change...and that's something that I can really get behind.

I may also pick up Captain America and Bucky, even though I'm pretty sure that they were supposed to kill Bucky off a few weeks ago. I understand however, that it didn't "take". But it has Chris Samnee doing the art, and I loves me some Samnee. If DC could lure him over to do Justice League Internationl, I do believe that I would die from joy.

Meanwhile...

That HAS to be Hal. Probably on one of those trips that he took with Ollie a while back. Because being attacked by a killer otter could ONLY happen to Hal.

Actually, I love these covers. If I remember correctly, Chris Sims posted these a while ago, and I was enchanted enough to swipe them. Because ALL heroes on pulp or romance covers always look just like Hal.

Monday Meanderings

2011-11-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

And we're back in business. Gosh, I got the Friday after Thanksgiving off this year, and therefore had a four-day weekend, and It Was Fabulous! I did no shopping whatsoever! Seriously, after reading the paper and seeing that people were getting robbed, trampled and pepper-sprayed in search of a cheap video game, I am SO glad that I stayed home.

The weather in New England is still weirdly warm. It's just not Normal,to be in the 60's in November-almost-December!

I do believe that a fifth week is coming up this Wednesday, which means that the pickings will most likely be slim. Still, it is always nice to go to the Comic Book Store anyway.

I'm still suffering from missing Batman: The Brave and the Bold on Friday evenings. It...just felt so...empty. I have GOT to go and see if it is on DVD. I did go to Best Buy to see if I could find the Green Lantern movie, and felt good about it, since I had overpaid on my last bill and had a nice fat credit. Except that since I hadn't charged anything in the last six months, they decided to go ahead and close my charge account! SoI did finally get my credit back, but I'll be damned if I spend it at Best Buy! Sheesh!

In the meantime, I saw this, and immediately wondered if Hal always removes his Green Lantern ring before going swimming, the way that he does when he flies a plane.

Oops.

Hal, that whole "Jumping the Shark" thing is Just A Saying! Don't do it for Real!

Reviews!

2011-11-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

So...I hope that you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. At the venerable Manchester Road Race in Connecticut, there was a lovely picture in the newspaper this morning of Wonder Woman crossing the finish line, closely followed by Superman and the Flash. Vast amounts of turkey, pie and cranberries have been consumed, and the Christmas shopping season is apparently in full swing.

But let us return to the books that actually came out on Wednesday.

All-Star Western #3

Dagnabit, this is great. Arkham and Jonah are still fighting the cabal that rules Gotham with a varying amount of success. They win a few and lose a few, and Arkham seems to be developing an unhealthy attachment to Jonah...at least from Jonah's point of view. Also they don't barter in Gotham City, much to Jonah's disgust. Lots of action, lots of shooting, a good story, decent art, and the El Diablo story at the back. What's not to like?

Oh, and that is one heckuva cool cover.

Aquaman #3

Dammit, but this is a pretty book. Between Ivan Reis, whom I simply adore, and the colors of Rod Reis, this is simply beautiful to behold. Oh, and the story is pretty good too. Aquaman has to admit that he doesn't know who these baddies actually are, but he and Mera are beginning to piece things together, although they aren't getting a whole lot of respect or help from the local authorities. And Geoff Johns introduces a rather intriguing new character, who can be a friend or a foe, or a little bit of both.

Good. Darned good.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #3

This is still not my favorite Green Lantern book, but it is improving. Kyle ends up with ALL of the rings, much to the Guardians consternation, so naturally, they try to kick him out for insubordination, except that his Green Lantern ring keeps flying back onto his finger. I find it quite interesting that the Guardians seem to have lost control of their own rings...possibly due to their complete assholishness. Ganthet is still under the thrall of the evil Guardians. The other Corps are still trying to bust in, and someone makes their grand entrance in a rather spectacular and quite cunning fashion.

So, this was pretty good. The art still doesn't excite me as much, but still...Bedard seems to be finally finding his footing here. And that last page reveal...well it just MAKES the whole story sing for me.

Justice League Dark #3

This is another pretty book. And a very good book. Zatanna and John Constantine have some interesting moments together, not to mention Deadman and june Moon, while Shade the Changing Man is having some problems and the Enchantress continues to scare the socks off of everybody. I really...like this book. It's a little different from the usual superhero rock'em, sock'em style and it's just an interesting read.

Shade #2

Oh Shade. I've missed you so. And James Robinson seems to doing a fine old job with one of his best characters. It turns out that it wasn't REALLY the Shade that Deathstroke managed to cut up into little pieces in the first issue, which is a good thing. Dickie hasn't managed to live this long without picking up a few tricks along the way. But he does want everyone to think that he's dead, so that he can discover exactly who it is that wants to kill him. So after a rather touching farewell to Hope O'Dare, and a meeting with Bobo, he heads off to Europe, where he teams up with Will Von Hammer. Nasty people are trying to kill HIM too, and it's all just so fabulous. I like Cully Hamner's art, and I like detective stories.

Lately, DC seems to be remembering the Detective part of their initials, and I for one am delighted.

Flash #3

This is one of the most stylish books out there, the art is a joy to behold, and the story is excellent, and Francis Manapul's methods of laying out a page are breathtaking. This is one good-looking book, like all the books this week. As much as I demand good writing, I also greatly enjoy good art, to make the whole package and DC has been doing a pretty darned good job of this...at least with the books that I am reading.

Flash saves a plane, and continues to discover all the cool things that he can do with the Speed Force, other than just running really really fast. Power has been knocked out in Central City and they have to resort to ad hoc solutions to things, which is fun, and they are uncovering why there are clones to Barry's old friend, and it's just a really good read.

Voodoo #3

Normally I wouldn't pick this book up. The art isn't too bad actually, but I have...and have never had...any interest whatsoever in Voodoo as a character. But heck, Kyle shows up, and I love Kyle after all. Here, he's just a regular Green Lantern, doing his regular Green Lanterny things. Priscilla has run to earth, with some of her alien friends, doing...something. I really don't understand what her purpose is, or if she is a good guy or a bad guy, and this issue doesn't make it vey clear either.

So, murky story, but hey...it had Kyle in it.

Still a pretty decent week. So have a turkey sandwich and enjoy your comics.

Oh, You Know.

2011-11-24T10:59:00.001-08:00

And a Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

This is what happens when you run out of drumsticks.

Farewell to Brave & the Bold

2011-11-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was the last episode of the final season of Batman: The Brave & the Bold...and I am heartbroken. How can something be so hilarious, and still make me so sad? I remember when they were first proposing this series, and being so excited that it was going to be a "fun" version of Batman instead of the usual dark and grim omnipotent Batman. This was a look back to the Silver Age, when a lot of comic fans were actually kids, and comics were cheap and fun entertainment. I still love my comics of course, but they are rarely fun, and they certainly aren't cheap.

What sealed the deal for me of course, was the fact that they decided to go with Guy Gardner as the "go-to" Green Lantern, instead of Hal or John. The list of second and third tier heroes was just mind-boggling. Booster Gold, Fire and Ice, Blue Beetle, Jonah Hex...B'wana Beast. B'wanna Beast, for God's sake! And for villains, in addition to the Joker and the Penguin and such, they had such luminaries as Gentleman Ghost, Lashina, and Gorilla Grodd.

It was insane. Aquaman became cool. There was a Justice League, but it was the JLI, not the JLA. The Justice Society showed up and were a bunch of cranky old geezers. Catwoman, Black Canary, Huntress also showed up, even Robin showed up. And Green Arrow was his old obnoxious self. It was delightful.

It was so delightful, that even my Sweet Babboo, got hooked. He wouldn't actually come out and admit it, but he always made a point to remind me that "that silly show is on" on Friday evenings,and he always watched. He may not have had any idea who these people were...but he does now.

But it's all over now, and whatever shall we do? The new Batman will inevitably be out, and inevitably it will be a whole lot darker. That's ok, I suppose, but dang it, I'm going to miss "MY" show. I'm looking forward to the Green Lantern show, and others, but I still wish that there was a place for ALL of them.

Thanks Batman. You were outrageous...and we'll miss you.

And Now...For Something Completely Different!

2011-11-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

Yup, no more pictures of halk-nekkid men for a while. Unless of course, you REALLY want some. But I thought that I might actually get slightly serious here, and actually...you know...TALK about Green Lanterns for a change. What a concept!

I'm still slightly ambiguous in my feelings towards the new DC Universe. So far, they are doing pretty well, all things considered, and Green Lantern, along with the Bat books seems to have made the jump with the least amount of gratuitous change. And yet...some change does seem to be apparent, although I am still confused as to exactly WHAT now applies and what doesn't.

For example, obviously, the War of the Green Lanterns happened, since Hal was booted out for being too fabulous, and Sinestro was booted back in, for the same reason. At the moment, Hal and Sinestro are out having the time of their lives, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it.

Kyle seems to be in a bit of a pickle, with various rings from all of the various corps chasing after his adorable self. And he's also in hot water with the Guardians which is a bit of a switch, considering he's the one who GAVE THEM LIFE IN THE FIRST PLACE! But the Guardians are really into the whole "What have you Done for me Lately" frame of mind, even if the said saving of their wizened blue butts happened only moments ago.

Guy and John seem to have made the jump fairly easily, although Guy seems to have forgiven John awfully easily and quickly. On the other hand, he forgave Hal pretty easily too, and Hal did a lot worse than John did. On the other hand, killing Mogo is a Pretty Big Deal, and nobody seems to be too worried about it, which I find odd.

I also find odd, that the whole extremely promising subplot going on in Emerald Warriors has just...disappeared. That's annoying.

But you know one of the things that I REALLY find interesting as of late? Hal and Guy seem to have more or less changed places. Back in the day, Hal was the favorite son, able to do whatever he wanted, no matter how crazy or insubordinate, and being able to get away with it, because HE WAS HAL JORDAN, DAMMIT! The other Lanterns worshipped him, and even the Guardians thought that he was just the ginchiest. Guy on the other hand...well NOBODY liked Guy. He was pretty crazy for one thing, and probably just as insubordinate as Hal, except that no one ever cut Guy any sort of slack. Granted, Guy was pretty obnoxious. On the other hand, he usually did a rather good job of getting the job done...in his own special way.

And then of course, we come to Green Lantern #25...the infamous issue where a Parallax-influenced Hal, decides that he doesn't WANT to be a recruiter for the Corps anymore, and basically demands that Guy give up Earth to him...because he wants it, and because he's...well, he's Hal Jordan! Guy isn't inclined in the least to just give up protection of the Earth on Hal's say-so,and who can blame him? Naturally things begin to escalate, as they always do between these two alphas, and Guy makes the mistake of upping the ante a little too much, a fight between them, and the loser gives up his ring. I don't think that Guy really thought that Hal would hold him to that bargain, but he did, and after beating Guy half to death, Hal triumphantly demanded Guy's ring. Guy did the brave thing, and gave it up.

So...Guy had no ring, no powers, no job, no home, no family and certainly no friends. He managed to get himself to Oa, and steal Sinestro's own yellow ring off of his cold dead finger, and get powers all over again, through his own cunning and skill...even though he was still in his brain-dead phase.

And now, Hal is in Guys position. He's been booted unceremoniously out of the Corps. He DOES have a job, although it's not exactly what he wants. He can't fly because he's blown up so many planes that Ferris Air can't possibly insure him. However, Carol assures him that he CAN have a job. But it's not what he wants. So he sulks. He can't pay his bills, he loses his apartment, and he manages to annoy Carol, by asking her to co-sign a loan for him. He can't give up the rush of being a hero, and makes a nuisance out of himself. He's saved, and given a ring! By...Sinestro. And he goes along with it, because he wants a taste of that sweet sweet green power So Badly. Sinestro is playing him like a fiddle, but Hal doesn't even seem to care that much.

Now, Guy is in Hal's position in the Corps. He picked himself up, got powers, started his own business, and once he got his green ring back, he ended up saving the whole damn Corps, not to mention the Universe probably, and ended up number ONE in the Honor Corps. He's respected. He has friends. He is doing a better job of being a Lantern than Hal did. And it just makes me so darn happy. When Hal eventually comes back...and he WILL of course, I just want somehow...an acknowledgement from Hal...that when they were both down and out, Guy was the one who was able to build a life for himself...and Hal wasn't. But that probably will never happen.

But I know it. And you know it.

Last Beefcake Picture

2011-11-19T07:21:00.001-08:00

And so, we come to an end of our week of appreciation for male nudity. Or partial nudity. Or,just having their shirts off. Oddly enough it is a LOT harder to find scans of half nekkid boys, than of half nekkid girls. Go figure.

I've run this before, but dagnabit, it is worth running again.

Oh Brian Bolland, you are a god.

Green Lantern Corps #3...and You Know.

2011-11-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

So naturally, I always look forward to whatever book Guy happens to be in, which for now is the Green Lantern Corps. Guy and John, and their select little bunch of Lanterns has gone on a rescue mission, and found that the bad guys, who just won't stop coming...are apparently pretty much immune to willpower. In fact, THEY'RE using Willpower!

What a conundrum. The battle rages, and poor Isamot is back, although he's minus most of his appendages. Which doesn't stop him from using his ring...on his tongue. That is One Tough Lizard. Granted, they'll grow back, but it still has to sting. In fact, things are getting SO out of hand, that Guy actually rings up Salaak and requests some backup. This is apparently pretty unprecedented...which leads Salaak to conclude that if GUY is requesting some help, things must be going sideways.

So, he rounds up a bunch of unoccupied Lanterns and prepares to send them on a rescue mission of the FIRST rescue mission. There happens to be a very nice young Lantern, who can teleport himself and people to places, which is a very nice thing to be able to do. He wants to try and teleport the thirty or so Lanterns available, but Salaak points out that his usual load is only a few. Being fairly reckless, he does it ANYway, much to Salaak's consternation. And boy howdy, they arrive just in time.

Meanwhile, one of the baddies that John and Guy had taken prisoner earlier, decides that they are all going to commit suicide rather than let their brains be picked. John stops that, by simply whacking him in the head...in proper approved Green Lantern Fashion. Hal would be proud. But still, they are being overwhelmed, and Teleport Boy is trying to get them all together and back to Oa. Which he does...except that a few of them weren't standing still, so he loses John and Vandor, and a couple of others. I guess that the strain WAS too much for him, since he passes out, and maybe even dies from the effort. Guy is NOT happy, and plans to go back and kick some baddie butt, and get John back.

This was...good. Not fantastic, but good. It seems to be treading water just a little bit, and the art is by Geraldo Borges instead of Fernando Pasarin. The art is also adequate, but not quite up to the standards that I am accustomed to. When you normally have been having artwork by the aforesaid Pasarin, Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke and Pat Gleason...well you tend to get spoiled.

I'm also slightly taken aback by Guy's fierce declaration to go save his good buddy John. As far as I knew, in the aftermath of the War of the Green Lanterns, Guy was actually pretty pissed at John, for killing Mogo and for being rude to his baby Kyle. Nevertheless, if there is one thing that describes Guy Gardner, it is loyalty, so I guess he could be genuinely angry.

So, it's good. Not fantastic, but good.

And for those of you who are still into the whole Beefcake thing...here is the closest that I have been able to find John Stewart shirtless.

Man, it's hard to find John with is clothes off, or in the shower, or even just ripped off! John is almost always clean, tidy, and clothed. It's a darned shame.

Reviews! Oh, and Beefcake.

2011-11-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Gosharootie, but that was a very nice week. Very nice indeed.

Batman #3

I blush to confess this, but I'm actually really starting to...like Batman. At least a little. This book has been quite excellent from the beginning, and the quality isn't slowing down in the least.

Batman discovers that perhaps he really DOESN'T know everything to know about Gotham, as he delves deeper into the mystery of the Owl Court. I have to say, I really do like that spooky nursery rhyme. Strange things are afoot, and Bats isn't quite as omnipotent and over-prepared as he is usually presented...so I'm liking this. Liking it a lot.

