Hopping on the Bandwagon

I'll ask the important question:

When's John Byrne buying his copy?

I mean, this one's a character he actually likes.

(Someday, somone's going to inform me that image is edited and not his real studio, thereby ruining it for me. Until then, I'll believe what I want.)

The Other Spider-Clones

I've never been much of a Spider-Man fan. When I was a kid, I remember excitedly playing the Game Boy game and pouring through the random issue here and there, hungrily learning about his world, but I was just a kid then. At that age, if it involved superheroes, I automatically loved it, and Spider-Man was conveniently available, ubiquitous as he was and is.

Since then, however, my interest in the character has been outstripped by my interest in others. In a sense, it's waned. These days, I have no particular interest in the guy. Whatever interest I do have comes stems solely my love for superheroes in general.

And I think I've figured out why. And it's sorta ironic. In the comics, Spider-Man's plagued by unpopularity, but I think in the real world he's a victim of his popularity.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's idea of an everyman superhero who struggles with relateable problems was such a good one that it's been copied. And copied and copied and copied. These days, relateable superheroes who are like you and me are the norm, not the exception.

The problem is, that was Spider-Man's defining trait, his schtick. But it can't he his schtick if everyone else is doing it, too. And while all those characters who follow in his footsteps having something else going for them as well ("S/he's an everyman AND s/he has this or that gimmick..."), Spider-Man wasn't designed that way. He didn't need to be because at the time the relateability thing was unique. But now it's commonplace, making him just some generic superhero. Forget the Clone Saga, these imitators are the clones that really hurt the character.

Or at least that's my perspective, as someone who admittedly hasn't read too many Spider-Man comics.

Then again, I've heard people use the same argument for why Superman is uninteresting. Supposedly, having been the first superhero, he's just a superhero, while everyone else takes the superhero concept and adds something on top of it. Yet, I like Superman just fine. So who knows?

Flipping Through Superman 662

Oh god, this issue... wow! This comic's back to being my favorite current superhero title. It lost its spot during the small spate of issues between this one and the end of Book 1 of Camelot Falls, but it's back in full swing as of this Wednesday. (Those issues weren't bad by any means, just not up to the same standards as the rest of the current run.) And that's something that makes me happy because this title at the top of its game is very, very enjoyable indeed.

The cover for this issue is very fitting, as this is a "Superman contemplates" issue. In fact, there's only a little action or danger in it. Not that I'm complaining, though, because Busiek handles Superman's inner thoughts very well. The Man of Steel comes off as thoughtful and human.

And this is a dense read too, in a good way. While there's not a lot of forward movement on the plots, at least as defined by "stuff" and events happening to the characters, there's still a lot going on. Looking back, I'm surprised how short (in page count) many of the scenes were because so much story is packed in them.

1: I like how the first caption has a corner shaped like the S-shield, even if it was a little weird, given that not only is it not Superman's thoughts, Superman's nowhere in the scene. Who cares, though; it looked cool.

I think ALL STAR SUPERMAN did something similar on the first caption of its first issue (not that it uses many captions), but it wasn't as prettily designed.

2: Subjekt-17 is looking more white than when we last saw him. I wonder if it's just an art thing or if all his coloration was supposed to be bruising and other injuries from his years of being experimented on, injuries that he's now completely healed of.

I'm curious as to what direction this character is going in. When we last saw him, he wanted to kill humanity because of how much it hurt him; what will he want now?

In addition to updating us on Subjekt's status, this scene also dovetails with the rest of the issue. The way even these isolated Tibetans love Superman ties in with how, as Lois Lane brings up, he's so much a part of the life and culture of DC Earth.

3: I like Power Girl's costume better without the lateral seams.

As far as I can tell with the help of an online Kryptonese alphabet key, the writing on Superman's screens on this page and the next aren't actual words but just there to look cool. Maybe I'm wrong.

The Auctioneer's appraisers didn't have those crystals sticking out of them, did they? That's a nice touch, implying that Superman incorporated sunstone tech into it when he salvaged it so that his computers could remotely control it or whatever.

Interesting that it's just "The Weight of the World," not "Camelot Falls, Part X: The Weight of the World." Up, Up, and Away and Back in Action prefaced the individual issue titles with the arc names.

I suppose this way suits this storyline better. "Camelot Falls" isn't an arc in the same way those stories were. It's not so much the A-plot but the B-plot in the background while Superman is dealing with various A-plots. Regular serial storytelling rather than the more specific arc storytelling.

4: I like that Krypto has a regular doggie bowl, and it even has his name on it in English. Not Kryptonese but English. Even here at the alien Fortress, he carries Clark Kent inside him.

5: I wonder if this Prankster panel was written as a reference to the Prankster spotlight issue, or if this was written first and the Prankster story shaped to include this scene.

6 & 7: When I saw this, I thought for a moment that we were about to get more story taking place in the future Arion showed. The prospect excited me; it was an interesting future.

9: "Dice-K blanks Monarchs 4-0." Ah, a sports reference, something that would leave me helpless but for the grace of Google. Wikipedia tells me he's a Red Sox pitcher. I still don't know what "blanks" means, of course, though I can guess from context.

It was mentioned in an issue of "Up, Up, and Away" that the Metropolis Monarchs are terrible, too.

11: I like Superman's acknowledgment of Jimmy's unwavering support of him. I like small depth-adding details like that.

12: Zatanna's wardrobe choice here is just awkward. I mean, she has a guest over. I think it's from the whole SEVEN SOLDIERS mega-miniseries.

I notice that her hair is solid black rather than the black with grey/blue highlights that Pacheco normally uses for black hair. Did Ryan Sook draw it that way in SEVEN SOLDIERS: ZATANNA?

13: Hey, it's the ARROWMSMITH font! Or something close to it. In Zatanna's backwards spell. In that mini-series (also by Busiek and Pacheco), a similar balloon and lettering was used when spells were verbally cast.

According to Zatanna's 52 bio, Arion is her ancestor. It's a little odd that she doesn't bring that up. Then again, when a man's that old, who isn't his descendant?

15: I'm not clear on whether Sirocco stopped the bullets with that wind-wall thing of his or if he literally caught them à la the Flash.

17: Most people who've heard the phrase "Al-Dabaran" probably know it as the star by that name. What's less well-known is that it's also the name of a seasonal wind that blows through Iraq. Sirocco's usage was probably more of a reference to the second.

18: I liked how Sirocco had a spiel for his fabricated origin all worked out, fancy phrasing and all. "An ifrit of air and might." C'mon Sirocco, people don't just make up phrases like that off the top of their head in the middle of a sentence!

Also, his fake origin is cool enough that part of me wishes it were true.

20: I notice that it's not just Superman's cape that's drifting freely in the water, his hair is as well. Nice touch.

I really like scenes like this, where a superhero's just casually being super. There's a real sense of wonder about that kind of juxtaposition.

Why wouldn't he take a walk at the bottom of the ocean, after all? Shades of SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY.

21: I wonder if the lines Lois is reading are from an actual Three Nitwits story. I know they were scientific inventors in some of their stories.

I think this scene squarely places this issue after the Last Son arc in ACTION COMICS. I'm not reading that book, but I flipped through the newest issue of the arc and think there was a scene where Superman learns Chris's origin. He knows that Chris is from the Zone here, so this takes place after that. And since multiple Zone criminals are loose on Earth by the end of that issue, and they clearly aren't so here...

Oh, and I guess the Jupiter reference means Chris still has his powers. Or does it? Would a Kryptonian kid need naps? It's not impossible.


One of these days, I'll muster the ambition to figure out how to perform the lofty, awe-inspiring task of making a text cut so that these long entries won't hog the screen.

New Earth, New Continuity. Old Confusions, Old Delusions

I couldn't read when the Crisis on Infinite Earths happened. In fact, I'm not sure I had even been born yet. All my knowledge of its aftermath, how continuity was uprooted and finally settled back into place, is indirect.

But what I hear is that it was a complete mess. It was confusing and nobody could make sense of what's what. Today, people are saying the same mistakes are being made with DC's newest version of continuity, the whole New Earth thing.

Well, I am directly witnessing how DC's handling a new continuity this time. And you know what I've concluded? If the continuity changes growing out of the first Crisis were handled the same way as the ones from the newer one are, it's not DC who's made their continuity confusing. It's the fans who make major continuity changes confusing. Them and their weird inability to let go of the old continuity and treat the new one as a separate entity. If the changes were handled the same way, because it's possible there are key differences. Given that the complaints about both Crises seem to be of a similar nature though, I have my doubts.

I keep hearing people making non-sensical complaints that Superman's history is now "confusing." Comparison are made to Donna Troy and Hawkman. What are they talking about? I'm sorry, but there's a difference between confusing and unknown. Not knowing New Earth Superman's history except in the broad strokes makes his history (partly) unknown. I fail to see how it makes it confusing. What is there to confuse it with?