Birds of Prey #3

This is the first issue of the new BOP, that I've actually enjoyed. I love the characters, but I just wasn't getting it...but with this issue, I'm actually invested in what is going on. Poison Ivy joins the group, with a little bit of friction from some of the members, and there is all kinds of interesting things going on...not to mention a number of other people who apparently have bombs planted in their heads. Including Black Canary. The art was pretty, and darn it, it was good. I'm surprised and happy.

DC Presents: Deadman #3

This continues to be a good book as well. Deadman is...well, dead again, and he's not particularly thrilled with what he is doing, no does he quite understand the purpose behind it all. So he's going after answers, and he's not particularly worried about who's feet he may be stepping upon. Another excellent issue.

DC Universe: Online Legends #17

This continues the Sinestro story that was started last month, and has a very pretty Hal Jordan on the cover, as drawn by Doug Mahnke. Korugar is destroyed, Brainiac has taken over, and Sinestro is mad as hell, and thinks that it is all Hal's fault. Hal is the only one who actually is trying to HELP, as opposed to just simply containing the whole mess, which is what the Guardians want. Guy can't stop gloating over the mess, and John is getting cranky. Oh, and Brainiac gets away ANYway, so now the whole Corps has a really annoyed Sinestro AND Brainiac to deal with. Stupid Guardians. This is fun.

Green Lantern Corps #3

Egad!

Justice League #3\

Along with Birds of Prey, this is the first issue that is really singing to me so far. We have Cyborg being turned into...well, Cyborg. We have Wonder Woman popping up, and just itching to get out there and swing a sword around. Also, she discovers that ice cream is just the bee's knee's. This is a very innocent Diana, quite new to Man's world, and by Gad, is that Steve Trevor who is assigned to look after her? Be still my heart. Superman, Batman, Hal and Flash are busy fighting what are probably Parademons, and the rest of the world seems to feel that the mayhem is all their fault. Oh, and Aquaman shows up. Does he ever!

Lots of action, and a bouncy story, and decent artwork...I really did enjoy this. Finally!

Wonder Woman #3

Oh, the proverbial poo hits the proverbial fan. Eris is still hanging out and taunting the Amazons as they gather their dead. A few of them don't seem to happy with their princess, calling her "Clay" instead of Diana, which is rather rude of them. Hippolyta feels that she has to come clean and 'fess up to Diana, that she wasn't ACTUALLY made of clay, but has a mother and father in the conventional sense. If having Zeus for a father is conventional. She had to lie to Diana all these years, to protect her from Hera's wrath. Makes sense I suppose. But the cat is certainly out of the bag now, and Diana isn't happy. At all.

The art is glorious, and the story just flows along, and you get the feeling that if Zeus dropped by tomorrow, Hippolyta would be all OVER him. This was excellent.

Not a clunker in the bunch! I love good weeks.

And in keeping with my Beefcake theme...

More Amazons! And Ollie! Nekkid as a jaybird.

And So On, And So Forth...

2011-11-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

More Beefcake!

Kyle!

So round, so firm...so fully packed.

More Beefcake

2011-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Oh, you just knew that I was going to use this one.

*sigh*

It just warms the cockles of my heart.

I Declare It To Be Beefcake Week!

2011-11-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

You know, it's been a while. A VERY long while, since we have had a week devoted to the sincere and honest appreciation of some Male Pulchritude. Therefore, I declare it to be Beefcake week, by the power invested in me...by myself, basically.

And to start things out right...

A shirtless Hal Jordan...staring at the one he loves the most...in the mirror. Could there BE a more perfect depiction of Hal? And he's worried about his hair! Oh Hal. Never ever change.

Green Lantern #3

2011-11-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

This...was fabulous. Simply fabulous. From the art, to the coloring, to the inking, to the plotting and dialogue, it was great.

We begin with Carol Ferris coming home to her apartment after dumping Hal at the restaurant. She gets a phone call, and at first thinks that perhaps Hal is calling to apologize, but that's probably just wishful thinking. No, it's Tom Kalmaku, and he wants her to turn on the television and watch the news. And boy, there's Hal in all of his newly restored Green Lanterny glory...and there's that OTHER guy who is helping him.

Heh.

Let's just say that Carol is slightly flabberghasted.

Meanwhile, Sinestro is laying out his plan to swoop with Hal into Korugar and take out his erstwhile Corps. He figures that they will certainly be expecting HIM, but not Hal. Hal is reluctantly willing to go along, but wants to talk to Carol first. Naturally, Sinestro feels that this is a total waste of time, and tells Hal so, in his usual inimitable manner.

Oh Sinestro, you can't fool me. You just want Hal for yourself. Naturally, being Hal, he punches Sinestro, and then starts babbling that he may be willing to help him, but that Sinestro shouldn't think that he's BETTER than Hal! And, in my favorite panel of the whole issue...Sinestro just cracks up. It's not an evil laugh or gloating or anything, he's genuinely finds this hilarious. And of course tells Hal that he IS better than he is. And quite rightly, in my opinion.

Back on Oa, the Guardians have finished their little lobotomy of Ganthet, who now has no more of those nasty old emotions. Then the little blue morons all get their giant blue heads together, and decide that The Manhunters were flawed, but so are their current Corps...so they really ought to come up with a NEW Corps. Or, army, in their own words. Man, they just keep getting stupider and eviler all the time! How many times does the Corps have to save their wizened little blue asses? They haven't even finished rebuilding Oa, from the LAST time, the Corps saved them!

I want to see the Guardians get their comeuppance. I Want It So Bad.

While Hal is busy blasting through asteroids just for the hell of it, Sinestro is coming up with a plan. He's going to distract the Fear Corps,while Hal flies into the yellow battery with Sinestro's own green battery...and shut it all down. Hal is a bit nonplussed to find that Sinestro programmed a Green Lantern battery to be his fail-safe, which annoys Sinestro. He keeps saying that he doesn't WANT to be a GL...but that he does want to free Korugar. So, he turns his costume to black, and with a palpable sigh tells Hal how to do it as well.

The two of them are lurking on Korugar, waiting for sunset, as members of the Sinestro Corps are busy marching captives into cells. One little girl is picked out to be...well, basically, eaten, which just repulses Hal, but Sinestro tells him to hold his horses and don't jump the gun and stuff. Then another woman jumps the big bad guy and starts strangling him with her chains, and it turns out that her name is Arsona, and that Sinestro apparently knows her...and guess who can't control himself, and flies out to help her?

Double Heh.

Hal meanwhile is actually sticking to the plan, and lurks in the rear, before flying down to invade the yellow battery. He's surprised by another Fear corps member, whom he manages to blow up with his handy dandy green bazooka construct. And in Hal flies, into the yellow battery. Too bad that something is...seriously wrong, and Hal screams that Sinestro betrayed him, as he's...disintegrated. Much to the surprise, it must be said of Sinestro.

This was just so good. Hal is such a twit sometimes, but he does have his heart in the right place. Sinestro is a very complex and compelling character as well. At first,when I saw what happened to Hal, I was aghast...but thinking about it...I wouldn't be surprised if he's just been kidnapped to Qward. We haven't seen Mongul yet, or some of the other nasties, so I am already in a fever of anticipation, looking forward to NEXT month's issue!

This was good. Scary good.

Thursday's Reviews of Wednesday's Comics

2011-11-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

Zounds, but this was a darned good week. Darned good!

Batgirl #3

This seems to be finding its footing. It was mostly Babs interacting with Dick, which is always nice. The art was very pretty,there were a lot of kicks to the head, which is always nice, and Barbara is obviously not taking any guff from anyone. Or help for that matter, which may come back to bite her in the butt. But I liked this issue a whole lot more than the first two.

Batman & Robin #3

This was also a pretty fabulous issue. Nobody can draw action scenes quite like Pat Gleason. Damian was his usual obnoxious but strangely endearing little self, Alfred was cool beyond words, and Batman was actually...displaying...feelings! Who'dathunk? He's worried about his old buddy from the old days, and trying to protect Robin, who doesn't want any protectin, but is actually in over his head...even though he doesn't realize it. Great stuff.

Batwoman#3

Can the art in this book possibly get any more beautiful? All kinds of things are happening. Kate is fighting the drowning lady, not to mention Cameron Chase, Flamebird is brushed off, rather brutally by Kate, which will probably have consequences, and her Dad shows up! I LOVE her Dad! Man, oh man, but this is good.

Demond Knights #3

I also really really like this book. Etrigan is highly pissed that Madame Xanadu has sacrificed her youth to put up a protective barrier around the village, but he's been too long on earth, so Jason shows up again...each of them thinking that Xanadu loves them best. This duplicity disgust one of the other ladies, who strikes up a friendship with a young village girl, who is just bursting to help out. Too bad about that, though. Meanwhile, cracks are forming in their alliances, and all sorts of interesting things are happening. The art is pretty, and gosh, it is all just a lot of fun. I never ever thought that I would actually like Vandal Savage...but he's a hoot.

Green Lantern #3

By the Loins of Zeus! This is fantastic!

Resurrection Man #3

All kinds of interesting things are being revealed. The Body Doubles aren't just curvy assassins for hire, they have healing factors, that somehow they received when Mitch got HIS powers. And the good guys and the bad guys both want Mitch's soul, because his frequent dying somehow is upsetting the balance of things. And Mitch's Dad's former roommate, is simply fabulous.

Journey Into Mystery #631

This continues to be just about the only Marvel book that I'm currently reading, and it is great. I can't get enough of baby Loki. Odin is apparently off in the old location of Asgard, brooding over the body of the Serpent, who turned out to be his brother. Thor is dead (yeah, right), and Asgard is now located in the new location in Oklahoma, and Freyja, Gaia (Jord) and Idunn are ruling as a female triumvirate. They certainly can't do a worse job than Odin did. Odin seems to have a habit of having poor Thor kill off all of his inconvenient relatives. Odin, is really just an old drama queen.

But Loki is fabulous. He honors his promise to release the Disir, which unfortunately for them, puts them right back into Mephisto's control. Oops. To Loki's credit, he actually feels a little bit bad about it. He also manages to get Hela her realm back, so she doesn't have to hang out with Mephisto anymore, for which she is grateful. She is also making moves on Tyr, which is interesting. And Leah ends up hanging out in a nice hole in the ground near Asgard. Man, this is great.

Shame Itself

I couldn't resist picking this book up. It has a whole passel of artists and writers and is a tongue-in-cheek poke at Fear Itself, and actually IS quite amusing. Fun. Fun is always nice.

Wow, that was a GOOD week!

Cops In Spaaaaaaace!

2011-11-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

So I was just ruminating to myself, in my usual fashion, about just how completely fabulous the Green Lanterns are, and it suddenly hit me. I know they can be described as "Cops in Space", which is a mindbogglingly wonderful concept. But...exactly how does that work?

Can Hal, or Guy or John or Kyle arrest somebody on earth? Does Oan law supersede New York City? What about due process? What about the law and customs on Korugar, or other planets? And exactly just who put the Guardians in charge of everything anyway?

I would have to assume that the Guardians put themselves in charge. After all, they've been around for a VERY long time, and were probably there before any number of planets gained sentience and civilizations and so on. So...presumably, it has ALWAYS been that way. Still, it has to be something of a shock to planets who have only recently gained the ability to travel in Space...such as Earth...to realize that there is a whole other system of law and order...Out There.

Are there courts on Oa? Lawyers? Or do only the really BAD guys bet sent to the sciencecels? Or is it only intergalactic crimes that are punished? If you are a space pirate, presumably, the Green Lanterns can go after you. I would guess that Hal can grab some muggers and turn them over to the cops, with a little more authority than say...Blue Beetle or something. Or are GL's considered to be the same as the other super heroes/vigilantes?

I rather wish that some of the Green Lantern writers would incorporate this sort of thing into their stories...it could be interesting. It could also be interesting, if in the grand scheme of things, the Guardians get their eventual, and much-anticipated comeuppance.

Green Lanterns. You just have to love them.

Oh God, it's Tuesday

2011-11-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

And once again, I fall back on that old standby, the picture. I like pictures. Especially when taken completely out of context.

For example.

If you didn't know any better, you would think that at the very LEAST, Superman and Ice were doing a tango. A hot and steamy tango! They actually aren't, but heck, that is one very interesting pose. Thank Goodness Guy wasn't there!

Pent Up

2011-11-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

So, it's Monday, and the power is back on for almost everyone, except for the people who don't have it. Oh, Northeast Futility! But enough of that, it's time to talk about Comics. I'm just going to go with the whole stream of conciousness thing, because I really haven't got a thing in my head today.

Apparently, DC whupped Marvel's behind in sales in the last couple of months! I am rather amazed by this, it has been a very long time, since DC beat Marvel at anything. Marvel responded by laying off a whole passel of editors and people, and cancelling the new Doctor Doom miniseries, which is rather a shame, really. I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but I imagine that there were a lot of people who WOULD have. I also don't know if laying people off was a direct result of DC getting the market share, but it seems suspicious. Quod erat demonstrandum and all of that.

Incidentally, that is about all the latin that I know. Other than Kirby hic erat.

Fortunately, I have to say that with a few quibbles, I'm rather enjoying the new books. It still drives me a little crazy that all of the precious continuity that I spent YEARS memorizing is apparently out the window, not to mention that a ton of my favorite characters aren't being written about...but...I'm trying to take a long view here. If comics has taught me anything, it is that EVERYTHING comes back...sooner or later. If they can bring back Barry, or Bucky, they can bring back Ted Kord. Some day. And Wally, and Peej, and Ralph and Sue and Doctor Polaris. And heck, Superman and Lois might end up married again. But i the meantime, they are telling some fairly decent stories with a fresh perspective, and I find that, almost against my will, I'm getting interested.

Apparently I'm easy. Who knew?

And in the meantime, and for now particular reason, other than it makes me smile...

We still have Batman. And Etrigan. And dammit, I like Etrigan.

Woohoo!

2011-11-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

Aaaannd we're back! We've got POWER, Baby! Oh electricity, I'll never take you for granted again! Well, actually I will, probably in a week or so, but for the next couple of days, I will worship at your shiny sparkling altar. Five nights in the 30's with no heat was starting...to get on my nerves. We did have a fireplace, thank goodness, and plenty of wood and candles, and we put all the stuff from the fridge in coolers, and the freezers actually did quite well...but still, the thrill had definitely gone.

So...we're back in business. And Matt, my intrepid Comic Book Store owner opened up for business on Wednesday, even though he didn't have any power, because you disturb nerds at your peril. The front door was open, there was light from the big window, and some guys were playing heroclix at a card table, and everyone had horror stories. The cameraderie was palpable.

And books! I've got books!

Action Comics #3

I continue to be in love with this book. We begin with what seems to be the destruction of Kandor and Krypton, but apparently it is Clark's dreams. Is it real? He's disturbed nevertheless, when a bunch of goons show up at his door and search his apartment, looking for evidence to be held against him, his newspaper articles are stirring up a hornet's nest. His old foe is also stirring things up, making Superman out to be an illegal alien,and paying off the squatters that he saved last issue, to speak against him. The situation is getting ugly.

What's even uglier is that in order to impress Lois, Sgt. Corbin volunteers to become the Steel Soldier, and his super suit is invaded by an alien presence. This alien presence is also invading OTHER systems, and seems to be the same force that destroyed Krypton! And Lex Luthor, was the one who struck a deal and brought it here. Oh Lex, you silly boy. He's right on hand to welcome their new alien overlords, but I think that Lex has bitten off a bit more than he can chew.

Delightful.

Green Arrow #3.

I'm not quite sure why I'm sticking with this. Inertia perhaps? The hope that the NEW issue will be better? Not a whole lot happens. The bad guys have Ollie on you-tube and try to kill him in front of everyone ,and all the slackers think that it's fabulous, his cranky guy at his conglomerate is plotting against him, and he shoots some arrows. I'm hanging on till Ann Lopresti shows up.

Justice League International #3.

Now, this, I'm enjoying the heck out of. Things are escalating, there are four giants instead of just one, and Briggs, the U.N. rep is having palpitations. Booster and Batman have come up with a plan, and the various members pair off and infiltrate the subterranean lair...and naturally are being picked off, one by one.

Guy listens into Brigg's tantrum, and realizes that there is a space ship in Earth orbit, and goes up to investigate, as a Green Lantern is supposed to do. He breaks into the ship, and gets clobbered by the bad guy, a Kirbian looking villain named Peraxxus, which is a nice villainy sort of name. I'm loving this all. It isn't terribly deep or complicated, it's just a good comic book.

Red Lanterns #3

Again, I'm not quite sure why I picked this up, I'm not enjoying it all that much. Atrocitus for some reason, decides to give Bleez her brains back, and her emotions as well. Then she goes out looking for a little bit of retribution. She and Atrocitus disagree on their methods, and Atrocitus is beginning to realize that she's a bit craftier than he may have originally thought. It was...ok, I guess.

Swamp Thing #3

This was also quite good. Abbie shows up, and we get a bit of history, and there is this creepy kid who has to live in a bubble because he's allergic to chlorophyll or something, and the other mean kids at the hospital are going to burst his bubble...literally. Something quite unfortunate happens to them, since of course, this kid is more than he appears. Great stuff.

So, a small week, but a pretty decent week.

Oops

2011-10-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel silly. I was sneering at the weather predictions, and whoo boy, is my face red. Well, it would be if it wasn't pale white from freezing to death. Lost our power Saturday afternoon, so no lights, no heat no hot water. We do have cold water, which is a minor blessing. More than half of Connecticut is completely without power, and they are saying maybe a week...if we are lucky. Fortunately, work, DOES have power. And Coffee. And computers.

Armaggedon!

2011-10-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well...actually it's just a snow storm. Granted, it is an awfully EARLY snow storm, but this IS New England after all, and other parts of the country have been having snow as well, and for Pete's Sake, can't we all just calm down a bit?

Salt, snow shovels, snow blowers and generators are flying out of the hardward stores. Just like they did at the LAST snow storm. I've always wondered about this...shovels and snow blowers are REUSABLE! You don't have to throw them out after last years season!

The Governor and Connecticut Light and Power have already announced that there will be hurricane-like winds, fire, lightning, and probably locusts, and that there will be MASSIVE power outages, so don't expect much from them! Just like Irene! Considering that we probably pay the highest electric rates in the country, you would think that we might actually expect a teensy weensy bit of common service...but you would think wrong.

*sigh*

But at least we don't have to put up with things like this.

Oh Hal. That's using your head. I really really hope that in his latest team-up with Sinestro, Hal, without any power in his ring just starts head-butting all of the Sinestro Corps members. It would be so...epic.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #2

2011-10-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Got our water back. This has put me into a much better mood. Although we are supposed to get anywhere from 5" to a foot of snow tomorrow. I'm not panicking quite yet...this IS New England after all.

Now, onto Green Lantern.

I liked this issue a whole lot better than the first one, that's for sure. So, all these rings have shown up, and Kyle is...nonplussed, to say the least. Not only have the rings shown up, but a whole lot of angry corps members have ALSO shown up, and they aren't happy with Kyle. Not at all. Since several of the ring's bearers actually dies, when the ring departed, one can hardly blame them. They all seem to think that it's Kyle's fault, but poor boy, he hasn't a clue as to what is going on.

So naturally, there is fighting going on, and Kyle's not doing too well, when suddenly the power in HIS ring suddenly starts increasing, and that means...A BLUE Lantern! Woohoo! St. Walker and Kyle decide to take the fight out of the middle of New York, and hi-tail it to Oa, so that they can see Ganthet and find out what the hell is happening. Naturally, the rest of the corps decides he's not going to just get off that easily, and they head out after him.

Kyle arrives on Oa, and finds his reception to be a whole lot...chillier than he is accustomed to. Salaak is being a bit on the snotty side, saying that the days when he could just waltz in and talk to the Guardians are over. Salaak has his nose a bit out of joint, so I don't blame him too much for being snarky. Then the Guardians do show up, but unfortunately they aren't too happy to see Kyle, their beloved Torch-Bearer. Kyle is all thrilled to see Ganthet, but Ganthet isn't too thrilled to see Kyle. And why is that you may ask? Well, the Guardians thought that he was getting too uppity, and performed an emotional lobotomy on him. At this point, I think we can safely say that the Guardians have passed over the threshold from annoying to seriously evil.

They see all the rings, and immediatley loose their tiny wizened minds, and want to seize the rings for "forced interrogation". Poor Kyle is just flabberghasted, especially when ALL the rings fly onto his fingers! That's one crazy costume he's sporting there! It's a weird mishmash of all the colors, which has me a bit bummed...I thought he would have looked SO nice in a pink loincloth.

The artwork is quite a lot better, and the story and dialogue have likewise, inproved by leaps and bounds. So NOW I'm interested, and am looking forward to seeing Kyle open a can of whup-ass on the Guardians tiny blue butts. Man, those guys are creeps!

Thursday's Reviews

2011-10-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

This...has been an interesting day. Woke up and there was no water. At all. Turns out that the road work down the street and around the corner managed to bust a water main somehow, and it is HARD to not have any water!

Bleh.

Of course it is also raining, and raw out, so there was SOME water.

But let me put my kvetching aside, and get to the reviews. Last week of the month, and not a ton of books, but certainly some interesting ones.

All-Star Western #2

I am just enjoying the heck out of this. Amadeus Arkham and Jonah Hex may be the original odd couple, but they seem to be managing to stay alive, and that is something at least. There is certainly skullduggery afoot in old Gotham, with most of the city's rich and famous involved in it up to their evil eyeballs. They are even going to replace the obnoxious...but honest top cop with a nice war hero. And EVIL war hero, but a war hero nevertheless. Bodies are piling up, and all sorts of cool things are happening, and the art is good, and heck...it's a darned good book, dagnabit!

Aquaman #2

The artwork by Ivan Reis, just makes my heart happy. And my eyes. The rather unpleasant creatures that crawled up from the Trench in the first issue, have discovered that food is readily plentiful on the surface! Yes, it may squeal and cry and scream a lot, but heck, food is food. A deputy from a rather devasted little fishing town is smart enough to realize that they need some help and ropes in Arthur and Mera. The REAL sheriff is just outraged that these two super buttinskies show up, but ends up being grateful after all. A good story, suspense, a reasonable amount of gore, that isn't TOO graphic, and that pretty pretty art.

Flash #2

Man, I'm loving this book. Manapul and Buccellato are just going to town. Barry is doing his usual fast stuff, but a talk with a buddy makes him realize that he could be tapping into the Speed Force for HIS BRAIN!! Suddenly, he's seeing things in all of their various ramifications, allowing him to calculate what could happen, and how to help it along. Or whatever. And there is still Iris poking around, and the little problem of the clones, and gosh, this is just great. Great art too.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #2

A definite improvement over the first issue. Which wouldn't have been hard. More tomorrow.

Justice League Dark #2

I'm actually liking this book more than I thought that I would. We have a young Zatanna who is a bit out of her league, but certainly in there, doing her backward-talking best. Plus, it turns out that when Deadman gets horny, he turns into a real jerk. And possibly, Madame Xanadu is up to no good. Bautiful art again, we are just SHINING on the art in all the books this week. Interesting, and I want to see where this is all going.

Journey Into Mystery #630

In my opinion, the best book that Marvel is putting out at the moment. We have the aftermath of the whole mess with the Serpent, the death of Thor, and learn exactly who was powering the Destroyer, and stuff like that. And Volstagg goes home, and tells a tale to his wife and children.

You just can't beat Volstagg being a Dad to that myriad horde of rambunctious kids. The art...again...is quite fabulous, the story by Kieron Gillen is funny and poignant, and this is simply wonderful. Get it.

My...that WAS a pretty damned good week!

A Little More of John

2011-10-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

I must be on a John Stewart kick this week. Normally on Tuesdays I have someone getting hit in the head or something, but heck, I forgot. So, a day late and a dollar short, I have John. I tried to find a scan of him behaving foolishly or being whacked, but oddly enough,those seem to be few and far between. So...

...Here's the next best thing. John beating up Hal!

I really do wish that DC would put out a collection of Mosaic.

What's Up with John Stewart?

2011-10-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Something strange is happening to Green Lantern's John Stewart, and I wish that I could put my finger on exactly what is happening. Colin Smith, over at toobusythinkingboutcomics.blogspot.com, has written a powerful essay, back on 10/ll/ll about John and his evolution from a passionate advocate of the downtrodden, to someone who is unwilling to "fight City Hall". I'm not sure that I agree with him completely, but there is no doubt that John has gone through a LOT of turmoil and change over the years. A lot.

Of course, you could say that about almost any comic book character. John began in Green Lantern, as an angry young man, concerned about oppression, bigotry, and bound and determined to fight The Man. He and Hal clashed a bit at first, but eventually got past their differences. John went on to marry Katma Tui, and had a pretty nice thing going as a Green Lantern, until it all fell apart on him. Katma was killed, John was framed for some stuff by Star Sapphire, Hal was being completely unsupportive, then some other stuff happened, and John ended up in charge of the Mosaic, where he basically became a Guardian for a while, then he lost Rose, lost Katma again, lost the use of his legs, became a Darkstar, lost his other girlfriend, and generally went to hell and back. Oh, and Hal went all Parallax on him along with everyone else.

Sheesh!

But John Stewart is nothing if not resilient. He's also quietly competent, and smart, and knows how to get things done in a calm and efficient manner. Therefore he was tailor-made to join the Justice League, where he did very well. Heck, he even got along with Batman. Sort've.

But something...odd has been going on with John lately. Ever since the War of the Green Lanterns, something seems awry. Colin's complaint was that the OLD John never would have given up so easily in the first issue of Green Lantern Corps #l, where he was trying to convince some bureaucrats to spring for a better building, and when they baulked at spending the money, had what was basically a temper tantrum and then stormed off, declaring that you couldn't fight City Hall. And this does seem like a rather atypical kind of outburst for John.

I blame it on the Indigo ring. Ever since he put that thing on, he's been acting...weird. He flat out killed Mogo. He was fighting with his friends. He has been mean to the other Lanterns. He's been mean to Kyle. KYLE! Something just isn't right.

It has been heavily implied, that the Indigo tribe, weren't particularly nice people before they received the Indigo Ring of Compassion. It was the ring, that turned them compassionate, and all of that. So, it turns bad people good, put extremely simply. But...what if it works both ways? John was a good person BEFORE he put on the ring. In fact, you could make a strong case for his being one of the MOST compassionate people around. Did putting on the Indigo ring DO something to him?

I don't really know what to think, and this is all complete conjecture on my part. But still...John just isn't acting like his old self, and I wonder very much if Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are setting us up for yet another little surprise. They are pretty notorious for seeding lots of tiny, seemingly insignificant clues in the issues leading up to things, and I do know that they are supposed to be doing the origin of the Indigo tribe fairly soon.

It could be interesting.

Green Lantern Corps #2

2011-10-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well! And the mayhem continues!

The Green Lanterns have arrived on the former ocean world, to find all the water gone, and all the inhabitants dead. Needless to say...they are not pleased. And it's just icing on the cake when they discover a pair of impaled Green Lanterns. Isamot in particular takes it hard, the two went through training with him. So, they plot strategy and vengeance for a little bit, and then we switch to the lair of the perpetrators of this villainy.

Oddly enough...it looks as though there is an strange little...lantern in that cavern. Glowing green no less. How peculiar. Who exactly ARE these people? They certainly seem happy with their purloined ocean however.

In the meantime, the Lanterns have hightailed it to Xbas, which is also under attack, with trees disappearing this time. Is someone trying to recreate life on their planet at the expense of others? That's what it is beginning to look like, and the Lanterns don't like it one bit. They are trying to save the civilians, when suddenly a whole passel of armored bad guys come swooping through a nice little portal. Even worse, their powers don't seem to be doing a whole heck of a lot. Which is when Guy and John decide to amp things up a bit.

They recite the oath AND let loose with some serious willpower! And Guy, does it crotch first, which is always endearing...at least to me. This rather surprises the bad guys, who decide that all Green Lanterns are not created the same. Too bad that poor Isamot, in an attempt to plug the portal gets sucked through and ends up in a Very Bad Place.

Attempts to interrogate their prisoners doesn't go too well, and then Isamot ends up dumped back in their laps. They are pleased to see him, but too bad that it is sans arms and legs! Sheesh! And even worse...there are more coming!

This was fun, the art is darned pretty, and althoug I prefer Sheriff Mardin as a small plump purple lady, I guess I can live with it. She must have gone to the same plastic surgeon as Amanda Waller. It's nice to see Guy and John being just so darned fabulous. I would have liked for Brik to do something, but I'm sure that will happen...eventually.

Dang it, I like this book. I like it a lot.

Thursday's Reviews

2011-10-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Good Gosh Almighty, this was a pretty fabulous week, all thing considered! A lot of books came out, which always makes me happy. I even bought some of them!

Batman #l and #2

I had heard good things about Batman #1, but couldn't find it, so I was delighted to go in and find a second printing, along with the new #2. And I have to admit it...this was a pretty darned good Batman story. It's got some cool twists and turns, and it seems to be a genuine detective story, as opposed to just fighting the Joker again. Although I DID love the fight in Arkham. I may just have to keep buying this!

And by the way, that was one helluva ending in the second issue! It's not often that Batman's is wrong...and I'm loving it.

Neal Adams Batman:Odyssey #1

And speaking of Batman...dammit, but I've missed this book. It is just SO insane, and completely off the wall, that I love it to pieces. The plot...such as it is...jumps around, I really don't completely understand what is going on half of the time, it seems as though I've actually come into the middle of an existing story...and I Do Not Care. The art is insanely gorgeous, and oh heck...I'm just glad that this muddled crazy piece of genius is back in my hands.

Birds of Prey#2

This was ok. I guess. Katanna shows up. I'm not particularly warming up to Starling, no matter HOW much the author tells me how fabulous she is. I just find her a bit annoying, to be frank. They are still running around doing...stuff, and fighting the invisible guys, and Poison Ivy shows up on the last page.

I just...miss Zinda and Huntress. And Oracle.

Blue Beetle #2

Well, I've given this a chance, but I'm not particularly thrilled with this book. I can't forget, you see, just how insanely fabulous the LAST run of Blue Beetle was. And since it wasn't back in the misty olden days, but only a few short years ago, I didn't see the need for a reboot ANYWAY. I don't particularly like this new version of Jaime, I definitely don't like the new version of Paco, and the story just isn't grabbing me.

Jaime is charming. His family is quite honestly, sensational. His friends are great. Part of that charm, was that they all KNEW he was Blue Beetle, and did their very best to form a support system for him. And the Scarab itself, was endearing. This new version is just standard comic book stuff, and lacks the sincerity and sweetness of the former version, and I think I'll probably be dropping this. Unless Guy shows up.

DC Universe: Online Legends #16

I don't normally get this book, but what the heck, it had Sinestro on the cover in his old yellow outfit, and it has the entire Sinestro Corps fighting Brainiac, and the Guardians send the entire Green Lantern Corps in, to basically sit on the sidelines, and watch the two sides annihilate each other. It also has Guy sitting in a greet barcalounger eating green popcorn and enjoying the fight. What's not to like?

DC Universe Presents; Deadman #2

I enjoyed the first issue, and I'm enjoying the second issue. Poor Deadman is still wrestling with the meaning of it all, and is trying to get answers. Needless, he's not having a whole lot of success in getting them, but still...it's fun to see what he's up to. I'll definitely keep getting this.

Fables #2

We have the continuation of the several storylines that have been progressing. Who is going to succeed the North Wind? The other Winds have shown up and are less than enthusiastic. The little revolution in Oz continues, and the former Mrs. Spratt continues to learn to fence. She, I fear, is up to no good. Although I rather like the fencing master, Mr. Holt. Excellent as usual.