Did New Earth Superman know a Supergirl who was protoplasmic organism? Who cares? Well, no, I can understand why someone would care. It affects much of the character's history, and as fans we're interested in that sort of stuff. Someone who's as much of a trivia hound as myself can't cast stones over that. But not knowing how Superman first met Metallo isn't confusing by any definition of the word.

In fact, the moment information like that is confusing, the writing's failed. Because a new reader won't know if Superman ever met a protoplasmic Supergirl. Will s/he even know a protoplasmic Supergirl once existed? And if a book can't attract new readers, then it might as well give up.

This is hardly rocket scientist. We were all new fans once. Having no idea about the characters' histories didn't keep us from becoming fans sans new. We enjoy newly-created characters despite not knowing their histories at first. "Look, the first issue of that new Astro City book is about some guy named Samaratin. Wait, what? It stars in media res, in the middle of his crimefighting career? Is this Busiek guy crazy? How can we enjoy his story if we don't know his history?"

And we also enjoy works like ALL STAR SUPERMAN, where we don't have any specifics on Superman's past. Did that Man of Steel ever fight Bizarro in the past? We didn't know until the latest issue, where there was a mention of past bouts. Until then, zilch information. And no one minded.

Wait, I have no idea what this Superman's first encounter with Mongul was like! How am I expected to enjoy this story that has nothing to do with Mongul?

This is so obvious that I suspect it's not any real "confusion" that's bothering the people complaining. They're not confused, they're unhappy that the previous continuity no longer applies. (And as a trivia-hound, I completely understand that.) But they understand that's not a criticism with any objective weight. It's just a matter of taste, so they twist it, whether conciously or un-, into something about "confusion."

I think there is a place for genuine complaints about confusion, such as when two books offer contradictory New Earth backstory for a character. But the complaints I keep seeing aren't of that color; the main issue is that the backstory's simply as yet unrevealed.

So now I wonder if Hawkman's continuity post-Crisis continuity ever really was that confusing. Or were the fans simply unwilling to separate it from the old one?

Note 1: The image, from the first issue of the Busiek/Pacheco Superman run, I got from www.newsarama.com.

Note 2: If Blogger allowed repeating a tag within one entry, this one would deserve two.

Not An Entry

Me so glad so many people on Internet use bizarro-speak to review oldest All Star Superman. Doing so am so original and creative. Small number people will think to do so.

The image is from DC's website, at www.dccomics.com.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, WOW!

Yesterday, I somehow got to thinking about the Japanese Spider-Man live action show I heard about some years back. Which got me to thinking that I've never seen so much as a clip of it before. Well, I thought, aren't curious oddities like this the lifeblood of YouTube?

Sure enough:



The face of the actor who plays Spider-Man actually looks a lot like how I'd picture the face of Peter Parker if he were Japanese. Something about the eyebrows, maybe? Or at least the similarity's there when he's wearing his motorcyclist's helmet. When it's off (as can be seen in other clips from the show on YouTube), not so much.

Also:



That's apparently an interview with Stan Lee from the DVD collection of the show.

Maybe I'm being too cynical, but I have to wonder what parts are him being honest and what parts are him being diplomatic.

I especially like his reaction when the off-screen lady tells him, in reaction to his question about what the tiny rocket was, "That's the Spider-Man's car." Look at his face as he takes it in.

John Byrne once related an amusing anecdote about the show on one of the incarnations of his infamous message board. He was visiting the Marvel offices at the same time as some of the Japanese folks behind the show. They showed him either an image or clip of their stuntman in the Spider-Man costume climbing the side of a really tall building. It wasn't a cinematic trick; the stuntman was really climbing.

Not noticing anything along the lines of safety nets or a bungee cord, Byrne asked one of the Japanese men, "What happens if the stuntman falls?" The man looked at him as if he were an idiot and replied, "Then he dies."

Wright-Sized Pull List, 3-28 & 4-4

Updates will be scarce for a while as I work on getting my life back in order.
***
Batman 664
Three Ghosts of Batman
-- Probably my favorite issue of Morrison's BATMAN run yet. I didn't enjoy the Batman and Son arc much -- the inter-family dynamics never surpassed the two-dimensional, it felt to me -- but this was really fun. It's nothing breathtakingly innovative or anything, just a very well-written, strong superhero story. There's nothing at all bad about "just" being that, though.

This felt like Morrison giving his ALL-STAR SUPERMAN treatment to Batman. There was that sense of the story telling us, "This is what I, Grant Morrison, see as Batman being all about," the sense of him checklisting -- and I'm not attaching any criticism to that word -- through the elements that he sees as being definitive Batman.

Even the art seemed better somehow. I've never been much of a fan of either Kubert brother, but this issue clicked for me. That shot of Batman against the neon ads oozed presence.

I'm a little worried about the whole serial-killer-dressed-as-Batman plot. There's the danger of going down the road of cliché there, what with the hero who uncovers serial killings that are being covered up because the killer has pals in high places. No, who I am I kidding? I'm not really worried. After getting so much enjoyment out of this issue, I'm in far too optimistic a mood for that.

One thing..why is the title of this issue what it is? There's the musclehead disguised as Batman, one, and the actual Batman, two... Who's number three?

Fables 59
Burning Questions
-- Argh, my question wasn't picked! Blast it, how can I sleep at night until I know what Beauty's reaction was to finding out Beast had gained control over his transformations!

I'm surprised this issue was enjoyable as it was. I've never associated Willingham's writing with rip-roaring humor. There are amusing jokes throughout FABLES, but I can't recall anything "ha-ha" funny. And the same goes for the stories here really, but it still works. It's a charming "day-in-the-life" affair, giving us some rare glimpses of the normal activities of the characters when they're, for once, not busy keeping their heads above the water. It's not something we see too much of, which is what makes it such a treat.

And the formerly-giant pigs were absolutely adorable.

Gargoyles 3
Clan-Building, Chapter 3: Invitation Only
-- With this issue, we get our first genuinely new story. It's good stuff. It's nice to see Weisman is taking advantage of the comic book medium (e.g. the first page being a splash of the invitation) instead of simply writing TV-episodes-divided-into-panels.

We see a lot of story stands here, not just an A plot and B plot, but all the way to an E plot or something. I'm fan of that sort of diversity, so I enjoyed it.

One of the things I like about the show is that one had no idea what would happen next. Anything and everything was up for grabs, nothing could be taken for granted. From what we see in this issue, it looks like the comic is continuing in that fine tradition.

What does Thailog want? Why does Demona want that crystal? How will the dinner party go? What's Mr. Hacker's real agenda? Who knows! I have no idea, and isn't that great.

Buffy Season Eight 2
The Long Way Home, Part Two
-- As I thought, now that the first issue's set-up is out of the way, the quality spikes up, here in Issue 2.

Given that Andrew never seemed to be more than a well-intentioned-but-ineffective twit on the show, I'm finding it a little bizarre that they'd make him a slayer instructor. What exactly qualifies him for such a task? It did make for a pretty funny scene, though.

I like that, like the show, despite being called BUFFY, this comic is halfway to having a true ensemble cast. We got nice moments with various main characters this issue. The spread focus keeps things fresh.

And the thrill of seeing Whedon telling Buffy stories without the constraint of a SFX budget hasn't died out.

Jack of Fables 9
Jack of Hearts, Part Three: Luck Be a Lady
-- At this point, I'm most interested in what's going on with Mr. Revise and the Pages. The hints about their past and their current goals definitely upped my curiosity and, consequently, my interest. Was that a map of some sort of Homelands counterpart to America? Hmmm.

It's interesting how Revise actually treasts Melissa with something other than mild contempt. Looks like the dynamics over at Golden Boughs aren't as simple as they first appeared.

The parts of the issue about Jack are good, too. Fun. I've said in the past that I think Jack's narration captions are somewhat overdone, but I didn't feel that way this time. For whatever reason, this time around they felt just right.

Still not a big fan of Gary, though. While the way Tony Akins draws the character's "friends" makes for terrific visuals, Gary himself doesn't interest me much. In fact, I'm kind of hoping he won't be a permanent sidekick; his abilities are helping Jack out a whole lot, while I want to see more of Jack worming his way out of nasty situations via his base cunning instead.

Superman 661
Dangerous Lady
-- There seemed to be a disconnect between this issue's art and writing in a way I can't quite put down. The body language and facial expressions of the characters weren't... specific enough? Does that make an ounce of sense?

The real highlight here is the interactions between Lois, Clark/Superman, and Diana/Wonder Woman. There's something very... convincing about it all.

I can't say the story's villain did a great deal for me. I don't find myself eager for her comeback, at least. Still, she serves her purpose well enough, and it's not like she was designed to be someone with staying power instead of a one-timer (or at least I don't think she was).

Also, the way her defeat was illustrated was lacking, in my opinion. The art for those panels conveyed very little in the way of energy or drama.