Green Lantern Corps #2

Things seem to be escalating in a hurry. More anon.

Justice League #2

Quite frankly, this was rather enjoyable in a weird sort of way. Superman thinks that Hal and Batman are bad guys because they show up with one of the Mother Boxes that he just had found. Hal and Batman think that Superman is being a gigantic douche. In a panic, Hal calls Barry Allen for help. Barry is being harassed at the crime lab, to stop working on the real crimes, and instead to look for evidence against the Flash. He's a bit annoyed to hear from Hal, but nevertheless shows up and manages to distract Superman. Barry gets a bit too full of himself however, and Superman does manage to surprise him.

Obviously Hal and Barry are already friends. They all manage to finally simmer down and start talking with each other, which is a step in the right direction. I love how Superman's base of operations is an abandoned printing press. Batman is shocked that he doesn't have his own lair, and that since he doesn't wear a mask, he OBVIOUSLY doesn't have a secret identity to protect. Meanwhile, Hal wants to just hang with Barry, and ditch those other two lame dudes. I get the feeling that Hal and Barry have a tree house somewhere, with a green glowing NO GIRLZ sign on the outside, a rope ladder and sit there and eat s'mores or something. It's rather...endearing.

Oh, and Cyborg shows up at his Dad's lab and whines about how he never comes to his football games. His father rather brutally informs him that football is for LOSERS, and he's NEVER going to go, because he has WORK to do...or something to that effect. Naturally, when the Parademons all show up, poor Cyborg is right in the way of the blast. I guess we can all see where this is going.

This is a little overblown, and a little bit hokey, but dammit, I don't care. The art is pretty, and Hal is SUCH an idiot, and I'm actually enjoying this.

Wonder Woman #2

Damn, but this is good. Hera really really hates being cheated on. Meanwhile, Diana has taken a badly wounded Hermes to Themyscira, along with the blonde girl from the first issue. The Amazons are just outraged that she's brought a MAN to their island, but calm down, when they realize that it is their Princess. Hippolyta is alive! And Blonde!

Hermes and the Blonde chick are talking, and he tells her the story of Diana's immaculate conception. Diana indulges in a little training exhibition with another Amazon named Aleka, and natually kicks her ass. Hippolyta is a bit nervous however, since they are unwillingly harboring one of Zeus's pregnant girlfriends, and she KNOWS just how cranky Hera gets. Then Hera's daughter Strife, whom she was talking to in the beginning shows up and tricks the Amazons into attacking each other. Diana puts a stop to that, but then learns some rather unwelcome news.

The art is simply exquisite, and the story is excellent, and I haven't enjoyed Wonder Woman as much in quite some time.

Journey Into Mystery #629

The tale of little Loki and his machinations continues. He uses the shadow of the sword of Surtr to rewrite a legend, and tells more about the Serpent, but still...things happen, and Thor still dies, and all sorts of really incredible things are happening, and heck, this is one great book. It's just about the only Marvel book that I am reading, but I'm still able to follow the gist of what is happening in the other Fear books, which is pretty admirable, all things considered.

So...a darned fine week.

Feeling Terribly Cranky

2011-10-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

What a day I have had! Firstly, it is Dreaded Tuesday...the most deadly day of the Week. But still, going into work today, I was in a fairly good mood. Everyone else was also in a fairly good mood. I happen to work for a family owned business, now in its third generation, and as with ALL family owned businesses, there is usually at least ONE individual, who is completely and totally useless, but must be tolerated, because he is the brother of the owner.

AKA, my Nemesis.

My Nemesis usually spends his time, going to the post office multiple times a day, and taking the deposit to the bank. He can also be relied upon to yell at people on the phone and run around checking to see how much soap and paper towels the employees are using. You know...useful stuff like that. The rest of his time is mostly spent talking loudly on the phone with the guys at the Country Club, and web-surfing.

Today...he decided to play his music. His musical tastes are roughly that of a thirteen year old girl. He also likes Disco music. He began with Brittny Spears and proceeded to Disco. LOUD Disco music. Since I am trying to answer telephones, I found this to be a huge distraction. Plus I really really HATE Disco music. Except with the possible exception of ABBA, which for some bizarre reason, I've always rather liked. So, I asked him politely to please turn it down.

He laughed.

So I closed his door. Then he turned the volumn UP. Finally, even our office Manager had to take steps, because SHE could hear it from three offices away, and she went in and read him the riot act, and he actually turned the volumn down, because he's deathly afraid of her. Peace and quiet then reigned, and we were able to get some work done while he sulked.

He did eventually turn it back up again, but I was out the door, so I don't care. But I'm STILL feeling a tad surly. So, I thought this would cheer me up. And possibly cheer OTHER people up, who may also have had a crappy day.

Isn't it lovely? I hardly ever watch Young Justice, although I never miss Batman: The Brave and the Bold. For some reason however, I was watching Young Justice, and while Black Canary and Ollie and Speedy fought Poison Ivy's plant on a bridge, who should show up...but Guy. In a different outfit of course...but it was still Guy.

So now I'm feeling a little bit giddy, and no longer quite as cranky.

G'Not G'Nort?

2011-10-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

According to the Green Lantern panel at the NYCC the reboot does not include G'Nort Esplanade G'neesmacher of G'Newt. I am of course, devasted by this news.

I LIKED G'Nort, dammit. Yes, he was dim-witted, clumsy and a tad impulsive...but that was part of his charm. Not to mention the HUGE canine crush that he had on Guy. He was created to be comic relief, and he handled that chore with aplomb.

Why do they have to get rid of anything that is fun and silly? Next thing you know, they're going to be dumping Talky Tawney!

Green Lantern #2

2011-10-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Oh Hal. You simply never learn. As Sinestro points out...frequently.

When last we left our rumpled and slightly downtrodden hero, Hal had just been yelled at by Carol, and had been evicted from his apartment. His adjustment to real life isn't going particularly well. Heck, Guy did a better job of getting along without a ring than Hal is. But not to fear, because Sinestro just happens to show up at his doorstep with an...intriguing offer.

Hal of course completely over-reacts, and tries to attack Sinestro. Without a ring. Wearing a tie, no less. Sinestro of course, overpowers Hal without even working up a sweat. He DOES lift one eyebrow, as we go for a little bit of Hal Bondage. Then Sinestro offers Hal a ring...after pointing out that Hal never did too much with the ring the LAST time he had one. Naturally Hal accepts...and then tries to blow Sinestro's face off!

That...works about as well as you would expect it to. See, Sinestro only gave Hal as much power as HE wants him to have...and obviously has manufactured a ring that cannot harm him...just like he did with the Sinestro Corp rings. He does give the ring back to Hal, who immediately hears a siren and rushes off without hesitation, while Sinestro no doubt sighs. He does point out that Hal is as obedient as a dog...and half as smart, which made me laugh out loud.

A bridge has been hit by...something and is in danger of collapsing. People are falling, and naturally, Hal swoops in and rescues a Hot Babe. Oh, and one car. As Hal and the Hot Babe are gazing into one anothers eyes, Sinestro wanders by, and nonchalantly takes BACK Hal's power again. Then he tells him to watch and learn, as he effortlessly, saves the Hot Babe, the car, and the ENTIRE FRIKKIN'BRIDGE! All the while holding Hal by the throat. Sinestro is the King of Multi-tasking.

Naturally the people are all gibbering with delight and thanks for Sinestro who seems a bit nonplussed by their gratitude, and tells them to get back to their dully little lives, as he and Hal fly off. Sinestro wants Hal to come with him to Korugar, and help clean up the trash. He left the Sinestro Corps there, to guard his home world, but they apparently aren't behaving very well. And then they are attacked by a particularly loathsome member of that same Corps, who has decided that Sinestro is a traitor to the Light, and that if HE kills him...then he'll rule in his place.

That goes about as well as you would expect. Sinestro quite sternly tells him that he gave them a code of conduct to follow, and instead they are out giving in to their own sadistic urges. This is where I have to say that perhaps Sinesto was being just a tiny bit naive. You can't create a Corps built on the power to invoke FEAR, and just expect them all to behave nicely.

My only complaint is that this is where it ends, and I was all set for MORE! Mahnke's artwork is stellar as always, and Geoff Johns isn't the least bit afraid to make Hal look like an idiot. In fact, Hal pretty much looks and behaves like an idiot throughout the whole book!

There are some really nice touches. The look of triumph and glee on Hal's face, as he gets a ring back on his finger, is superb. Sinestro's world-weary sneer is a lot of fun. Sinestro is portrayed as being just so incredibly competent at what he does. No wonder Hal irritates him. And yet...Hal was the first person that he went to for help. Possibly to rub it in a little bit, that he's beholden to Sinestro for a ring again, but also I think because Sinestro just LIKES to get Hal riled up. He's a little bit like Guy in that respect. And dammit, Sinestro just looks so...suave.

This was a heck of a lot of fun. I just wish it hadn't seemed so short. But I am desperately looking forward to the next issue.

Thursday Reviews of Wedneday's Comics

2011-10-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

My, that was a fairly nice week! Let us just jump right into things.

Batgirl #2 Things get fleshed out a bit more. Barbara is in a bit over her head it seems, plus it also seems to be dawning on her, that perhaps she should have given herself a wee bit more time to recuperate from her injuries before jumping back into the thick of things. We do find out that the "Mirror" villain has a rather tragic past, but he's that tragedy in all the wrong ways. And Batgirl is NOT particularly popular with the Gotham City Police. I'm beginning to realize that NONE of the Bats are particularly popular with the Gotham City Police...yet.

Not bad. Gail Simone seems to be finding her footing a little bit more here. It's not great, but I'm willing to give it a chance.

Batman & Robin #2 I rather enjoyed this. For one thing, it's Tomasi, and I always enjoy Tomasi. Also, there is Pat Gleason artwork, and I always enjoy Pat Gleason. Two tastes that taste good together!

Bruce continues to try and make a connection with Damien, even actually...praising him at one point. Granted, it is rather tepid praise, but heck, this IS Batman we're talking about. He and Alfred have a nice philosophical discussion about the ethics of exposing youngsters to the kind of life that he leads, and a few more bodies show up, not to mention an apparent blast from Bruce's past. Oh...and I am pretty sure that Ace the Bat Hound may just be showing up. That's one BIG Bat Hound!

Batwoman #2 This book continues to be enjoyable, and the art will make you weep with joy. Kate is still on the outs with her Dad, which makes me sad, because I really do like her Dad. She also continues to train Flamebird. Oh, and Maggie Sawyer continues the dance she has going with Kate, and Cameron Chase shows up! Man, those Bat people really are NOT popular with the authorities!

This is excellent. Of course.

Demon Knights #2

I originally picked this up on a whim, and I am so glad that I did, because it is just a whole lotta fun. We've got dragon/dinosaurs, a doughty bunch of characters, and Vandal Savage just having the time of his life. A bunch of scared but still rational peasants, and Etrigan who is still flirting madly with Madame Xanadu. Things seem to be escalating quickly, but it just moves along so nicely and there is pretty art and great dialogue, and it's a darned good book.

Green Lantern #2

Well! More Tomorrow!

Resurrection Man #2

Mitch is having memory problems, and tracks down a nursing home, where it turns out that his father lived before passing away recently. But that's ok, his Dad's buddy down the hall offers to help. Of course, his Dad's buddy thinks he's a super-villain, but Mitch is willing to roll with it. The Body Doubles show up, and we get more hints about Mitch's mysterious past, and oh, what the heck, I liked it.

Shade #1

Oh, gosharootie, I'm so happy. The Shade! In all of his black-clad glory. There will be a variety of artists, but we begin with Cully Hamner. Dickie and Mikaal are on the balcony at Shade's lovely old Victorian house in Opal City discussing...things. Shade is a bit melancholy because October is the month when he became...what his is. Mikaal is moping a bit about Tony's death and love lost, and stuff like that. Also, Shade is banging Hope O'Dare.

She suggests that he find an adventure or two, to take his mind off things, and then Deathstroke shows up...and well...that's not what I was expecting to happen!

I can hardly wait for the next issue.

I hope that you all enjoyed YOUR comics!

Tuesday Tumbles

2011-10-11T12:14:00.001-07:00

Normally, it would be a Tuesday Thwacking or something of that nature, but as you can plainly see, Tumbling is a much better description.

Oh Hal.

At least he's not hitting his head. Yet.

Playing Hooky

2011-10-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

It's another insanely gorgeous day here in New England, and I'm taking a vacation day, and running off with my oldest daughter to go shopping and hang out and stuff. Just finished having her wedding reception in the backyard gazebo this weekend, and I NEED to recuperate. Two of my offspring married off in only four months! Woohoo!

I finally figured out how the new dvd player worked,(with a little...well a LOT of help from my son) and finally saw the Thor movie. It...is good! My GOD but Chris Helmsworth is a gorgeous gorgeous man. And I really liked Loki too. I thought that Asgard looked a bit like Oa, actually.

I'm really just rambling at this point.

Just another Monday Morning!

Beloved and Beloathed

2011-10-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

I thought of this concept the other day, and figured I'd run with it a bit more. If the DC Universe has been reset...then perhaps formerly dead characters will NOT be dead! I can certainly get behind that.

So...on my Beloved list...is Ralph and Sue Dibny. The Nick and Nora Charles of the Comic book set. All they need is an adorable little dog. Great clothes and a lot of booze wouldn't hurt either.

But anyway. I loved that Ralph didn't bother to hide his identity. I loved that Ralph got a kick out of BEING recognized. I loved that Sue fell for Ralph instead of Barry. I loved the fact that SHE was the heiress, and that they got to go around and do cool stuff, and have fun and investigate things together. I loved that they were desperately in love, and that Ralph didn't have to go through the sort of crap that Barry, and Hal and Ray and Clark had to go through with their unwitting girlfriends.

To this day, the retroactive rape and murder of Sue still drives me into a frenzy. The death of Ralph also upsets me, because I love Ralph, but unlike Sue, at least his death had some meaning to it. And I was all set during Blackest Night to see their triumphant return. Then I was all set during Brightest day...for their triumphal return.

I'm...still waiting.

Dammit, Batman may be the world's greatest detective, but he doesn't have TIME to do all the detecting stuff! We Need Ralph! He and Sue can go back and live in Opal, which is my favorite fictional city. They can interact with the Shade, and the O'Dares, and occasionally team up with the Justice League, or heck, maybe THEY could take over for Oracle!

Plus, other than Aquaman and Mera, they're about the only married couple left. Granted, they're dead...but still married! So please...bring back my Beloved Dibnys!

This is by Chris Samnee. Isn't it adorable?

Thursday's Reviews

2011-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

My Goodness...it's Thursday already? This was week two of DC's grand experiment, and a relatively small week for me.

Action Comics #2

Let me come right out here, and state that although I have always liked Superman...I've never loved him. I can unequivocally state that I LOVE this Superman. He's young, untried, a bit callow, and a bit cocky. But he's doing his level best to help people. He's still evolving his powers, so he can't move planets yet, and he CAN be hurt. He's still in the "leaping over tall buildings" stage, rather than flying, and my God, but this is wonderful.

I love every character in this book. Lois is dogged, and determined, and she showed up wearing baggy pants and a sweatshirt with nary a breast or butt in sight. I almost fell out of my chair. Henry Irons shows up, and outraged at the treatment that Lex Luthor is dishing out to Superman, he quits in a fine rage. Lex himself is simply fantastic.

As we recall, Superman had been captured, and is now being subjected to what basicaly amounts to torture...all so that Lex can "experiment" on him. Since he's not human, Lex can do whatever he wants without a qualm...not that I think that Lex would let a mere qualm stop him when he has the bit in his teeth. Superman is in an electric chair getting zapped, he's exposed to poison gas, and so on and so forth, and he's obviously in pain, but he's managed to keep his wits...and his sense of humor intact. When Lex confronts him with this weird six-legged goat, and asks him if this is his TRUE form, he just bursts out laughing...much to Lex's displeasure. Lex doesn't LIKE being laughed at.