Overall, this was a decent issue, though below the standards of the rest of Busiek's run so far. (In fairness, this issue was co-plotted.)

A Modnar Noitseuq!

When Zatanna speaks backwards, is the backwards phrase pronounced the way it's spelled or pronounced like the original phrase in reverse? For example, when she says, "Nialliv nrut otni a ekans!", would the e in "ekans" be pronounced or would it be silent because "snake"'s e is silent?

Possibility B seems more logical (yeah, yeah, "It's magic"), but A is more interesting, at least to my mind.

Nif

Roberts-Sized Pull List, 3-21

I'm on spring break right now. If my behavior during winter break is any indication, under normal cirumstances I'd be too busy doing other things to update this blog (which I can do anywhere, including back at the university, after all). However, as it happens, I sprained my ankle yesterday, on the *very first day I returned*. So it looks like I'll be working the typing skills after all.

I only made one purchase at the comic shop last week.
***
The Brave and the Bold 2
The Lords of Luck, Chapter Two: Ventura
-- I came to a realization when I finished reading this: This might just be my new favorite superhero comic. That might be a bit premature only two issues in, but I don't think so. Even though we're in the middle of a multi-issue arc, each issue has been of a fairly self-contained nature, so I think we have a pretty good grasp of what the typical issue will be like already. (Though Waid and Perez could decide to arrange any future arc in an entirely different way, I suppose. I don't know.)

And what is the typical issue like? It's 22 pages of everything one could ask for in a good superhero comic: Imagination brimming on every page (...the Hounds of Chaos!...), clever banter that almost sparkles, artwork so vivid and striking that it comes to life whether you want it to or not. Perez seems especially well-suited for this title because his style is one that can successfully pull off a wide range of settings, from the mundane and gritty to -- well, to something as fantastical as a busy, extraterrestrial Vegas-writ-large.

Okay, so the characterization might not be the deepest. Not all books need it to be, though. And given how plot-focused this series is, it's quite impressive that Waid managed to get in as much of it as he did.

Now, some random observations about this issue in particular:

-I like that the Venturans come in more than one color. Humans do, after all. In fiction, unless an alien race looks exactly like humanity (e.g. Kryptonians), all its members tend to be of only one skin color. When Supergirl's carrying Green Lantern between the spires of Ventura, there's one panel that depicts a *blue* Venturan in the foreground. Actually, this could very well simply be a coloring error. Regardless of the cause, though, what's there is there. It was a nice detail.

-When Green Lantern mentioned Ventura's policy against "chrononauts," did anyone else think the story was leading to the authorities trying to arrest Supergirl for her time with the 31st century-located Legion of Superheroes?

-Perez went to town on his design of Ventura. That's one amazing skyscape. You'd think a place that's Vegas-writ-large would look tacky and gaudy (much like the actual Vegas), and maybe in real life, this sort of scenery would be. On the comic page, though, at Perez's hands, it's amazing.

-The background of the cover seems to contain pictures of characters who'll be showing up in future issues. There's Lobo, Adam Strange, the Venturan who's wielding the haruspex, Blue Beetle, and Batman. In the lower right, cut off by the page edge, we also see Mister Miracle (ah, but which one?). Who are the remaining two images, though? One of them seems to have an antenna sticking up from the right side of his head. At first, I thought it might be the cyborg member of the Fatal Five, but I checked and he doesn't seem to have any such design feature. And the thick arm in the lower left of the cover? Looks familiar, but I can't place it with certainty...


-In the time between reading that the balding guy with frizzy hair was someone on a mission and not just some schmuck and reading that he was a Rannian, my mind went to, "Someone from the 5th dimension?" The hair, it was his hair.

-This is my first real exposure to the new Blue Beetle. Not that there's a lot to go on this issue, but he seems pretty interesting here. And that armor and those wings sure look pretty and striking. I'm getting a Peter Parker-esque vibe from him.

-Hey, are those two Tamaranians in the luxury suite? Would their inclusion constitute... continuity porn? *rimshot*

-The woman who briefly appears in the pages of the Book of Destiny before it gets re-written, should we know who she is? Why else would George Perez draw her looking human when no one else on Ventura does (save the Rannian)... unless she's a pre-existing character?

-I like how despite Green Lantern and Supergirl having power of the pretty much unlimited variety, the plot has them using their brains to try to solve their problems.

O'Grady-Sized Pull List, 3-14

My "pull list" entries always get more hits than my others. This is probably due to people performing Google searches for thoughtful, well-written, educated reviews of their favorite comics and, not finding any, accidentally stumbling here instead.

So, I will plug here my earlier entry about the fan theory about how the Superman appearing in comics for the past fourteen years is a clone. More people finding out about it can only be for the good.
***
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight 1
The Long Way Home, Part One
--I was a bit confused as to the official name of this comic. The letters column says "Buffy: The Long Way Home #2 on sale April 4th," which would indicate it's called BUFFY: THE LONG WAY HOME. The cover points in the same direction. However, all the press and fan buzz I've read labels it "Buffy Season Eight" or some such. And the indicia is on their side. So...?

I was trepidatious going into this because of who some of the writers for upcoming arcs will be. I was a little worried that my worry about the future would keep me from really getting into even the current Whedon-written arc.

My fears were put the rest, though, because I definitely enjoyed this issue. Not to the same extent I enjoyed my favorite episodes of the TV show perhaps, but things are just starting to get cooking here, so some leeway can be given.

Some people are saying it's too slow-paced and Whedon is writing in a way suited for TV but not comics, but I'm not sure about that. Right now, it could go either way really. But I don't think devoting one issue to setting up the current status quo and new threat is particularly outside the norm. Nor should it be. Whedon's first issue of FRAY was similarly uneventful, but by the end that mini-series certainly didn't feel ill-suited for monthly comic format.

All that said, this probably would read better in the trade, yes. But that and reading well in monthly installment format aren't mutually exclusive.

The bottom line is this: I enjoyed it, despite the uncertainty about the title's future that was on my mind.

It's certainly interesting to see Whedon's vision of BUFFY freed from the constraints of budget or the technological limits of sfx.

Fables 58
Big Scary Monsters! Part Two of Fathers and Sons
--I feel sad for Mr. North. I thought this arc would conclude in a family reconciliation, but I guess that's not in the cards. I understand why Snow and Bigby would be disgusted, but I still sympathize with the guy; I keep flashing back to those pleading eyes last issue when he asked Mistral if his son had said anything about him. He clearly wanted to patch things up badly, even if he was too proud to admit it. Instead, all he's accomplished is to turn Snow against him, too.

What can I say, I'm hoping reconciliation's still down the line and that Willingham only delayed it so that it will be that much more meaningful when it comes about.

I like that we're starting to see the cubs come into their own distinct personalities. I have trouble visually distinguishing them when they're in wolf form because some of the colors are rather similar, but that's unavoidable, I think. What's the alternative, green and purple wolves?

All in all, another solid issue.

Superman 660
The Art of the Prank
--Simply splendid. With this issue, the Prankster comes into his own, and a unique niche is carved for him within the Superman mythos. Possibly within the DC Universe as a whole, as well.

(One thing I'm unclear on: Does he actually invent his own technology or come by it through other means? He's a former kids' television show host, so it's a little odd if he's also a scientific genius. Then again, it's not impossible, especially in the context of a superhero story... )

The unconventional way this issue begins really works, really pulls the reader in while simultaneously fitting the Prankster's personality.

Busiek once again puts to use his skill at showing what makes a character tick and how s/he approaches life without being too explicit, unnatural, or obvious about it.

I do have two minor quibbles:

One, at one point the Prankster calls "Nitro G" "Harris," but his real name is something else.

Two,"Nitro G" has superpowers without any explanation where they came from. This is actually a small pet peeve I have with superhero comics in general these days. Lots and lots of them do this sort of thing. For example, I think there was an issue of BIRDS OF PREY a while back that had the heroes infilitrating a prison where, hey, one of the guards just happens to have super-strength.

It's not that there's no explanation that irks me so much as that superpowers is being treated as something commonplace and ordinary. (Edited to add: At this point, I seem to go from commenting on the latest SUPERMAN to launching into a screed that uses the latest SUPERMAN as an excuse to do so. Make no mistake, there's no real review past this point.) I'd rather that not be the case because a large part of the appeal of superheroes for me is that they take place in a world so much like our own. It's the juxtaposition of extraordinary people in such a mundane, ordinary world that does it for me. It's *our* world, with super-happenings thrown on top of it all. A world where an ordinary guy showing up with the power to generate nitroglycerin is so unextraordinary that it doesn't warrant the Prankster even asking, "How did you just do that?" is too far removed from our world, at least for me.

From what little of I've read of Silver Age comics, this wasn't the case in them. Unless it was a book like X-MEN where superpowers around every other corner was part of the premise, there was always an explanation for why the newest villain could fly. It might have been a perfunctory explanation but an explanation nonetheless.

That's the approach I'd prefer. Even if the explanation is as unremarkable as being hit by the Gene Bomb, I'd prefer it to no explanation at all.

But, aagh, I'm going on about something that probably belongs more in a separate entry. Like I said, many, many other comics do the same thing, so I can't be too hard about it. My long-windedness on the topic (all too similar to a rant, I fear) is responding to the trend in general, not the instance of it in this one story.

Image pulled from www.comics.org. What *would* I do without them?

This Is the Story of Superman's Clone...

In the mood for secrets and intrigue?

Here's someone's theory about how the Superman that fans have been reading about for the past 14 years is a clone:

"The theory starts with the modern re-telling of the "Sand Superman" story written and drawn by Walt Simonson. Walt's story was originally meant to be a Superman Annual back in 1989; but the work was shelved due to an editorial decision to focus on the "event annuals" or some such. However, Walt's story was a linch pin in a larger Superman story; and the foundation for that greater story was still set up in the regular Superman titles even though Walt's Annual was not published.

"In 1993, Walt's "Sand Superman" story was finally published as a Superman Special to be released one week before Superman #75 (The Death of Superman). Why such timing? Why release the story as a Special that was severely under-ordered (only around 10,000 ever published)? It was the "Vengeance of Bane" strategy; garner attention and fan recognition by under-publicizing and under-printing the key-stone story to the next big event. Of course, this background is getting a bit ahead of things; let's just examine the story for a second.

"The Walt Simonson "Sand Superman" story was set in 1989 even when published as the "Superman Special" in 1993. The timeline is clear because "fat" Luthor is still walking around with his black-gloved hand; Lois and Clark were not yet dating as shown by their dialogue; etc. The story? Lex Luthor attempts to create artificial kryptonite with disastrous results. Superman arrives on the scene only to be caught in a massive explosion in the artificial kryptonite lab. Superman is thrown a great distance and lands in a sand bank leaving a clear impression of his body in the sand. Superman leaves the sand bank, and the impression in the sand begins to rise and glow. A sand being of some kind has been created as a result of the explosive artifical kryptonite detonation.

"As the story continues, the sand being begins to stalk Superman. With each encounter, the sand being leeches away one of Superman's powers; and with each power leeched, the sand being begins to look more and more like Superman. At first, the colors on the sand creature's costume are very faint; but with each power gained, the colors become darker and more in focus.

"By the end of the story, a powerless Superman has lured the Sand Superman to the Fortress of Solitude. In one last desperate bid, Superman lunges at the Sand Superman and the direct contact causes a massive explosion that collapses the Fortress on them both. The fate of the two Supermen is left in question.

"At the end of the story, Superman flies up to Luthor's office. Luthor asks which Superman this is; and Superman explains that he defeated the sand creature. In a strange bit of wording, Superman reveals that he defeated the sand creature by finally understanding what the creature sought. Superman explains that the sand creature was not trying to take Superman's place; the sand creature was trying to *become* Superman. Superman tells Luthor that this realization is what defeated the sand creature; Superman just gave the creature what it wanted and Superman re-gained his powers as a result. Superman flies away from Luthor with no further explanations; and we're all left to scratch our heads a little.

"However, it becomes interesting when you notice the 1989 time frame and re-read the Superman comics from that period. In one story, Superman falls ill and gains a strange "sandy" appearance; but Superman suddenly rises to his feet and returns to normal when kryptonite is brought into the room to weaken Superman's skin for surgery. The reasoning is chalked up to some kind of "virus" Superman had that the kryptonite killed. The doctors are puzzled by it; no further explanations given.

"In the cross-over story "Time and Time Again", Superman is caught in a massive explosion caused by the temporal equipment of the Linear Men. Superman in turn *absorbs* the temporal power due to the explosion; Superman's costume turns jet black as a result of absorbing this power. Superman finishes out the adventure by traveling from time period to time period by using explosions as a catalyst.

"In another story, Superman faces Blaze and Satanus in hell. Blaze uses a magic axe as a sure way to kill Superman; the axe inexplicably breaks on Superman's chest (his body now seemingly invulnerable to even magic). Superman offers no explanation; he just quips that the axe must not have been as magic as Blaze thought.

"Stories continue where Superman seems to get a power boost after an explosion where his enemies weaken at the same time; Superman is able to fight kryptonite menaces such as Conduit without losing his powers or facing any apparent ill effect (beyond psychological); and then there is John Henry Irons who would become Steel.

"During the original Doomsday story, Superman is desperately trying to stop the engine of destruction as it marches toward Metropolis. Part of that battle occurs under-ground when a gas main is ruptured causing a *massive* explosion with Superman at ground zero. The same explosion shakes the construction sight where John Henry Irons works, and John Henry begins to fall to his death after losing his balance. Superman bursts from the explosive cloud to save John Henry's life; and the panel depicting the rescue shows a strange artistic effect surrounding the arms of Superman and John Henry as they connect.

"During a QVC special at the start of "Reign of the Supermen" (the follow-up to Doomsday and the introduction of Steel), Walt and Louise Simonson specifically showed the above panel to the camera. Walt explained to the host that the effect around the arms was intentional and would be very, very important in future stories; yet we never saw anything else about it. The only thing we saw was a brief glimpse of something strange in John Henry's early appearances. During a gang shooting, John Henry actually chases down a speeding car and rips the roof from the car. It was almost like John Henry had "Superman-like" powers out of nowhere; powers that could have been transferred after an explosion.

"At the end of "Reign of the Supermen", the true Superman returns in his black and silver suit. The true, resurrected Superman is powerless despite being in sun-light; but that is corrected by the end of the story. What happens? The true Superman is blasted with pure kryptonite with the Eradicator acting as a body shield; and Superman regains his powers because of that one act. It was as if the Eradicator had transferred his powers...or as if Superman absorbed them. When Green Lantern arrives on the scene, his ring tells him that massive amounts of kryptonite radiation are present; Lantern even encases the other heroes in a protective bubble to keep the radiation out. What's Superman doing in that room? Superman is flying around enjoying his returned powers; he never notices that the room has kryptonite radiation in it. No explanation ever given.

"At this point, the reveal of the Sand Superman seemed to be racing toward its day as the follow-up to "Reign of the Supermen"; a story so massive and so long in the planning that it would have fans digging through the past five years of back issues to find the clues that had been there all along. So what shelved the story? Marvel Comics.

"It is hard to say how Marvel learned of DC's Superman plans; I often wonder if my unprinted letter to Wizard Magazine outling the above may have been used to tip Marvel off. However, Marvel (as in most cases) wanted to beat DC to the punch; and the Spider-man Clone Saga was half-baked overnight to be rushed to the printers. With the Clone Saga in full swing (and fan reaction very mixed), the Sand Superman reveal was shelved...but not killed.

"A few years later, the big DC event "Final Night" hit stands as our sun was eaten thus leaving the earth to freeze to death. During this small time without sunlight, Superman even lost his powers completely; but Superman's powers did not return when the sun came back. Why? Well, what happens to a car battery that's drained...you need to jump start it. Brainiac 5 tries using intense yellow sunlight as the logical thing to jump start the Man of Steel; the sunlight has absolutely no effect. Superman needs some other source of power to jump start him.

"Superman's quest to regain his powers led to a battle with an alien electrical being in the arctic; the electrical being was killed in a massive explosion with Superman present. Superman miraculously survived the explosion without having his powers back. Shortly afterward, Superman began having powers again...electrical powers. The same electrical powers the alien had before the explosion.

"Superman's traditional powers eventually return through some kind of magic hoo-doo at the end of the Millenium Giants story; and things rock on again as normal. Then comes DC One Million. In DC One Million, Grant Morrison presents a future in which Superman wanders the universe for a number of centuries. Superman returns to earth having absorbed over a dozen new powers...his costume now darkened...sound familiar?

"The fact is that DC has never killed the hidden Sand Superman angle; clues continue to be planted. Even in the wake of Infinite Crisis, we had the exact same situation as "Final Night". Superman has "the sun knocked out of him" and loses his powers for a year due to lack of something to jump start him. Yellow sun-light is tried; yellow sun-light has no effect. It is not clear what catalyst gave Superman back his powers One Year Later; but Luthor was collecting a massive amount of kryptonite in the city...

"So there you have it; food for thought. I see the Sand Superman as needing two catalysts. Explosions (such as what created the Sand Superman) ignite the power absorption process; Kryptonite (a key ingredient in the Sand Superman) amps up the power held inside the Sand Superman creature (much like feeding a spark into a flame). All of the clues still fit even today; and DC could split the Sand Superman story wide open any time they want.