Naturally, he breaks loose, and just happens upon the alien ship that brought him to earth, where he is amazed to hear it talking to him. He promises he'll be back, retrieves his nice red bulletproof cape and busts out of the joint, waving hello to Lois on the way.

May I just say how much I am loving Rags Morales artwork here. He...he draws great feet! And great shoes! How many artists can say that nowadays? I also have to admit that I am rather taken with the jeans and the scruffy workboots that Superman is wearing. It lends him a look that reminds me of...and please don't laugh...Li'l Abner. Yes, I'm old. But I love the boots, and I like this ensemble better than his NEW outfit over in the JLA.

Buy this book. Read it and treasure it.

Green Arrow #2

This on the other hand...is not very good. I barely recognize Ollie in this imposter. The dialogue is stilted and painful. The plot is dull. The art is adequate. Where is my bombastic, self-righteous, bloviating jackass of a Green Arrow? Yes, Ollie is a jerk, but damn it, I LIKE jerks! Perhaps when Dan Jurgens takes over, I'll come back to this, but Krul is doing nothing for me so far.

Justice League International #2

In so many ways, I love this book. It has some of my favorite people in it. There is room for improvement however.

Guy flew off in a snit in the first issue, and Booster has been sent with his team...plus Batman to Peru to investigate some disappearances, and finds a whole lot more than he bargained for. While fighting the giant roboty thing, his team, which isn't much for teamwork yet, gets trounced, and Ice gets hurt. Despite being yelled at by his U.N. superiors, Booster decides to grab his team and get out while he still HAS a team.

Rocket Red is furious and wants to keep fighting. General in Iron agrees with Booster and talks calmly about strategy. Fire just wants to take care of Ice, and Godiva is a bit perturbed at the violence. Vixen doesn't say much. Meanwhile, Guy wanders into his favorite bar, and orders a tall and cold one from the bartender. The bartender named Beau. OH MY GOD! It's Beau Smith!!!! At least it sure looks like him, and it would be a rather charming wink of the eye by Jurgens to put Guy's best writer into his book.

Hee!

Guy sees that Tora's been hurt, and imediately rushes off to help. Oh, and offer his services of course. By this time, Booster is pretty well fed up and offers to LET Guy take over, but Briggs wants someone that he thinks he can control. Then he starts getting snotty with Batman and the girls all start to take bets on how long he's going to keep his teeth, basically. Then they find out that they have bigger problems than just ONE Robot...because now there are four of them.

The art is pretty, and the story is fun, and I love the characters. Poor Booster is having a rough time of it, but heck, he can handle it...he's got Batman backing him up. Gavril is a bit of a blowhard, but hopefully, he'll settle down soon. Guy is right about thinking that he's a good leader...he IS. But he leads Green Lanterns, he knows all about their abilities and training...which is NOT the case with this bunch.

Still very happy with this book.

Swamp Thing #2

Oh hey, this is good. Alex Holland still doesn't want to have anything to do with the Green, but the Green isn't quite ready to let him go. And we find out all KINDS of cool stuff about the old Swamp Thing, and well...things are a lot different from what I remember. Beautiful art and certainly an interesting twist to the story. I don't know what died-in-the-wool Swamp Thing fans will think, but I like it.

Red Lanterns #2

Atrocitus seems to be having some more soul-searching moments, and decides that he's going to give a little bit more sentience to his crazy posse of rage-a-holics. And stuff happens. I'm not too sure about this book. I don't really see the need for it...I could see this story in an anthology perhaps, or at the back of another book, or maybe in a Green Lantern Quarterly or something. But not necessarily carrying its OWN story.

I also went back and found Journey into Mystery and The Mighty Thor from Marvel. I don't give a rat's behind about the whole "Fear Itself" stuff, but I simply adore baby Loki, so it's worth it for that alone.

Not a bad week at all!

Feeling...Pissy

2011-10-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful day for Septemb...oops, October. Just went the Comic Book shop and picked up my precious books. Also stopped and got a couple of Subway sammitches, for myself and for my Sweet Babboo. His company is opening a new location, he's going to be running it, but it needs to be painted, and renovated, and new carpet and stuff, so he's been putting in a lot of time working on it, and I thought I would bring him lunch, and eat with him, as well as peruse the new books.

One of his "helpers" wandered in, and saw me raptly reading Action Comics (which was fantastic) and he promptly plopped down next to me, and began a long and incredibly boring tale of all the comics that he used to collect, but his mother threw them out, and what are they worth nowadays anyway, and isn't it just so cute that I'm a girl and reading about Superman!

Arrrgghhhh!

I...just wanted to visit my honey, eat my lunch and get a jump on reading my books. At home, the family KNOWS not to bother Mommy while she's Reading Her New Books. It just is not done. And I had to contend with this oaf, who really couldn't care less about comics...but wanted to discuss them anyway. Ordinarily I would be delighted to discuss comics, but he doesn't know the names of any of them, except Superman and Batman obviously, nor any storylines and all he was interested in, was how much he could sell his remaining worthless books for, 'cuz people git rich n' stuff! He had some old horror stuff, and thought that Vampirella was just fabulous. And she very well may be, for all that I know...but it was pretty obvious that it wasn't her story that he was interested in.

Fortunately, my phone rang, and I seized upon it as an excuse to make my hasty retreat. Now...to actually sit down and READ my books! I suggest that you all find a quiet and calm place to do the same.

Beloved...and Not So Beloved

2011-10-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dan Didio announced recently that the Crisis didn't happen in the present configuration of the DC Universe. Or...maybe it did. Or maybe some of the OTHER events did or did not happen. It all depends.

Since I actually LIKE continuity, and manage to keep all of the twists and turns of history handled fairly neatly, this drives me up a wall. I'm a History Major, dammit. Continuity is like food and drink to me! Now, I suppose it all depends upon the current whim of the current writer...and considering how quickly writers come and go on the average, I can foresee that the NEW Continuity is going to become a giant mess sooner rather than later. One of the reasons why reboots really don't work all that well. But that's fodder for another column.

Anyhoo.

Does this mean...could this possibly mean...that characters that were dead, aren't necessarily REALLY dead? Could this be a backdoor method of bringing back some of my favorites? Or even NOT so favorites. I've thought of creating a feature, called "Beloved and Beloathed". I have a crapload of Beloveds, and not nearly so many beloathed...but there ARE a few.

Oh, and in keeping with my Tuesday theme...

Yeah, yeah, he's not getting hit in the head. But he IS being thwacked quite nicely, and it shows off his behind so well, that I just couldn't resist.

October Already?

2011-10-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

Well September sure flew by quickly. What is really strange, is that here it is, October 3rd, and it is still 70 some odd degrees and all the trees are still green. It is as though we are a month behind. There is a little bit of color here and there, or else the leaves are simply turning brown and falling off. Too much rain, I guess.

The pumpkins are fat and happy however. And October brings all sorts of nice things, such as the new Shade Mini-series, that I have been looking forward to, for quite some time now. Dagnabit, I love the Shade.

But what I REALLY wanted to talk about, before I got off course, meandering on about foliage...is the Justice League. Mainly, Hal. Despite not being that thrilled with Jim Lee's artwork, and the fact that only a few of the JLA even showed up...I DID enjoy the first issue of the Justice League, because I always enjoy seeing Hal being a bit of a jerk. Well, maybe not a jerk...but certainly a bit on the arrogant side. And really who can blame him? He's young, handsome, charming,and he's got this AMAZING wishing ring. Batman is just an old poop.

I have to wonder however. The JLA takes place in the past. But the JLI is in the present...I think. And Green Lantern is in the present, which means that Hal being missing, ALSO means that he's AWOL from the JLA.

Has...has anyone even NOTICED? Is this going to be addressed? If one of your heavy hitters just disappeared one day, wouldn't you be inclined to go out and look for him? Did he call up Batman and say that he's taking a leave of absence or is retired, or what? Inquiring minds want to know! Hopefully...we'll find out.

Gosh I Love Parades

2011-10-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Especially parades in the rain. I am marching today in Granby, Ct's 225th anniversary parade. I remember being at the 200th parade! Not too excited about the monsoon in store, but still...it's my hometown.

We're getting just a little bit tired of rain in New England. I would like to be able to direct some of our excess moisture down south and west a bit...where they NEED it!

Incidentally, this picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with anything! I just like Jay force-feeding villains. You just don't see that sort of thing too often anymore.

Now That It's All Done...

2011-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Now that the first month of DC's relaunch is more or less finished, what did everybody think? I think that they had some really GOOD books, a lot of decent books, a fair number of mediocre books, and boy, some really terrible books. In other words, pretty much what was there BEFORE the relaunch.

These were my favorites. Your mileage may vary.

Action Comics
Wonder Woman
Aquaman
Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern
All Star Western
Justice League International
Demon Knights
The Flash
Batwoman

I enjoyed the heck out of these books.

These were the ones that I liked, but not quite as much. But still enough to buy them on a regular basis and hope for the best.

Resurrection Man
DCUniverse Presents
Justice League Dark
Swamp Thing
Justice League
Firestorm
Hawkman
Batman & Robin

These books rather surprised me. I wasn't planning on getting most of them, but wound up being quite pleased. Not quite knocked out of my socks, but perfectly happy to read.

These were the books that were...ok. Not great, not terrible, but I like the characters, and heck, there is always room for improvement. If there is one thing that I tend to be, it is hopeful.

Green Arrow
Birds of Prey
Red Lanterns
Green Lantern: New Guardians
Blue Beetle
Batgirl
Nightwing

Then there were the ones that I was so hopeful about...and have decided to cross off of my list after one viewing.

Suicide Squad
Catwoman
Red Hood and the Outlaws
Mister Terrific

There are quite a fiew more that I never even looked at, because I really can't stand Deathstroke in ANY universe, and Zinda wasn't in Blackhawks, and I wouldn't touch Hawk and Dove with a 12 foot pole.

I find that I'm missing a lot of good characters, and I'm not quite sure how continuity works anymore, but all in all, I am...cautiously optimistic. Things turned out...for the most part pretty well. But man, when they messed up, they messed up BIG!

What were YOUR favorites?

Thursday's Reviews

2011-09-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

And so we come to the final week of the initial relaunch of the DC Universe books. And it was...an interesting week for sure.

All Star Western #1

Jonah Hex in Olde Gotham. Be still my heart. We have (thank god) the same creators as we had in Jonah Hex,so things just move smoothly into the new book. For some reason, Jonah has moved east, and ends up in Gotham City of all places, having been hired to help find a Jack-The-Ripper type of killer. He ends up teaming up with none other than Doctor Amadeus Arkham.

Someone is killing off Gotham's Soiled Doves, and Jonah isn't happy about it. There are conflicting bits of evidence, and all manner of skullduggery. This is, to put it frankly...quite quite fabulous.

Aquaman #1

Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis! What's not to like? I've missed Ivan's beautiful beautiful artwork on Green Lantern, but since I also love Doug Mahnke's art, I do not begrudge his pencils on Aquaman. Besides...I LIKE Aquaman. I've always liked Aquaman, and yes, I DID watch Superfriends.

It seems as though everybody else also used to watch Superfriends, because even though Arthur shows up and helps the cops grab some thieves...awesomely, I might add...nobody seems quite able to believe that he's able to do the stuff that he's doing. He decides to go and get some lunch, and ends up at a nice little seafood diner, that his father used to take him to as a young lad. Everyone has a heart attack when he wanders in, they can't believe that he's in a SEAFOOD place. Although, considering he lives underwater, what ELSE is he going to eat? Various people are giving him a lot of crap, especially, the blog writer from the next table, who asks a lot of officious and incredibly rude questions. He handles it fairly well, until he's asked how he likes being everyone's least favorite superhero, at which point he stomps out in a huff, and who can blame him. He does pay for his uneaten lunch however, because Aquaman is a stand-up sort of guy, and the gold doubloons that he gives the waitress will put her kids through college.

So he wanders back to the lighthouse, and tells Mera that he's had it up to HERE with the Atlanteans and they're just going to hang out and have a life together. At this point he sweeps her up in his arms, but they aren't doing it in the dirt or raping each other or anything icky. Heck, they're still married! Oh, and there are some really horrible looking creatures who have swum up from the bottom of the ocean, and they're awfully hungry.

This is great. Beautiful to look at and fun to read.

Firestorm #1

Well...THAT was violent! Some very very bad people are looking for...something, and they aren't afraid to kill a whole lot of innocent people to get it. Also, Ronnie Raymond is a football player, and Jason is...not, and they don't really like each other very much even though they probably have a lot in common, and then the bad bad people show up and MORE innocent people get killed, and somehow Jason had the...thing that they're looking for, and he and Ronnie get turned into Firestorm.

I never really read the original Firestorm, although I liked him perfectly well in the Justice League...so I don't know if this is wildly out of character or not the original origin. It seems like a perfectly decent comic...nothing absolutely outstanding, or terrible...but man a whole lot of people get killed.

The Flash #1

I liked this. They didn't go through the whole origin again, wisely assuming that we know enough by now about how this all happened. Barry is competent and even a little charming, and the artwork is adorable. There are bad guys about, and the Flash defeats them, but then they find a dead body, and it looks originally as though he may have been accidentally killed by...the FLASH! Barry is heartsick about it, but then to twist the knife even more, it turns out to be an old buddy of his! Iris West is a pesky reporter, but they aren't married anymore. Then his old buddy turns up...alive! Too bad that there are a whole CRAPLOAD of him!

I liked this a lot, and wish to see more of it.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #1

I can hardly believe this, but...I am no thrilled with this book. We have Tony Bedard back again, and I was perfectly happy with his writing on Green Lantern Corp. The writing is perfectly fine with this book, although they've altered Kyle's origin a little bit. Now he's going into the alley to take a leak, which I find rather...charmless when Ganthet shows up. It also seems as though Ganthet was LOOKING for Kyle, as opposed to just finding him in that alley.

Back to the present, and we see various members of the various Corps, doing their various things. A member of the Sinestro Corps is threatening some Kunds, when his ring flies off, and he gets his much-deserved comeuppance. A Rage Lantern is busy...um...raging when his ring flies off and he drops dead. A nice Star Sapphire is protecting family love when her ring flies off, and she almost drops dead, but Fatality shows up and saves her and the family which was nice of her.

Then we are back to Kyle, and a crane operator who spots him flying by and is all excited and talking on the phone to a buddy. The crane starts to fall, and Kyle saves him, because that is the sort of thing that Kyle does, when he's approached by an adorable moppet, who then cold-bloodedly starts to diss his uniform and talk about how fabulous Hal is. Poor Kyle. Usually Guy is the only one who gets this sort of thing happening to him. Kyle takes it well, and is bantering back and forth the moppet, when suddenly a bunch of rings show up and they all WANT him. Kyle realizes that this is probably not a GOOD thing, and tells the moppets mother to get the heck out of there which is good advice because hot on the heels of the rings, comes Arkillo, Fatality, Munk, and Bleez. And boy howdy are they pissed.

So...it's not a bad story. But I didn't like the artwork by Tyler Kirkham at all. Kyle is too beefy, and too...unshaven. I don't mind a bit of stubble, which can be awfully sexy, but with the way Kyle looks, and his hair, he looks as though he hasn't showered or shaved in a week. Everyone's torsos are elongated, the women all look waifish, and it's probably just my taste. but we've been awfully spoiled when it came to Green Lantern artwork, and I can't say that I care for this. Still...it IS Kyle, so I'll be sticking with it. But Fatality and Bleez are showing BOTH their butts and boobs in typical comic woman fashion, and it's tiresome.

The Savage Hawkman #1

I picked this up purely out of curiosity. Hawkman has never been much of a favorite of mine, but I figured what the heck. They've certainly simplified his backstory, that's for sure. Now he's a cryptologist, which is interesting. He's also trying to destroy the Hawk wings in the opening scene, which doesn't go exactly as he planned.