"But where is the real Superman who hasn't been seen since 1989? His body is where we last saw it...perfectly preserved in the frozen remains of Superman's original Fortress of Solitude. The interesting thing is to remember the timing, though. The Superman frozen in the arctic was from before Lois and Clark began dating. The true Superman never married Lois Lane...only the Sand Superman did."

I of course do not believe this person's theory for a second. Still, it's fun to think about in the same way a conspiracy theory is. "What if..." And the idea that Superman all this time has been some freakish sand abomination does has an appealing creepiness to it, doesn't it?

And hey! Speaking of freakish abominations.... Worst school librarian ever:

"As an elementary librarian in a public school, I would not choose to spend my limited funds on Goosebumps. The kids do love them. I have read them and find them uninteresting, not at all engaging. When I took this job in the fall, there were a total of 6 copies of Goosebumps in the inventory. They are always checked out and I keep hoping that they will be lost. One has been...hooray! I will not replace them, nor do I intend to buy more."

Laura Manthey. Kindly go and find another job.

Assuming they haven't already fired you.

Image taken from www.comics.org.

Escape from the Negative Zone

Recently, I've been trying to avoid being too negative here in my entries. After all, the reason I tried to curtail my web-surfing in the first place is because there was just so much negativity online. It was around every electronic corner, it felt like. And I'm not just talking on comics-related websites. I'm talking about everywhere.

I wanted to avoid being too negative, but it turns out that's easier said than done. There have been numerous occasions recently where I thought of something that I wanted to put down in an entry, only to quickly realize that it was just another instance of me complaining about something comic-related. And I don't want my blog to go down that road because what's the point of retreating from negativity if I'm just going to dwell on it myself? Really, that this is happening just shows that I ran screaming from it all too late. It's infected me.

So, yeah, I'm trying to focus more on the positive, but it's hard. I find it difficult to express what I enjoy and why I enjoy it at anything beyond the shallowest level. I have this (perhaps irrational) fear that looking too deeply into the subject will end up diminishing my enjoyment. You can never again be awed by the Great and Powerful Oz once you've seen the man behind the curtain, you know?

Bottom line: It's much easier to be negative, which is probably why it happens so much more.

That's why I'm happy to list here in this entry two comic-related items that made me quite happy. Hopefully, this entry will function like a glass of water to wipe my palate clean.

Oh, I'm sorry. That's far too much preamble for an entry in which I'm doing little more than mentioning two news items, one of which is pretty old by this point. Sorry.

Item One:
From an interview with Kurt Busiek in which he mentions some of his plans for SUPERMAN:

"So I'd say there are long-term plans there, yeah. As for sharing them, well, I like to surprise people. So I'll just say that there are plans for Third Kryptonians, bottle cities, Perseus Hazard and Squad K, the Young Gods of Supertown, the Insect Queen, the Beast From Krypton, the Origin of Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang saving LexCorp from bankruptcy, Superman at the World Series, the Batman/Chris Kent team, the asteroid belt, Lois's cousin, Krypto's new master and lots more. "

All right!

You know you're enjoying a title when even something as plain as the phrase "the asteroid belt" gets you excited and your imagination firing. I'm loving the current SUPERMAN so much that Busiek could have said/written, "Superman punches someone," and I'd still have gotten hopped up.

I really shouldn't be reading stuff like this given how much of a spoiler-phobe I am, but oh well...

Item Two:
Alan Davis is currently working on a CLANDESTINE mini-series, one that will be the first of a series of mini-series.

For me, CLANDESTINE is just one one those series. I can read it over again and over again... and over again. When I begin reading my well-worn trade, I have to eventually force myself away from the pages because if I don't, I won't stop till I finish the last page.

My first encounter with these was wonderful characters was a copy of the TPB in a bookstore. First, I was casually flipping through it; soon, I'd moved to reading in earnest; and by the time I got home, I was in trouble with my parents for staying out so late.

I'm too lazy to find the Newsarama article that announced its return, but I can provide a link to a pencil preview page from Tom Brevoort's blog. I'd put up the image directly, but Marvel's site doesn't enable that, the sly foxes.

Kudos to Marvel for going forward with this series. Given that Davis is on exclusive contract, you'd think they'd want him working on "name" projects while they have the chance. Maybe they realize how much potential the series has? Not an unlikely possibility, given its quality.

Dane-Sized Pull List, 3-7

I haven't been updating as much as I'd like. I'll have to fix that.

I left the comic shop with two purchases cette semaine.
***
Fantastic Four: The End 6
-- A disappointing finale for the latest of Marvel's THE END series. There were a number of things that felt off here --
a. Galactus's sudden arrival to save the day. Technically, it's not a deus ex machina because it was foreshadowed, but it's dangerously close to one.
b. Reed's odd insistence that time travel can't change the past. Obviously, the very premise of the THE END books points to a less-than-strict adherence to past continuity. Still, a change this big bugs me in a way I can't pin down. (Edited to add: On second thought, maybe it's not that big a change; there had to be some reason they never used time travel to save the day, right?)
c. For a THE END story, there's not much of a sense of finality to this tale.

I'm not sure how much water that last criticism holds. Obviously, mistaken expectations can have a negative effect on one's enjoyment of a story, but how much of the blame for mistaken expectations falls in a writer's lap?

I don't regret buying this because it's page after page of beautiful Alan Davis art. I do regret that the writing wasn't by the same Davis who gave us KILLRAVEN, JLA: THE NAIL, not to mention every single CLANDESTINE story the man ever put out. Those three works were enough to solidify his place as one of my favorite mainstream writers, despite how little of his oeuvre I've read. Unfortunately, this six-parter wasn't up to their admittedly high standards.

I will say that the Dragon Man being a member of the future Avengers was cool, though.

Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 2
Mary Takes The Cake!
-- I said in my comments for the first issue that I found it disappointing. Well, now this is more like it.

Things start out a bit slow, with a couple of scenes that aren't particularly bad but not especially good either, simply... there. However, from the moment the alligator men stage their reptilian revolution onwards, it's nothing but grade-A entertainment, with a deft balance between humor and drama.

I prefer my plotlines to be more complex (and no, by this I do not mean more adult or darker) than what we have here, but it's still a delightful read.

And the new Talky Tawny, née Tawky? Rocks. (And face it, in its own way, this is as radical a revamp as anything Judd Winnick is doing over in TRIALS OF SHAZAM.) I'm a bit of a sucker for talking, intelligent animals who -- and here's the important part -- still look like completely normal animals.

Now that I think about it, Waid and Perez should do a Krypto/Smith's Talky team-up in a BRAVE AND THE BOLD issue. It'd be neat to see how Perez handles an entire issue where the two protags are both four-legged animals. Oh wait, my mistake; it was Alan Moore's Radar, the Hound Supreme, who talked and thought.

DeMara-Sized Pull List, 2-21 & 2-28

Well, midterms are over (four in a single week, grumblemumble), which means I can get back to updating this blog instead of doing something useful with my life.
***
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 49
Gate of Shadows, Part Two: Dreams of the Fisherman
--And the last issue of Busiek's Aquaman turns out to be my favorite one. Does that count as some sort of irony? I'm not sure.

I have to say, this is the first story I've read in my life that features a demonic, talking manta ray. Really cool. I already like the new Fisherman more than what little I've read of Aquaman's regular foes, Black Manta and Ocean Master.

The Fisherman's dream flashbacks were really well executed. There's a slight chaotic quality to it all that fits wonderfully given his/its confusion, and the narration is well-written. Even the lettering's tops here.

The Brave and the Bold 1
The Lords of Luck, Chapter One: Roulette
--The alien's weapon is called a *haruspex*? As in the kind of fortune teller who sees the future in animal entrails? I wonder if that's a clue or simply Mark Waid having a little fun. The name does fit in a way, I suppose.

I remember reading an old Waid interwiew in which he mentioned that one of the most useful writing tricks for him was to, when out of material, take two disparate characters and get them interacting with one another. If so, no wonder this comic was so enjoyable. The man must have had lots of experience at this sort of thing. The Batman/Green Lantern back-and-forth was candy to my mental ear.

Oh, wow, that last sentence is gibberish. Anyway...

And make no mistake, this story was indeed "so enjoyable." Between a Waid at the top of his game, and Perez, who is never *not* at the top of his game no matter what he works on, this was a must-buy.

I suspect Roulette's actually in cahoots with the Venturans.

Kamandi Archives, Volume 2
--Ha, I wish. This is what I would have bought if I wasn't broke. I've bought a large number of KAMANDI issues from the back issue bins and it's great wild, unpredictable fun. Better than Jack Kirby's Fourth World stuff, I say.

Alas, alas, alas.

Superman 659
Angel
--Well, I guess they can't all be home runs. Of all the issues of SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS Kurt Busiek has written or co-written so far, this is the weakest. That's not nearly as damning as it sounds, though, because Busiek's Superman had until now been consistently excellent. This issue is merely good instead of the series's usual great.

When it came to this story, my own biases betrayed me. When I saw Barbara Johnson's devoutness, I assumed we readers were supposed to think of her as some trouble-causing nutso psycho. It wasn't until towards the end did I realize that, wait a sec, she's meant to be a positive portrayal.

Jack of Fables 8
Jack of Hearts, Part Two: Heaven or Las Vegas
--I think this book is really hitting its stride.

I still think Jack's narrations are overdone and that, if they were cut by 50%, his personality would shine through just as well without becoming just slightly tedious. Well, "shine" might not be the best word, given that it's Jack we're dealing with, but you know what I mean.

Agh, I don't want to come off too negative. This was a good read, possibly the best in the series so far. Everything in this series has this sort of quirky edge to it that you can't help but enjoy.

The sequence of the car explosion and its aftermath, including the twist at the very end, was great. Very well-done on both the writing and art front. For a moment, we get convinced that Jack actually has a heart, and then -- ha! Oh man, that smile -- that smile! The thing of it is, I wouldn't have thought him capable of even this little amount of grief, so the events still managed to make him more sympathetic in my eyes, even if only ever so slightly.

Runaways 24
Live Fast, The End
--Yet more confirmation for me that Vaughan's writing reads better in trade paperback collection format. This issue simply feels like it'd have been a lot more enjoyable if read shortly after the previous issue rather than a month afterwards.

Actually, has this series been managing to come out monthly? I haven't been keeping track of that sort of thing, but it feels longer in-between issues for whatever reason.

The issue suffers from a bit of finale-itis, where the loose ends wrap themselves up in quick, neat manner that comes off a little forced. But again, that might be an effect of the single issue format. Or it might not; I'm not sure.

Still fun, though. And Alphona's art is great as always.

The Eagle, the Bat, the Thunder, the Dreamer: Marvelous Edition

A hilarious banner currently adorning the top of the comicboards.com's Avengers Message Board can be found here.

It's the work of a poster named Hellion.

***

On a completely separate note, I've become addicted to scans_daily. This is really not good.

Fandom Is Fandom Is Fandom

I mentioned some time back that I'm enrolled in a small two-unit class about the children's book series ANIMORPHS (and I have no idea how the facilitators managed to get such a course approved, but they are my new favorite people for it). Well, the class sort of reignited my passion for the series, a passion had settled into dormancy over the years, so I checked out the Animorphs Livejournal community. (Bear with me, this is tangentially related to superhero comics.)

Why, oh why, did I do that? What do I find there but the exact sort of obsessed fan behavior as in comics fandom? Why am I even surprised? I've been around the Internet enough to know this sort of behavior makes its home wherever there are a large number of devoted fans. I should have known.

Who was it who first attached the phrase "inflated sense of self-entitlement" to fandoms. Whoever did was spot on. And I'm finding it among the crazier Fandalites* too, as I see comment after comment decrying ANIMORPHS author K.A. Applegate for *gasp* passing the series over to other writers.

Gah, obsessed crazies are all the same, no matter where you go.

*I invented this term for Animorphs fans just for this entry. Anyone who read the series will get the reference. I was proud of myself for all of five seconds before I realized it doesn't sound all that good. It just rings odd to my ears.

The Non-Fan's Perspective: WONDER WOMAN

I've decided that the term "non-fan" is clunky and I don't like it. But I can't think of any ready alternatives. I've heard "civilian" tossed about here and there, but that sounds vaguely creepy, like I'm part of some weird comic fan militia. And it doesn't help that it seems to be a pet word of John Byrne's. So "non-fan" it stays, I guess.

Well, anyway, for the week under discussion in this installment of The Non-Fan's Perspective, the class read WONDER WOMAN: GODS AND MONSTERS.

Conversation that occurred in the minutes before class:
SOME GUY: Are there any Political Science majors in this class who are going to completely tear into this book?
SOME OTHER GUY: Actually, I'd think if anyone would have issues with this book, it would be Classics majors.

Ah, good times, good times.

Surprisingly, the overall reaction to this TPB was positive; the class liked it for the most part. I'd have thought Greg Potter and Len Wein's wordiness would be hard to get into for non-fans.

I was also surprised when a few people opined that the gorgeous George Perez art was only mediocre (as one person put it, "eh") but, as I quickly realized, I shouldn't have been. I remember that when I first encountered his style (in his run on Avengers with Kurt Busiek), it left me lukewarm, too. Yeah, it was detailed, but so what, I thought. That didn't automatically make it good.

These days, I see that the level of detail is only the tip of the iceberg as far as the merits of Perez art go, even if it's the trait the fans harp on the most.

These days, I love it. But for whatever reason, I didn't when I first saw it. I guess it's just one of those styles.

The first several students to criticize GODS AND MONSTERS (all men) all prefaced their comments with something along the lines of, "I like Wonder Woman, but..." This was odd, as similar disclaimers where nowhere to be seen when the class discussed other characters. One of the facilitators totally called it when he said to the class, "No one's going to think you're some horrible misogynist just because you don't preface your comment with that." After that, it stopped.

The facilitators asked the Classics majors in the room for their opinion of the portrayal of Greek myth in the book. But it turns out either there weren't any or, if there were, they chose to remain silent.

However, a bunch of students who were not Classics majors chose this point to object to the portrayal of Herakles. They didn't like how unheroic he was here, how he was a villain of the piece.

What the heck. Who would have thought Hercules had so many fans among American college students. Is this the work of Kevin Sorbo or something?

The facilitators said that they had originally wanted to include more trade paperbacks starring woman superheroes in the course (GODS AND MONSTERS was the only one), but they found that most of them starred reformed or borderline supervillains. They felt there was a disturbing message buried underneath that, an implication that a woman needs a man to "set her straight," so they didn't include add of those characters to the reading list.

Is this true? I was going to, at this point in the entry, pull up both DC and Marvel's shipping lists for this month (and make no mistake, the course basically did limit its purview to the Big Two) to look for this trend. But it's getting late, so I'll edit it into this entry tomorrow. Or go through it in a separate entry.

Anyway, the facilitators then brought up the Women in Refrigerators website, explaining the whole thing. None of the fans in the class tried to refute it, though one guy argued the portrayal of women in comics was getting much better, citing Wildstorm and Image as groups he felt were particular trailblazers in this area. His examples of specific titles? Fathom and Gen13. And possibly one other I'm forgetting. Anyhoo...

Oddly enough, the facilitators had no idea Gail Simone was a comicbook writer. ("I think she's a journalist," one of them said.) This is especially odd when you consider that they almost certainly found out about Women in Refrigerators from the Internet, and even the most cursory of web searches would turn up the fact that Simone writes comics. In fact, I just typed "gail simone" (*without* the quote marks) into Google. The first result is a Wikipedia entry, and right below it are the words, "Gail Simone is an American writer of comic books..."

Like I said, weird.

The discussion about the portrayal of women in comics drifted to one about racial minorities in comics. Again, nobody tried to refute.

Urban Dictionary: Do Not Want

So a while back, I found myself looking up superhero names on www.urbandictionary.com. All I have to say is, dear god, what is wrong with some people? Anyone who snickers at Wikipedia should go look there to see just how much of a mess an information source anyone can edit can be.

Take their definitions for "superman" for example. Here's the first listed:

The world's most recognizable superhero.
"It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Superman!"

The stuff in italics is their example of usage in a sentence.
As you can see, things start out ordinary enough, but don't be fooled. What follows is only some of what we'll find if we make the unarguably foolish decision to read further. Be warned, those who don't find the language offensive will still assuredly find the content to be so.

When you fuckin' have a hard on after you wake up in the morning because you gotta pee and the only way you can relieve yourself without pissing all over the bathroom is to put both hands on the wall in front of you and then lift your right or left leg so that you penis can point straight down into the toilet bowl...and release
I accidentaly knocked your toothbrush over with my leg when I superman-ed this morning.

A major dick. That's really all there is to say about it.
If I was Superman I'd go to the scene of a major tragedy and just stand about not helping anyone for the fun of it.

a massively overpowered loser who is invincible and is able to easily escape the pull of a blackhole yet gets his ass handed to him by a person with no superpowers. wtf dc?
superman, right after stopping a giant meteor in midspace, just got knocked out by one punch from some random thug. goku would kick that thugs ass.

When a female is on top of a male during sex, and the male thrusts up and down at an extreme speed. During a Superman the female usually does not move whatsoever.
That Superman I gave you really tired me out Sally.

If urbandictionary.com is to be believed, there are half a dozen different sex moves all called "superman." To get an idea of just how awful it all is, this is the *least* disturbing one.