Meanwhile, his boss has unearthed an old alien ship, and needs his help deciphering what is going on. Naturally, nasty alien sorts of things are unleashed, and against his will, Carter is transformed into Hawkman. The art was actually rather painterly and nice, by Philip Tan,and the story wasn't terrible, so I just might stick with this one for a while.

Justice League Dark #1

Again, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it has Zatanna in it and John Constantine, and oh, what the heck. And I enjoyed Madam Xanadu over in the Demon book a lot. The art is awfully pretty and the story is interesting, and Shade the Changing man shows up and the Enchantress is going bonkers and Deadman is there and Batman, Cyborg and Wonder Woman get their butts kicked, and Batman gets trounced by Zatanna, which I enjoyed a lot. So I guess I'll stick with this one too, and see where it goes.

So...not a bad week at all.

Tuesday Thumpings

2011-09-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, the joy I feel whenever Batman takes one to the noggin. It's not quite as satisfying as ogling a really really fine Green Lantern behind...but close. So very close.

The Brave & The Bold is Still Fabulous

2011-09-26T11:48:00.001-07:00

Did anyone watch the new episode of the Brave & the Bold that was on Friday? It...it had the Creeper! And Catman. CATMAN! And the Justice League, with Guy finally realizing that he likes Ice, and to put the cherry on top of the comical sundae, it had RIP HUNTER! I almost fainted with delight. Also Batman disappeared, and they had to go traveling through time, to find all the OTHER Batmen, and...and...oh, it was just so much fun.

Batman wasn't humping anyone however, so it may not appeal to the target group for DC.

Why I Won't Be Reading Catwoman Anytime Soon

2011-09-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm weighing in on the great boob war currently raging. And it is quite possible that I will get a lot of outraged responses from horny twenty-something boys who greatly enjoy looking at Catwoman's breasts. But really people...We are in the middle of a huge company-wide relaunch. Beloved characters have been wiped from existance, continuity is out the door, relationships are suddenly awry, and DC is searching desperately for new readers.

And this is what they serve up?

No, I'm not going to show you the pictures. There are plenty of other places you can see them. And I LIKE Selina. I think that Catwoman is an old, valuable and interesting character. She helps to humanize Batman, it's nice to have that sexual tension between their two characters. I understand that she is a sexy cat burglar who slinks around in a skintight black leather suit, while carrying a whip. Believe me...I get it.

But she is also an interesting character in her own right, and she's been around for a VERY long time, and I think that she deserves better. As you may all have figured out from my previous rantings, I am NOT pleased with Judd Winick of late. He just cannot write women for some reason. Selina is reduced to being an object of mere titillation for the viewer. The MALE viewer. The artist doesn't even show her face for quite a while. The coloring is mostly black and white, with her wearing that BRIGHT red bra, so that it even more, is the First Thing That You See. Breasts. Breasts all over the place.

I don't mind breasts. I happen to have a rather spectacular pair myself. But seriously boys. Would you be quite as thrilled if you opened an issue of Green Lantern and ALL that you saw, was Hal's dick thrusting into your face, page after page after page? Heck, most of the guys who are busy drooling over Selina's cleavage are the same ones that go into a tizzy over a hint of a bulge in a male costume.

I don't mind Selina and Bruce being together. I don't mind them "doing it". I don't particularly want to see it shown rather graphically however. I admit it, I'm a romantic. I have a crystal chandelier and a fireplace in my bedroom for heaven's sake. I've rather enjoyed the teasing, the sidelong glances, the will-they-or-won't-they byplay over the years. But this scene of them grunting and rolling around on a rooftop, when they don't even KNOW their identities is not in the least romantic. It is simply lust, and the probably exchange of body fluids.

Ick.

Maybe when Winick decides to go off and savage some other book, and they get a REAL writer back, I'll decide to read Catwoman again. But for now, count me out.

Green Lantern Corps #1

2011-09-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah. It was so nice to get back to the Green Lanterns, after the more or less throwaway issues the last couple of months. They weren't BAD...but I did miss Peter Tomasi and Fernando Pasarin. Emerald Warriors is no more, but we have the same creators doing Green Lantern Corps, and although it is Guy and John instead of Guy and Kyle...I'm happy. So happy.

We begin with some nice Green Lanterns in their local Sector House, taking out the trash. This usually means that these poor Lanterns might just as well be wearing red shirts, and that's exactly what happens. A bad guy of unknown origins, but obviously powerful makes mincemeat out of them.

Now that we've set up the threat, let us move onto more pleasant things. We have Guy Gardner sitting all alone in a planetarium listening to the spiel,which I find oddly amusing. He then realizes that he's supposed to be at a job interview, where, he is immediately mobbed by the other applicants. Guy IS a celebrity after all, which is something that I tend to forget. The others are so excited, they want him to do stuff with his ring, and pose for a picture, and tell them who his favorite sports teams are and so on and so forth. Guy handles it all with more grace than I would have imagined...especially the part about being second the Hal.

Oh Guy.

It turns out to be a job being a High School football coach, which is actually something that I can completely see him wanting to be. The nice lady interviewing him, thinks that he'd probably be quite fabulous at it...but they can't hire him because he'd be too big a liability, the possibility of the school being attacked by his villains is too high.

Damn.

Next, we move on to John Stewart, who is meeting with several dignitaries and such, about putting up a building. He's trying to explain to them, that building it with superior safety features is a GOOD thing, and they only want to do the minimum safety requirements, because otherwise it will be too expensive. They are also impressed with the software displayed by his ring, and immediately start thinking of ways to make money off of it. John explains that there IS no software, it's just his mind, but they really don't understand...or want to. He's getting more and more frustrated by their stonewalling him at every turn, and finally loses his temper and takes them for a glowing green ride, which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but he's getting awfully fed up with their devotion to budgets instead of strength.

Meanwhile, on the watery planet Nerro, bad things seem to be happening. At first I read the name of the planet as being Nerrd...which cracked me up.

So...after a long day of trying to fit in, back on earth we have this lovely scene.

Since Guy is back on earth joining the Justice League International, I guess that he's given up living on Oa for the time being, which is just as well. It's rather nice to have Guy and John back on earth for a change. But they have learned the hard way that it is impossible for either of them to have a "normal" life anymore.

They do wend their way back to Oa, where Guy makes his usual theatrical entrance, while John is more staid. Salaak pretends to not care, but I'm sure he's glad they're back. They aren't too happy about the dead Lanterns, and round up a posse to go and check things out, including Hannu, Vandor, Isamot, Brik and Sheriff Mardin, which is an eclectic bunch to be sure. I haven't seen Sheriff Mardin in AGES! They get to Nerro, and are a bit surprised to find themselves on dry land, when it is supposed to be a water world.

Oops. About that.

Gosh darn it, the art was so pretty. Pasarin has a very different style from Pat Gleason, but it is amazing how much his Guy is based on Gleason's Guy. The colors just glow, and it is all very polished and pretty. I LOVE it when Tomasi has these little character moments. It's nice to be reminded that Guy loves working with kids, and that John is an architect. I was quite impressed with John in this issue, sure he is stoic, but there was a bit of that old crusader zeal popping out that I haven't seen in him for a while. I thought that Tomasi did an excellent job of showing John in an interesting light.

I was a bit surprised to see that Sheriff Mardin is no longer short and round, but apparently the standard svelte comic book female shape. And Brik isn't made out of rocks anymore either, apparently. Does EVERYBODY have to be "pretty"?

Still, all and all it was fun to see Guy and John working together for a change. They usually are paired up with either Hal or Kyle, it's nice to see the two smart ones together. They also seem to be coping with their private lives a bit better than Hal, even if they are having some problems fitting in. Can you imagine Hal working with kids?

Good. Good stuff.

Thursday's Reviews

2011-09-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well...there were some highs and some lows, but that is pretty much typical for every week. Let us begin.

Blue Beetle #1

Um...exactly why are we doing this over again? The "new" Blue Beetle, written by Keith Giffen and John Rogers of a couple of years ago, was practically perfect in every way. A charming teenaged hero, who just happened to be a minority. A stellar supporting cast. A magnificent and dastardly menace to fight. An amazing concept that had been used before, with Dan Garrett and Ted Kord, and yet given a twist and a reworking that was amazing. It may not have been a huge monetary success, but it certainly was a critical one, receiving praise from far and wide.

So naturally...they felt that they had to tweak it. We have Tony Bedard writing, and Ig Guara drawing it. We still have Jaime Reyes, we still have his parents, and his little sister Milagro. We still have Paco and Brenda. But...but the CHARM is gone. Jaime is whiney and sullen. Paco is suddenly a high-school drop-out and a bit of a jerk. Brenda is a cipher. Milagro has no speaking part. Booster Gold, and Ted Kord had nothing to do with his origin. He wasn't lost in space for a year. He just happens to find a packpack with the Scarab in it. Granted, a Green Lantern does show up, but it is merely an adequate comic book...instead of a magnificent one.

It reminds me more of a 90's comic book. Everyone is very very muscular, and tough and violent. The...sweetness is gone. Unless this changes very quickly, then I doubt that I'll continue with this...although I will give it a chance to have Guy Gardner show up. Which might redeem it. A bit.

Birds of Prey #1

Well...it wasn't terrible. But it certainly wasn't anything special. Barbara Gordon does show up, but it seems very awkward, and there certainly isn't any sort of closeness or cameraderie between her or Dinah. Dinah is still the Black Canary, and she still kicks butt, and apparently she is still mistakenly wanted by the law, but now her bestest buddy is some chick named Starling, who seems to be a party girl. I don't know what else she does. Katanna and Ivy don't show up.

I guess that I'll give it a few more issues to hook me. But I miss Zinda. And Helena. And Misfit, and Barda and Oracle. It's just not the same.

DC Universe Presents: Deadman #1

This was actually pretty good. I like Deadman, and they don't seem to have changed him all that much. It's an origin of sorts, and seems fairly philosophical, and not a whole lot actually happens, but I found it to be modestly interesting, so I'll stick around and see what happens next.

Fables #102

It's rather nice to read a book that doesn't have a number one for a change. Fables continues the story of Bufkin in Oz, and the search for a new North Wind, and a number of other plot points. Good as always.

Nightwing #1

I'm actually rther surprised at myself for buying this, but I had been thoroughly enjoying Dick as Batman, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. Dick is back in the Nightwing suit...or actually a NEW Nightwing suit, and seems to be fairly comfortable doing so. The circus...HIS circus is back in town and he decides to visit, and then is attacked by a mysterious bad guy whom he makes the mistake of underestimating. Not mindboggling, but perfectly pleasant, so I guess I'll be sticking around to see where it goes.

Wonder Woman #1

Now THIS I liked. I liked it a lot. Brian Azzarello does a fine job with Diana, and Cliff Chiang has purty purty art. Strange strange things are happening in the world, with mysterious mythlike figures popping up violently all over the place. The scene with the centaurs is grisly, but well-done. There is a beleagured young lady, an overmatched defender, and a key, and suddenly Diana asleep in London of all places. But by gum, she's back to being the REAL Diana, and hops out of bed and into her Wonder Woman suit, to go and defend the helpless and fight the baddies, and it is a rollicking good time.

Green Lantern Corps #1

Oh yes. God yes. More tomorrow.

So, two that thrilled me, a couple that were good enough and a couple that were doubtful. I was particularly disappointed with Blue Beetle because I LOVE Jaime, and I wanted...Oh How I Wanted to like this. But it just seems so pointless.

I also took a quick gander at Catwoman and Jason and the Outsiders, or whatever the heck it is called, and threw up a little in my mouth. So...no.

Sweet Sweet Wednesday

2011-09-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

And the new books continue to roll out. I have to say that I am really looking forward to Green Lantern Corps the most this week. Although I don't believe that much is going to change, I've missed Tomasi and Pasarin, and I am anxious to see how Guy and John are going to get along...considering they were more or less at one another's throats only a few issues ago.

Wonder Woman is also coming out, and I'm looking forward to that book as well. I'm curious to see what is going to happen with Birds of Prey, and of course, Blue Beetle. Not quite sure WHY we are redoing Blue Beetle...it's not very old, and it was pretty damned fabulous just the way that it was.

But all of this is mere speculation...off to the Comic Book Shoppe!

Tuesday Thumpings

2011-09-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to change things up a bit this week. Normally, I would be offering you another toothsome rendering of Hal getting thwacked, or maybe Guy or Kyle. Probably not John. John just doesn't seem to be hit in the head. Heck, even Alan got hit in the head sometimes.

But I saw this...and couldn't resist.

Booyah!

That's Mister Reyes, aka Jaime, the "Blue Beetle's" Dad. Thumping an unknown baddie WITH HIS CANE! The Reyes family are some of the best supporting characters ever.

Finally Saw The Green Hornet

2011-09-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

I seem to be watching a lot of movies lately. The Green Hornet remake showed up on HBO last night, and I finally had a chance to sit down and watch it. Well...it was certainly loud. And had a lot of explosions. And the car was nice. Kato was easy on the eyes.

I can't say that I was much impressed with the guy playing Britt Reid. Seth Rogan? He was...well, he was pretty much a real jerk. I remember watching the original show on television (yes, I'm old) when I was a kid, and the guy who played Britt Reid was on the suave side. Handsome too. And Bruce Lee as Kato was fabulous. And the car of course.

Anyway. I'm awfully awfully glad that I didn't pay any money to go out and see this. It wasn't the WORST movie that I've ever seen...but it was far from the best.

Now that Thor is out on dvd, I may actually go out and buy it and watch it!

The Brave & the Bold

2011-09-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Finally...FINALLY I got to see the new "Brave & the Bold" show that had Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor in the beginning, and then Hal Jordan and Star Sapphire! It was of course...hilarious. Batman was just utterly dumbfounded that Diana would hang out with Steve, who spent the entire time being tied up to a missile and chattering away about how his Angel was going to save him. God, I miss Steve Trevor.

Then we had Bats and Hal. In a rather clever move, Ferris Air and Hal are the ones who test-drive Batman's latest technology, so to speak. Naturally this means that Hal spends most of his time blowing up expensive machinery...and LOVING IT! He's also naturally, quite cavalier in his treatment of Carol, who spends her time mooning around after him, and being mocked by a sloe-eyed woman reporter.

Oh, and there is the Star Sapphire, who is back to being picked by the Zamarons to be their evil queen. You are lead to believe that the bitchy reporter is Star Sapphire, but surprise! It really IS Carol all along, and Hal knows it, and is actually trying to protect her. Hal comes off as actually being responsible, and even tells Carol that he loves her...which is certainly a bit of a switch from the comic books. But it is fun,and it was nice to see Hal. Too bad there wasn't any Guy, but I suppose one can't have everything.

God, I love this show. Exactly WHY are they cancelling it?

Well That was a Hoot

2011-09-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

I finally say "Megamind" on HBO the other night, because I hardly ever acually physically go out to the movies, and because I'm cheap. But it was a hoot. A hoot and a half!

And the whole time that he's fighting with Metro Man in the beginning...all I could think of, was that Metro Man may have been a riff on Superman...but in personality...he was ALL Booster Gold.

Oh, and that the villain's name was "Hal" also cracked me up.

Green Lantern #1

2011-09-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Oh Sinestro...you bad bad boy. And yet...as we all know, bad boys can sometimes be just so good. In a bad way. Or something.

The Green Lantern books are probably going to sail right through the new DC relaunch, more or less unchanged. After all, why screw with a good thing? Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke are still on Green Lantern, which is a good thing because I LOVE Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke on Green Lantern!

As we begin, the Guardians still have Sinestro all chained up, and he's reciting the oath for their pleasure, and getting a bit testy, as who can really blame him. Despite all of their...shall we say differences...over the years, the Guardians still think that giving Sinestro a ring, and sending him back to Korugar is a dandy idea. And so they do. Sinestro STILL thinks that the Guardians are losers, and STILL thinks that he's right and completely justified in everything that he's done. Ganthet is the lone dissenting voice, and when he tries to explain that letting one of their greatest enemies loose with one of THEIR rings and a power battery may be just this side of insane, the rest of the munchkins turn on him.