The worlds greatest Superhero. No as relevant nowadays as he used to be, but will be forever remembered and will probably be to future generations what Greek gods are to us today. His S symbol is more known than the peace symbol worldwide. Embodies the concept of the Superhero, and apart from Batman and Spiderman has no competition in terms of public admiration. Has much in common with Jesus Christ, i.e- sent from a far away heavenly place by his father to aid and save humanity. Died and was resurrected. Sells millions in merchandise a year and hundreds of thousands of comic books. Outdated somewhat today, but forever will be remembered and esteemed as the first god of the comic medium.
"Superman is the first true superhero..."

Just a little overboard, y'know?

greatest hero ever, and can kick thors ass
superman is cool

superman is a game that kewl people play in high school in which you are not allowed to say anything that begins with an S. if you do, you are allowed to get hit as many times as possible until you say "superman". then the hitting stops.
"Superman" Is Actually A Pretty Fun Game To Play!

The worlds cheapest superhero, Anyone could make him up.
Superman never gets his ass kicked, o i crave a kryptonite bullet!

a character in DC comics who people think is cool, but in all reality it a total fag.
superman is the gayest thing since gay came to Gay Town

So. Yeah. Here's "batman":

1. Normal ordinary man, originally the best super hero with no super powers, but can still fight crime and beat supervillians with just his fist and gadgets (i.e. shark repellant, suction boots etc.)
If a normal guy joined the justice league, Batman says, "He can't join, he doesn't have any super powers!!" Then superman would say to him, "Doesn't he Batman? Doesn't He? No Super Powers??"

Batman is quite possibly the greatest superhero ever created.
Batman is a great superhero because he has no lame superpowers like Superman or Spider-Man. Instead Batman is just a rich guy in a cool costume.

When somebody enters or exits near you without you knowing they were their like how batman exits in the comic
-Holy sh*t, you just pulled a batman.-Where did he go? he always does a batman

Hardass comic book character created by Bob Kane.... Who is unfortunatley riddiculed on www.urbandictionary.com with moronic definitions.
Your innuendo isn't even funny.

batman : verb = to get someone in a first person shooter, like halo or counterstrike, by quickly yet carefully landing on top or next to them FROM UP ABOVE (like batman would) and killing them in one shot/kill , or a maximum of two seconds. It has to be done quickly, becuase batman gets kids like that.
"I just batmaned the $*#! out of that guy with my energy sword, AND HE DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT COMING!!!!"

The ultimate superhero, one that manipulates his enemies' fear and uses stealth and intimidation and intellect to succeed, and does not need butthole Superman powers to survive.
A few reasons why Batman is better than Superman:- Does not need dorky glasses to conceal his identity- Does not need to struggle with women (i.e. Lois Lane) to gain their affections- Heir to a powerful conglomerate- Raised in a mediocre city called Gotham and not by corny farm folk in Smallville

In contrast to Superman, there are only two sex moves named after him.

"wonder woman":

verb transitive, to dress up like Linda Carter in the famed wonder woman television series sporting a golden lariat and tie ones partner up forcing him to tell the truth and having sex with him.noun, the act of dressing up like Linda Carter in teh famed wonder woman televisino series sporting a golden lariat and tieing ones partner up forcing him to tell the truth and having sex with him.
Hey Gladice, I wonder womaned jimmy last night.
No way Sylvia, why? I thought you didn't like jimmy.
Some lady paid me 500 bucks.
Is that the going rate for the wonder woman these days.

I'd go on, but at this point I find I've reached my fill of idiocy. I can't take anymore.

urban dictionary:
Purportedly an online dictionary of slang, in actuality a pig pen for thoroughly unpleasant children in adult bodies where these jackasses can give play to their misogyny and homophobia.

Farr-Sized Pull List, 2-14

One of these days, I'll actually update this blog in the *middle* of a week again.

Only one comicbook purchase this week.
***
Batman 663
The Clown at Midnight

Well, you have to give Morrison points for effort, at least.

Unfortunately, this attempt at a story off the beaten track completely fizzles out towards the end when the new Joker is unveiled. Meet the new Joker... same as the old Joker? The story builds and builds to this point, only for it to turn out to be much ado about nothing. If Morrison does have ideas about how the new version of the Joker differs from the old, they're not made evident in this issue. And they really need to be for it to be effective. As things are, it's rather anticlimactic, really. What, he's *more* psychotic now? That's like making water more wet.

I see that some folks online are wondering whether this new version of the Joker will stick around or be reverted to the status quo. Well, how will they be able to tell the difference? Outside of his relationship to Harley Quinn, that is.

That said, there's plenty to recommend here if you get past the anti-climax. Morrison's prose is quite evocative, and he turns many a pretty phrase. His use of simile and metaphor is... well, it's utterly bizarre, really. But whether intentional or not, it fits the world it's describing. It lends Gotham a touch of the outlandish and surreal that feels right at home in a world where a man dressed in a bat costume engages in life-and-death struggles with costumed, larger-than-life criminals.

In general, I found the writing much better when it was setting mood or describing setting than when it was actually moving forward plot.

The Van Fleet art is, unfortunately, not my cup of tea at all. People and objects have the same overly smooth, stiff quality that I can't stand in online Poser fanart. The art on the first few pages was quite good, though.

Also, at some points the pictures don't seem to match the text. For instance, the Joker is described as removing the gauze surrounding his head with a scissor, but the art depicts him using a scalpel. And later, where Batman dives at him, we see glass trailing the Dark Knight, as if he leapt through a window. But the text indicates they were standing the same room. So where did the glass come from? Admittedly, these are minor points, though.

The Non-Fan's Perspective: THE HULK

This time, it's all about Week I've-lost-count of the Superheroes in Comics course, for which we read THE INCREDIBLE HULK: RETURN OF THE MONSTER.

When the facilitators gave a brief, streamlined run-through of the Hulk's publishing history, they understandably tried to keep things simple by entirely avoiding the topic of his multiple incarnations. Then, they raised the floor for questions, at which point the following scene occured:

Man raises hand
FACILITATOR: "This better not be a question about the other Hulks."
RAISED HAND: "It's not."
FACILITATOR: "Okay."
RAISED HAND: "What's the story behind the grey Hulk?"
FACILITATOR: "I just told you not to ask that!!"

And in case any of you are the type who can't stand a story incomplete, the questioner, if I recall correctly, responded with, "I didn't know he was one of the other Hulks!" Interpret that as you will.

Opinions about this trade were amibivalent and mild, decidedly an overall "Eh."

There was some discussion about whether Bruce Banner's efforts to escape capture by the military are heroic or moral, given that there's the danger of a Hulk rampage as long as he's free. All of the arguments in the character's defense were offered somewhat uncomfortably, and there was significant support behind the idea that no, he in fact is not acting morally.

I couldn't find much in the way to justify his behavior myself, which surprised me because I've never considered Banner's behavior to be unethical before. This led me to wondering why that was, why I've been rooting for the poor, pressed-on guy all this time... and it came to me: In the past, the Hulk never killed any innocent people. Well, he never did that in this one TPB either, but the facilitators had mentioned how later trades firmly painted the red on his hands.

And that changes everything.

Which lights the way to my opinion that the Hulk as a character simply doesn't work if he's killed anyone of the non-villain variety. Once he's done that, the reader can't root for Bruce Banner anymore, not if he stays on the run, consequently knowlingly putting lives at risk. When the tanks edge in and surround the Hulk, something's wrong if it's the tanks the reader is championing. But enough; I don't want to side-track. The title of this entry's The Non-Fan's Perspective, not APLOMB's Perspective.

There were a lot of laughs when the facilitators mentioned that the Doc Samson character, like his Biblical namesake, wields strength dependant on his hair length. This reaction, too, surprised me. Is it really much sillier than the rest of the wacky science found in superhero comics? Apparently... yes?

Oh, and it'll come as a surprise to no one, I'm sure, that most of the students did not know of the existence of any version of the Hulk beyond the simple-minded, green one. This even went for, surprisingly enough, one young man who could recite chapter and verse for all the Marvel books that contain X somewhere in their title. I mentioned him far back in my first entry of this series. This guy knew in his heart the *Summers* *family* *tree*. One time, someone asked him whether the character Havok ever had his own series, and I heard firsthand as he went into a thorough answer involving the words "leader of X-Factor" and "Mutant X" and god knows what else. I don't keep track too much of Marvel's mutant fiefdom, but he sounded like he knew the stuff but good. Hunh.

And... fin. The next entry will be up sooner or later, and I proclaim its topic WONDER WOMAN: GODS AND MORTALS.

He Used to Only Leap

Out from the depthless mists of time -- part of an old message by Peter David on the Newsarama boards:

"And if Spider-Man had had a stinger come out of his wrist back in the 1960s but no spider-sense, and "The Other" introduced an uncanny ESP ability warning him of danger, you would be leading the howl of protests as to how stupid that was while no one would be saying boo these days about the stinger. And you know it, so don't waste anyone's time saying otherwise."

That last line is so true. I swear, if everyone in online superhero comics fandom had to read this message before posting, half of its activity would dry up. And good riddance.