Poor Ganthet.

Stupid Guardians.

Meanwhile, back on earth, Hal is having a bit of a problem...adjusting to normal life. It's been quite a long time since he's HAD a normal life, and even then, being a hotshot test pilot isn't your run-of-the-mill sort of job. His landlord isn't too excited with him, and suddenly, Hal sees what looks like a mugging going on in the next-door apartment, and he leaps OFF of the balcony, and tries to save the fair-haired damsel in distress! Oops. It's actually a television or movie set, and gosh, is Hal's face red!

Carol comes and bails him out, and gently tries to explain that he can't fly, because he's uninsurable...but that there are other things that he can still do to earn a paycheck, and that MOST people have to suck it up and earn a living. I get the feeling that her words of wisdom are going right in Hal's shell-like ear and out the other. Obviously Hal's not paying a whole lot of attention, but he DOES ask her out, which she considers to be a positive sign at least.

Sinestro, has been observing Korugar, which he left under the care of the Sinestro Corps. They...haven't been the best caretakers, and he's starting to get pissed, when one of his earstwhile cohorts shows up, all full of piss and vinegar. He's a little startled to discover that this random Green Lantern is ACTUALLY his boss, and tries to tattle to Arkillo. Sinestro handles that in his usual...efficient manner. Quite frankly, I'm a little bit sorry for the the Sinestro Corps hanging out on Korugar, because I'm pretty sure that they are in for an extreme ass-whuppin'.

Back on earth, Hal and Carol are having a nice dinner together. Hal even seems as though he had actually paid a tiny bit of attention to what Carol was trying to tell him, saying that his ring has moved on, and he should do so too...and he has something to ask her. Something important.

Carol leans forward, lips parted, expectantly, waiting...waiting to hear those words from Hal...and he asks her if she'll cosign on a car loan for him.

Oh...Hal.

At this point I just about lost it. The look on poor Carol' face is priceless. Hal is completely clueless of course. She dumps her drink over his head and walks out, and then Hal trails after her, whining that she was the one who drove. He's quite flabberghasted to discover that she was hoping that he might actually be proposing to her, and is stupid enough to make it abundantly obvious to Carol that he IS flabberghasted.

He then trudges home in the rain, to discover his belongings sitting out in the hall and an eviction notice on his door. But not to worry, because SOMEone is standing in the hallway as well. Someone with a solution.

I have to admit it...I absolutely loved this. I find the aspect of Hal being stuck on earth, without his ring, and without his powers, broke, homeless and as stupid as ever...simply delicious. Because finally, FINALLY...he knows what it's like, when he took away Guy Gardner's ring waaaaaay back when. And you all know what Guy did. He continued to fight the good fight anyway that he could, and then he went and figured out a way to go and find Sinestro's yellow ring, getting help from Lobo, going to Qward, going to Oa, and stealing it off of Sinestro's corpse. THAT'S gumption! We'll see if Hal does half as well. Because it serves him right.

And it's funny.

Thursday's Reviews

2011-09-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

And the new books just continue to roll along. We had some palpable hits, and a few misses this week.

Batman & Robin #1

Tomasi and Gleason! Woohoo! Damian paired up with Bruce instead of Dick! Slightly less woohoo, but still not bad.

We begin with...something...picking off the various Batmen Inc., at least that is my assumption. Tough luck for the poor Russian Bat. Meanwhile, back at stately Wayne Manor...Bruce is brooding over a photograph of his parents. They're dead, you know. He hauls Damian out of bed, and they go off to Crime Alley, for one last pilgrimage, before it's demolished and rennovated, which is actually a pretty good deal, all things considered. Bruce has finally decided that rather than honor the anniversary of their deaths, he's going to honor their wedding anniversary instead, which is probably the most healthy feeling that he's had in a very long time. Damian is his usual sarcastic and snarky self, But Bruce seems to be...dealing with it. Oh, and the bad guys show up, siphoning off radioactive fluid of some kind, and Robin blows them up, and Bruce saves the block, and all KINDS of cool stuff happens.

This is excellent, as can be expected from these two creators.

Batwoman #1

It's been one heck of a long wait for this book, but it's probably worth it. The artwork is exquisite, naturally. Kate is still running about, although she's a bit at odds with her father at the moment, and seems to be trying to break in a sidekick. She's also trying to find out what is happening to kidnapped children. It's awfully pretty and a bit spooky, and just darned good.

Demon Knights #1

I wasn't going to pick this up, but then I heard some good things about it, and I am awfully glad that I did. It has Etrigan of course, AND Jason Blood, and Madame Xanadu, and Ytsin, and some other people, and Vandal Savage shows up and Mordu and there is sorcery and dragons, and...and stuff. There are some rather amusing moments in with all the mayhem, and the art is pretty and the story moves right along, and by cracky, I'll be continuing with this one.

Green Lantern #1

Oh...that was great. More anon.

Red Lanterns #1

Well...it wasn't terrible. I don't quite know what I was expecting. Dex-Starr shows up and shows off his catlike fury, which was fun. Atrocitus is worried that he's losing his edge. There are a bunch of other Red Lanterns, but they just frolic around being cranky for the most part. Bleez is back to being incoherent, which is a shame. Somehow she must have escaped from Zardor, when she had been taken prisoner in Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, along with Sodam Yat, a few months back. How did that storyline end, anyway? Oh...that's right...it DIDN'T. Maybe we'll find out what happened eventually.

It was ok. Not great, not terrible.

Resurrection Man #1

Oh Mitch...I've missed you. I loved the original book, and I'm so happy to have it back. Mitch ends up on a plane for some reason, with magnetic powers. And a mysterious woman shows up, and everything goes to heck, and there are OTHER mysterious beings after him, and gosh, it's all just a lot of fun. And pretty decent art again, which is nice.

Suicide Squad #1

Urgh. I wanted to like this, I did. I love Deadshot, and I'm rather fond of Harley, and I even like King Shark from the Secret Six. At first I thought that it was going to BE like the Secret Six...but of course it's not. The Suicide Squad has been captured on their first mission and are being tortured and questioned and whatnot, and poor Savant, gives up and spills the beans, and gets dragged off, and that's the last they see of Savant. The rest of them don't crack however, and it turns out that the whole thing was just a jolly little exercise to see which of them was the toughest. And some thin attractive black woman shows up claiming in to be Amanda Waller.

Haw! That's not Amanda Waller. I don't know what they have done with her, but until she returns, I doubt that I'll be reading this book. And yes, Harley's new outfit is just as painful as it looks, and King Shark is suddenly a hammerhead, and has lost his wit and joie de vivre.

Sigh.

I also picked up Swamp Thing, from last week, and I should have gotten it last week, because it was pretty darned good. AND pretty art. We're doing quite well on the art this week.

I was going to pick up Mister Terrific, but I couldn't find it for some reason. Maybe next week, if we got shorted.

I still miss a lot of things about the OLD DC universe, but thus far, the new one isn't completely awful.

I Had This Brilliant Idea...!

2011-09-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

...and then I forgot to write it down, and can't remember a thing. Other than it's apparent awesomeness. I hate it when I do that. Now you're stuck with whatever bizarre ramblings I come up with.

Bizarre Rambling #1...If they don't get Guy and Tora back together, maybe he could date Zinda. Other than her being a woman and a whole lot smarter, it would be just like dating Hal!

Bizarre Rambling #2...There was a young man at the Comic Book Store today, who was thrilled beyond belief that there was one copy left of Rob Liefeld's Hawk & Dove. I tried not to snicker. At least not in the store. In my car on the way home however...! Sometimes I am not a nice person.

Bizarre Rambling #3...My computer told me that my "cookies were disabled" whatever the hell that is. I like cookies. I would like my computer to give them to me, but can't figure out which slot they come out of. If anyone knows, please tell me.

Bizarre Rambling #4...With the new history in JLI, I guess Guy and Fire never slept together. For some reason, this annoys me. It probably annoys Guy too.

If anyone has any bizarre ramblings of their own, please feel free to share!

Tuesday Thumpings

2011-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to like the idea of this. A weekly homage to head trauma.

Haw! One punch!

Oh...wait.

Whew!

2011-09-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

After the weekend, it is almost a relief to go back to work! Almost. Two parades, and two weddings. I'm exhausted.

But on the other hand, I'm never too exhausted to discuss comic books.

I'm still having fun dissecting the new Justice League International. I'm mainly concerned whether or not Guy and Tora are getting back together. What about Gavril and Fire? Nobody seems to even notice that poor Vixen is even there.

I've thought of another reason that the U.N. didn't decide to go with Guy as the Leader. Seriously, they want someone that they can control. Guy Gardner does NOT fit that description...not even in the old brain-dead days. Of course, he doesn't know that, but I'm sure that it's going to come up eventually.

I can't help but wonder...if Generation Lost is no longer in continuity, and this is the first time that they are all getting together...does this mean that Max Lord can go back to being a good guy? Or that they could...possibly...maybe...bring in Ted Kord? NOT as the Blue Beetle necessarily...but as their weapons and computer guy or something? I think that I would faint with delight.

And L-Ron. I'd love to see L-Ron.

Justice League International #1

2011-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

And so...this was the one book that I was really really looking forward to, since I have nothing but happy memories of the old JLI. This is a bunch of characters that I will always love to read about...or at least most of them. I have a few quibbles and a few questions, but really for the most part...I'm happy with this new book.

We begin with some national leaders, who are gathered together with questions about the JLA. They like having them around...but feel that they don't have any control over their activities...which makes them nervous. So, they decide to form their OWN Justice League. One that they can control. There is a bit of commentary back and forth, but they come up with some candidates, most of which are accepted. Plastic Man and the Green Arrow didn't make the cut however, and neither does Jaime, the new Blue Beetle, because they don't want any rookies. There is also some trouble going on with demonstrators over the Hall of Justice, which they apparently feel belongs to THEM...and not to the U.N. Oh, and a group of scientists disappear under peculiar circumstances in Peru.

Anyhoo...Booster Gold shows up in his new uniform, all happy and sassy and ready to join the JLA. He's slightly shocked to discover that it is actually a NEW League, but he's quite happy to realize that he's the one that they want to run it.

Too bad that Guy Gardner doesn't feel the same way.

Oh Guy. It just wouldn't be the JLI without you having a hissy fit at the beginning. I'm starting to feel quite at home. Booster does point out that contrary to Guy's statement, he has NEVER lent his name to the sale of adult diapers. Lady Godiva, who is new to me, is nevertheless convinced that he has the physique for it. Lady Godiva is obviously ogling Booster's behind, and really, who can blame her? Tora tells Booster to go after Guy and stroke his ego a little bit, but Booster declines.

Guy stomps up onto the roof, where he runs into Batman. They actually have a reasonably civil conversation...civil for these two anyway. Guy is a bit miffed that he's been passed over, and to be quite honest, he has a valid point. Batman says that Booster is actually smarter than he looks, or words to that effect, but Guy is still cranky, and flies off in a snit. I'm not worried...I'm sure that he'll be back.

Meanwhile the rest of the group, which now consists of Booster, Fire, Ice, Vixen, the new Lady Godiva, the new Rocket Red and the August General in Iron all crowd into the hangar of their headquarters to admire their new jet...courtesy of Queen Industries. Rocket Red and the General compare their opinions on aviation, and off they all go, to look into the little matter of those missing people in Peru. Booster wishes that they actually had a bit more raw power, and their new U.N. liason points out rather snarkily that he shouldn't have let Guy leave then. The jet takes off, and who should be at the controls...but Batman! Batman isn't necessarily a part of the team, since he's already on the JLA, and the U.N. doesn't trust him anyway...and yet...here he is. And it probably is a good thing.

So, they get to Peru, and weird stuff starts happening. Also, a couple of those demonstrators try to blow up their headquarters, which seems like a rather dickish thing to do.

I have a few questions. I understand that this is apparently the FIRST incarnation of the Justice League International. Batman and Booster obviously know each other, and Batman has kept his relatively high opinion of Booster. But Guy says that he's only worked with Booster a couple of times, and considers him to be a glory hound and a flake. How does Guy know Fire and Ice though? Ice obviously knows Guy, since she has such good advice for Booster. There is no mention of Ted Kord at all. Did JLI: Generation Lost still happen? If that is so, then it makes sense that Fire, Ice and Rocket Red have a good opinion of Booster's abilities. Did Guy and Ice date before? Are they still together, or did they break up? Are Gavril, the new Rocket Red and Fire together, as was hinted in Generation Lost? Vixen didn't do much, and I'm not too sold on Lady Godiva.

Booster's new uniform is...ok. I don't even mind the upper part, but damn, I miss his shiny gold pants. Too much blue. Bats is tolerable. He's not even as obnoxious as he usually is, which is a refreshing change. I was glad to note that the U.N. and the rest of them do realize that having a Green Lantern around is a Very Good Thing in the raw power department. I can understand why Guy is miffed. He IS number One, in the Honor Guard of the Green Lantern Corp, which is a thunderingly great honor. Too bad that nobody on Earth realizes this. This isn't the old brain-dead version of Guy, he's used to ordering around Green Lanterns and doing a pretty bang-up job. But these AREN'T Green Lanterns, so he has to learn a whole new way of dealing with this motley crew.

Dan Jurgens does a good job, I thought. At least everybody actually is THERE in the first issue, and the art by Aaron Lopresti is quite nice. I'm pretty sure that Guy is going to come to the rescue in issue # 2, and I'm looking forward to seeing the interaction between these characters, and how much has managed to stay from the old continuity, and what is going to be new.

So...a huzzah. A cautious huzzah, but a huzzah nonetheless.

(I'm REALLY wondering if they kept that goddamned awful Winick retcon of Ice's origin, or if Jurgens is going back to the REAL one.)

Thursday's reviews

2011-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Gosh! I...I'm all a'twitter. This was the first REAL week of the new rollout and I have to say that I was filled with a certain amount of trepidation. However, MOST of my fear has evaporated. Although I am filled with a lot of questions about...stuff.

Action Comics #1

I wasn't too sure if I wanted to get this. I like Superman, but he's not my favorite. Still, Grant Morrison was phenomenal on the Superman mini-series, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. And I'm glad that I did.

This is a different Superman. I am assuming that this also takes place in the past, as Superman seems very young, very callow, and very very new to the superhero business. He is living in Metropolis, fresh off of the farm, apparently, and has a job at a different newspaper than Lois and Jimmy. He has a nice landlady, who nevertheless wants to be paid. He's running about helping the poor and the helpless and looking damn fine doing it.

General Lane is there and so is Lex Luthor. They're...they're fabulous. Jimmy and Lois are there too, and they are equally fabulous.

Damn it, I liked this. I liked it a lot.

Batgirl #1

Yes, that is Babs, and she's back in black. But she still did get shot in the spine in a nasty home invasion, and when she's helping some people who are being invaded themselves, she can't help but remember. She does manage to take out the extremely vile bunch of over-priviledged teens who just love to terrorize innocent lives, but when she goes to the hospital where one of them is recuperating, she freezes at an inappropriate moment. Oh, did I mention that there is some sort of fellow going around killing people who didn't die when they should have...or something? Gail Simone does it again, and again, I wasn't too sure about this...but I liked it too.

Green Arrow #1

I'm not quite sure what to think about this one. It has very nice artwork, courtesy of Dan Jurgens. Ollie is young, hip and a millionare, with his own company. That company has a separate division with some handy types who help him in his war against crime. In fact, he seems very very much like Bruce Wayne, except that he's blonde. He fights some low-lifes whose idea of a good time is to film their exploits on You-Tube. And his CEO is pissed off most of the time.

This wasn't bad. I don't know if I actually buy Ollie as a young hip blonde Bruce, but I guess it works. It's just not quite the same without him calling Hal a nazi or something though.

Justice League International #1

Oh my. There will be more about this one tomorrow.

Stormwatch #1

I am getting this book solely because it has Martian Manhunter in it. I never read the Authority, and I only vaguely know who most of these people are. And while I adore J'onn, I'm not too sure that I'll keep up with this one. Perfectly servicable, and not a bad story I suppose...but I just don't really have much of an interest in these people...except for J'onn.

Still... it sure was an interesting week!

Oh...Wednesday

2011-09-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well, September is upon us, in all of its glory. Actually, it's glory is a couple of weeks down the road, but still, Autumn is waiting in the wings. I have actually had to wear REAL SHOES to work, instead of sandals. Oh, the pain, the pain.

And the new relaunch of the DC books is finally here. For real. Not counting having the JLA book last week. Everything is starting over and we'll finally have to hold our breath and plunge right into it all. Whether we will also have to hold our noses, is yet to be seen.

Tuesday Thwackings

2011-09-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

I think that I'm going to start a new tradition. Tuesdays are always such a bleak day for me. It's the day before the books come out, and the entire rest of the week stretches out before me, and it is Just So Darned Hard to come up with anything to write about!

Whine, whine, whine.

So...I'm just going to start putting up pictures of Hal getting hit in the head or something. Or ANYbody getting hit in the head. Because there really is nothing quite like Comic Book Violence. And at least when it is Hal, we know that nobody is actually getting hurt. He must have a skull like Homer Simpson's by now.

Therefore...

Tee hee!

Marriage and the New DCU

2011-09-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

Around the DC offices as of late, it appears that Marriage is actually a Four-Letter-Word. They are dumping spouses all over the place in the relaunch. Apparently, they learned from the fiasco...I mean HUGE SUCCESS at Marvel, that people don't realy WANT to see a happily married super hero or heroine. And they may be right...except for all of the people that DID.

But I'm not bitter.

Anyhoo. They are splitting up Clark and Lois, but we've all known that for a while. And they are also splitting up Barry Allen and Iris West. I actually can't summon up a whole lot of outrage for that one. I like Barry, and I've always liked Barry, but Jay Garrett is my favorite Flash. And they had better NOT split him and Joan up! Or...or...I'll be quite irate, is what I'll be! But I've been reading the Absorbascon as usual, and Scipio makes quite the argument about the lovely Iris. Namely that she's a vicious harpy, and Barry is probably better off.

But anyway...are ALL the marriages out the door? You really can't split up Big Barda and Scott Free...now can you? Or the Dibnys. Of course they've killed the Dibnys off, so the problem may not come up, but still...Ralph needs Sue and vice versa. As I mentioned before, Jay and Joan had better still be wed, not to mention Liberty Belle and Hourman.

Hey, are Thomas and Martha Wayne still married? Who knows, in the new reboot, maybe Bruce is just some orphan they found in a field somewhere. They've already killed off the Kents, just so that Superman doesn't have anyone. Cuz' he's a Loner. A brooding, angsty loner.

If they have disbanded all the marriages, I can't help but wonder. Does this mean that people who weren't ever married BEFORE...could be married NOW? Because really, turn-about is fair play, and all of that. Hal and Carol could be wed! Or Guy and Ice! Or...or Ollie and Dinah! Wait, we tried that one already, and it didn't take. Still...what the heck. Howabout Diana and Steve Trevor? They don't seem to be able to get a handle on her books, make her a housewife in Schenectady, and see how it flies. I heard that her new book was going to be a horror book, which should be right up her alley...this could make it TRULY horrifying!

Yes, it is Monday, and I'm grasping at straws here. But keep in mind that I am one of those weird WOMEN who read comic books, and obviously, I want to turn them into Romance Comics and get rid of all the boobs and violence. Or so I am told.

Any ideas?

The All-New and All-Brash Hal Jordan

2011-09-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we all had our first glimpse of Hal Jordan, in the new issue of Justice League, where he goes up against Batman and gets owned rather easily, through overconfidence. Of course, it IS Batman, and he does this sort of thing for a living, but the whole point of the new relaunch, is that this book takes place five years in the PAST, and people don't know that much about Batman, other than the fact that he's something of an urban legend.

So...I don't really see, now that I have had a chance to sit down and think it over...that Hal was necessarily being stupid, because he's never dealt with this person before...in fact, he's quite amazed to discover that he is FOR REAL! Also that he doesn't have any powers. And Hal DOES have powers. Lots and lots and lots of powers. He's young and brash and a bit full of himself. And frankly, why shouldn't he be? He's Hal Fucking Jordan! Hal has ALWAYS had a high opinion of himself. He's handsome, charming, a test-pilot, and he's got the world at his fingertips.

And then this cranky guy in a cape with pointy ears, goes and swipes his ring, and makes him look like an idiot.

Oops.

But you know what? Hal didn't let it bother him too much. He gets the ring back, and immediately, they go off to find Superman for some reason. And he's STILL confident and arrogant and happy. Of course, he immediately gets punched into a building by Superman, but if I know Hal, he won't let that bother him either.

Batman should lighten up a bit.

But I am wondering. If this is in the past, is Hal's older brother Jack still alive? What about good old Uncle Titus? What about Tom and Carol? Is he going to be chasing jailbait like Arisia this time around? Will he continue to get hit in the head? Show off his fabulous fabulous buttocks? Be friends with Barry and Ollie, and watch them fight over who gets to be his bestest bestest buddy? Does the old Yellow problem still exist with the rings? Inquiring minds Want To Know!

As long as he's still flaunting his behind, then I'll be reasonably happy.

This Week's Reviews!

2011-09-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

Man, that was fast! Not a lot of books this week, obviously. Still...it was interesting to say the least.

Flashpoint #5

And so we come to the end of Flashpoint. Evil Flash, aka Thawne finally shows up, and mocks poor Barry, saying that the whole mess was His Fault! Yes, when Barry went back in time to save his mother, it destroyed the entire time line or something. I...find this a bit hard to swallow. It also somehow freed Thawne from needing Barry and the Speed Force, so he was outside of time, and didn't need Barry anymore, so he was free...FREE to kill him! Bwahaha! Luckily, old fart Batman was there, and stabbed him through the back with a big honking sword. I'll bet he didn't see THAT coming! So Barry runs and runs and runs, and talks to his mom, and puts it all back...somehow, but it still isn't quite right...still close enough apparently.

I'm actually put in mind of that Simpsons episode where Homer makes the time travelling toaster, and keeps messing up the time line, and finally gets back, and everything seems normal except they eat with their lizard tongues, and he figures...eh, close enough.

This is why you should leave time travel to the experts! Like Booster and Rip!

But Barry does show up at the Batcave, which seems refreshingly normal and gives Bruce a letter from his Dad, which was actually a rather sweet moment. Barry also seems to be able to remember everything about the alternate time-line, which seems as though they are leaving themselves an "out". Just in case.

This was not my favorite storyline. It wasn't TERRIBLE...but it really wasn't that good either. I just don't really see the point of all of this, but there's nothing I can do about it now, except cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Justice League #1

Here it is! The new NEW Justice League, with a brand new shiny number ONE! So unprecedented! Geoff Johns! Jim Lee!

This takes place apparently five years ago, when Superheroes weren't littering the countryside, the way that they do now. Batman was considered to be an urban myth, and Superman is considered a dangerous alien. In fact, Batman is in pursuit of...something as he and it are being chased by the Gotham City Police. Then Hal shows up, in all of his glowing green glory. Hal is amazed that Batman is real. He's even more amazed that Batman doesn't actually have any powers other than the power of extreme rudeness. Still, they end up joining forces, and go off to Metropolis to look for Superman for some reason.

Hal is young, cocky, arrogant and extremely full of himself. In other words...he's Hal. Batman is back to being surly. Everyone wears collars. Their costumes are unnecessarily complicated. Aquaman, Wonder Woman and the Flash do not show up. Cypborg does, but he isn't Cyborg yet.

It's...ok. Nothing mind-boggling. At least they didn't stand around and look at pictures for four issues. On the other hand, they didn't fight a giant starfish either. Oh, and the villain appears to be from Apokolips. Shocking.

Retroactive: Justice League of America

I believe this actually came out last week, but I just found it yesturday, and it has the Detroit League, and oh, what the heck, it was fun, with Citizen Steel and Aquaman yelling at each other, and Vixen with that gawdawful hairdo, and Zatanna with that thing on her head. Gypsy of all people saves the day, against Felix Faust, and Vibe doesn't do a whole lot. Still...fun in a silly sort of way.

Journey Into Mystery #626.l

I do love this book, but really WHAT is going on with this weird numbering system from Marvel?

Loki summons a Teller, using a half-forgotten spell, and wants basically to know what the rest of the Asgardians think about him. Naturally, with his former life before them as an example, they all think he's a creep, and say so. Poor little Loki. The teller offers to tell him what Thor really thinks of him, but Loki hesitates and declines, and dismisses the Teller. Of course, it isn't that simple, there is always a price for these sorts of things, and the price is Loki's future. Fortunately, Loki's raven went and woke up Thor,who came a'runnin' and saved his baby brother.

Awwww...They're adorable. I've always rather liked Loki, and I like this version even better.

So...an interesting week to be sure.

Last Week's Reviews

2011-08-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit late with these, and I still haven't even gotten completely caught up yet. I feel as though life has been passing me by! Still, there was some very good stuff, and some slightly less good stuff from last week. Basically, it was the final hurrah of Old DC, before the last issue of Flashpoint, and the beginning of the new 52 Universe.

Green Arrow #15

Only made it to fifteen issues, and it will already be starting over. We get the finale to the story of Ollie teamed up with whatshername, fighting that...guy. The crazy one. They blow up quite a bit of Washington DC, but it's all ok, because they catch the bad guy, and Ollie gets to wax a bit philosophical before it all starts over. Not bad.

Retroactive: Green Lantern

This particular issue is the one from the '90's, so naturally it is by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks, featuring none other than Kyle Rayner, and dagnabit, it was fun. I'm not quite sure why Kyle thinks that painting a picture of the "One Punch" moment with Guy and Batman is going to impress Guy, but no one ever said that Kyle was a particularly deep thinker.

Anyway, Who should show up, attacking the satellite of love, but Effigy! And man, is he ever cranky. He even gives Kyle something of a run for his money, and the battle spills down to earth, and Kyle's running out of energy and has to scramble to recharge his battery, but the constructs...oh, the constructs. It was just FUN! And I've always liked Kyle's original outfit the best for some reason. So this was pretty great. I'm still pretty sure that Guy was less than enthused with that painting however.

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13

And speaking of Guy and Batman. Here they are teamed up together again. Guy is relaxing at a ball game, when he gets the word, that doings are a'transpiring, and heads up to a satellite, where he finds a body and Batman. Neither is particularly happy that the other is trespassing on their turf, but they manage to put their differences aside, and work together in a reasonably harmonious manner. Guy is interrogating the suspects on the space station, while Batman wanders around doing whatever it is that he does. Naturally when Bats announces that he's figured out who the killer is, the alarms all go off, not to mention the lasers, which Guy and Bats both take down.

The bad guy takes off in the super dooper space ship, with nefarious plans ready to be carried out, Batman is trying to get the rest of the crew to safety, and Guy has to head out after the villain, who is escaping, and does it...magnificently of course. In fact, he not only catches the bad guy, but he manages to save the space station which was going to fall on top of Opal City, AND save Bats and the crew. And he does it, as always with considerable panache. Then, when the villain is busy sneering, Batman does what he does best, and punches him in the face. Guy is impressed that All It Took Was One Punch.

Heh.

This was one of those books that got better each time that I read it. Not a bad way to go out at all...and a HUGE improvement over the abysmal Green Lantern Corps book from the week before.

Gotham City Sirens #26

Well, we all knew that this merry trio of bad girls would eventually end up at one another's throats. Ivy of course, is awfullly cranky, Selina is sarcastic, and Harley of all people, is the voice of reason. And naturally, they figure it is all Batman's fault. Again, a pretty decent ending to a pretty decent book. It's rather a shame that this little club is being broken up, because although I am quite fond of Selina, there is No Way that I am going to read Winick's sexy sexy sexy take on her. By the way...she's sexy. I can't quite picture Ivy in the Birds of Prey, and I loathe Harley's new outfit in Suicide Squad. I'm willing to give the latter two books chance. But only a chance.

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #3

Oh Hal,you never ever change...not matter what alternate reality you find yourself in. Hal and Carol end up going up against the Amazons, in order to drop the Green Arrow weapon, which naturally, Hal does. In a spectacular fashion. Too bad that he blows himself up with it.

Dang.

Oh Hal.

Retroactive: Justice League of America

Ok, THIS was the book that I was waiting for, with none other than Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire, revisiting my beloved JLI. We have J'onn, we have uncrazy Max, we have Ted as Blue Beetle, and Booster as Booster. We have Guy being a lunatic, and Fire and Ice, and look, Ice isn't swearing at ANYbody! Power Girl and her evil Cat! Oberon, and Scott and Barda! AND the Injustice League, and a bummed out Parademon who is bad at cards. Merriment and mayhem. It...it's all just so much goddamned fun, that I am practically in tears.

Buy this. Buy this and read it and enjoy it.

It is a bit sad that I have enjoyed all of the Retroactive books so VERY very much this month, because without exception they have All Been So Good.

Justice Society of America #54

And here is the JSA's swan song. Gotta love that Darwynn Cook cover. I have been quite depressed about the disappearance of the JSA, until I found out that Robinson and Nicola Scott are going to be doing a new JSA book. It's going to be on Earth Two, but I can LIVE with that, as long as I get my darling old farts. And I love Robinson and I love Nicola Scott, so I'll be happy.

This wasn't bad, if a bit rushed. The evil monster god thing is unleashed and feeding on all of their super energy, there is a bit of blame being passed around, not to mention guilt, Ted gets impaled, but lives through it, and Mister Terrific is back to being...well...terrific. Too bad about Alan though.

Wonder Woman #614

I don't know what I was expecting, but it turned out to be...pretty good actually. Diana defeats Nemesis, takes on her aspect, but manages to defeat it as well, and lo and behold, Themiscyra is back,and the Amazons and even Hippolyta. I LOVE Hippolyta! Diana is just so happy, and yet she knows that something is a little bit...off. I don't care, and neither does she. I am rather looking forward to the new Wonder Woman book, because the Azzarello and Chiang are also wonderful.

So... a pretty good week, all in all. Not a terrible way to go out. I am looking forward to the new books with anticipation and trepidation all at the same time.

Woohoo!

2011-08-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Aaaannd, we're back in business. Ok, that's it, I SWEAR this time, that nobody touches this fershlugginer computer but ME! Arrgghh!

We did manage to weather the Hurricane pretty well. Never lost power, which was nice, although my son and his bride DID, so they kept coming over and taking showers. On the other hand, he made us pancakes for breakfast, and he makes the best pancakes in the world. Lost a fair amount of tree branches and leaves all over the place, but we were very very lucky. Poor Vermont! They got it almost worst than the coast did! The Connecticut River is VERY high, and although we live right along the river, we again were lucky, and didn't have anything but very minor flooding. Too bad if you live on the coast however.

Man, I missed a LOT of stuff. Once I have a chance to get caught up, I'll do my reviews, and all that OTHER stuff, that it is that I apparently do. Hope that everyone ELSE made it through the Hurricane ok!

Gosh...I missed you all.

stupid computer!

2011-08-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know what I did, but obviously, I did something. Have to get it fixed.

Dammit!!!!

Ok, This IS Green

2011-08-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

There were some calls of foul play, when I put up a picture of J'onn J'onnz, Martian Manhunter in all of his greenish glory...except that the picture by Chris Samnee was actually in black and white.

You would think that I would have noticed that. You would be wrong of course, it is uncanny how completely oblivious I can be sometimes.

But today...!

Why it's none other than Fire, and yes, she IS green. In fact I am sensing a theme here. There do seem to be a lot of comic book people either with Green in their name, or green skin, or green costumes, or...or something. Anyway, this is a beautiful picture of Bea, and I blush to confess that I don't know WHERE I scanned it, or I would give the proper credit. But still...very nice. Very nice indeed.