Lang-Sized Pull List, 2-7

Anyone reading this entry should keep in mind that I was studying for an exam very late into the night the day before I read this week's purchases. As a result, I read the following comics when I was in a state of severe drowsiness. Why did I do that?

The following pseudo-reviews come with the disclaimer that, the state I was in, a comic could have contained the secret to world peace and everlasting happiness and I would have still thought, "Meh." These pseudo-reviews are probably overly critical.
***
Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil 1
Chapter 1: Yroob Szh Z Hvxivg!
-- The art... the art in this is just great. Even with eyelids half-closed, I was cognizant of that. It's charming, pretty, expressive. It's great. That goes for Jeff Smith's linework and Steve Hamaker's colors both.

Unfortunately, the plot isn't the artwork's equal. It's not awful or anything. In fact, it's pretty good. But only *pretty* good. There's just something lacking; I can't really explain.

I mean... the story's called "The Monster Society of Evil," so I guess I expected to see monsters. Instead, this issue is dominated by a re-telling of Captain Marvel's origin. That isn't necessarily bad, but I just feel there's something... perfunctory about the execution. It covered the bases but not with enough flair to make me go, "Wow." There's a lot of charm in this book, but it radiates from the art much more than the plot.

Astro City: The Dark Age, Book Two 2
The Out-of-Towners
-- Wow, this was a meaty read. A lot happens in this issue, a lot gets thrown into the mix. By the last page, there's quite the number of threads being juggled. Good stuff.

While the reveal about the Pyramid (P.Y.R.A.M.I.D.?) rep is on the predictable side, I can't really mind because it adds an interesting complication to the Williams's lives, one I'm eager to see play out in whichever manner it will. How will they choose to respond?

And the two-page spread of dossiers: just plain cool. Twins somehow born to separate mothers... I just love bizarre stuff like that. The attention to detail is part of what makes this series so enjoyable (and, I suppose, part of how Busiek makes even the most outlandish of events feel genuine). It's also one of the most infuriating (in a good way) things about ASTRO CITY, because the nature of the series makes it so that such information gets doled out very slowly. We know all this backstory and history is out there somewhere, but we can't get at it; we can only get snatches here and there. Not that I'm complaining; I'd rather get stories than info for the sake of info. But this is why I'm crossing my fingers that the remaining character specials will focus on super-people we already know about rather than new folks.

The Apollo Eleven are a great visual. Not only is this Ross cover something I can't take my eyes off, Brent Anderson does a great job with them inside as well. They're so... otherworldly.

Fantastic Four: The End 5
-- This limited series could have used more issues, in my opinion. It's starting to feel rushed. Threats get established, but are than hastily resolved in a rather perfunctory (there's that word again) manner.

The series overall is a fun, engaging romp, but this issue felt lacking.

Still, there were some nice character moments , and it's Alan Davis on pencils, so it looks gorgeous.

Detective Comics 828
Sharkbite
-- For a moment there, I was seriously wondering if Dini was going to have Batman pull out the bat-shark-repellant (guaranteed to be the most effective at repelling bat-sharks, you betcha) as an in-joke.

Yet another solid issue by Dini and Kramer that keeps the pages turning. I'm really liking the Riddler as a law-abiding detective. His interactions with Batman have a lot of snap to them.

Curiosity's Colors

Here's something weird.

IGN.com's put up an interview with Mark Waid. Go there and ye shall find six never-before-seen pages from the upcoming premiere ish of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. Now read them. Within their panels, the fact that Green Lantern's no longer vulnerable to yellow is mentioned not once but twice. Heck, it seems to be a marginally important plot point.

So why does he keep attacking the yellow monster by using his ring to hurl bat-memorabilia at it, by attacking it indirectly, like he'd do if the vulnerability was still extant?

Were there some last minute changes to the script?

An even better question, why am I writing about something so trivial? Mmm.

That said, those pages are looking like good stuff. I know I'll be making the purchase.

Also, I provide the following note in a sad bid to increade my fan-cred: I was originally going to name this entry "I Am Curious (about Yellow)." But I realized the famed Lois Lane story was actually called "I Am Curious (Black)." I was confusing it with "I Am Curious (Yellow)," the film its title was a riff on.

Choi-Sized Pull List; 1-17, 1-24, & 1-31

Well, it's been a while since the last run-through, so there's some catching up to do.
***
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 48
Gate of Shadow, Part One
Here Be Monsters
-- I know next to nothing about the Fisherman, but the revamped version looks to be entertaining. I can't say I'm a fan of the character yet -- we haven't actually seen him do much yet -- but I'm intrigued and want to find out more.

The flashback scenes, which take place on land, were my favorite parts. Unfortunately, that this would be so serves to remind me of the fact that most high fantasy simply isn't my speed. Which is why, no matter what the Busiek mystery-project turns out be, I'm nearly certain I'll enjoy it more than his AQUAMAN. Unless it's, I-don't-know, Warlord or something. Oh, please no.

Still, this might have been my favorite issue yet. Now that the "Arthur accepting his role as Aquaman" stage is past, I'm finding the next one, "Arthur learning how to be Aquaman," more enjoyable. I'd be excited at the possibilities if I didn't know there's only more issue before Williams takes over the book, bringing with him a (possible) drastic sea change.

Fables 57
A Man's Home Is his Castle, Part One of Father and Son
-- Six monsters. Versus six cubs who we find out in this issue can change *into* monsters... Oh my, is... is this heading where it looks to be?

While the art here is stiff in places, Allred delivers what is still possibly the best fill-in art this series has had. Which makes the fact that I missed Buckingham's art more than usual odd. I think it's because this issue is particularly suited for his talents, what with the wolves loping about doing wolfish things and the emotionally-charged character interaction. Both of which Buckingham depicts especially well.

One of FABLES's greatest strengths is the way plots flow seamlessly one into the next. I don't feel the presence of the author's hand moving the pieces into position for the next arc. Obviously, it's there -- just as it is in pretty much all fiction -- but Willingham is good at obscuring it. One event leads to the next in a way that comes off as inevitable and natural. The new arrangement between Fabletown and Mr. North is a good example of that. *Of course* Fabletown'd want zephyrs to spy on Hansel and company, the reader finds himself/herself saying.

Jack of Fables 7
Jack of Hearts, Part One
Viva Las Vegas
-- It's the the little that make this for me: the background scenes containing the Pathetic Fallacy's mannequin girlfriend and her everchanging wardrobe, the napkin dispenser sticking up its hands, the roulette ball's expressive expressions, stuff like that. Hunh, come to think of it, all those bits involve the Pathetic Fallacy. Weird, as I don't like the character himself that much. He's actually *too*... er, pathetic. It's a little overdone, for me at least.

A problem with this series for me is that I can't stop comparing it to its parent title. And it suffers for it. If I could treat it as its own entity, I might be able to enjoy it more.

Ex Machina 26
Power Down, Chapter One
-- I've reached a conviction that this series reads better in trade paperbacks. I haven't quite put my finger on why yet, though.

It's nice to see what looks to be significant progress regarding the mystery of the object that gave Mitchell his powers. It's been quite a long time since we've had serious movement on that front, or at least it feels like it.

The Sorcerer and the Invincible

Before venturing onward, you should all be warned that this entry is particularly pointless. But in my defense, that's nothing new in my acre of the woods.
***
Wow, I had no idea Sargon the Sorcerer

and Ibis the Invincible


are two different people.

In all seriousness, all this time I've been thinking they're the same character.

Image of Sargon pulled (out from its rather bizarre context) from Who's Whose in the DC Universe, image of Ibis from Wikipedia.

The Non-Fan's Perspective: Miscellaneous

I'm titling this entry of The Non-Fan's Perspective "Miscellaneous" because it covers Spider-Man, the (Ultimate) Fantastic Four, and the JLA, but none of them to the extent that referencing them in the title wouldn't be misleading.

As I explained in the previous entry in this awkward excuse for a series, this installment covers not one but two classes of the course. For the first, we read SPIDER-MAN: THE DEATH OF GWEN STACY. For the second, each student had his/her choice between ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR: THE FANTASTIC (say that three times fast) and JLA: TOWER OF BABEL. I'm covering both classes in this one entry because, from my subjective point of view, the Spider-Man trade didn't generate enough interesting comments from the other students to warrant its own chapter.

The student response to that one can be boiled down to "I didn't like it, but I respect it," whatever that's supposed to mean. I also learned that lots of casual fans don't read the credits, as there was some confusion over whether Stan Lee or Gerry Conway wrote the issues collected within. ("Both," that is the answer.) Darn it all, am I the only person who has a borderline OCD need to read the credits box whenever it shows up? Seriously, even when I *know* a trade paperback has the same writer and artist throughout, I still can't help but skim through those cursed rectangles *every* *time* they shows up. And it's as annoying as it sounds! Aaah...

There were a couple of people who made remarks along the lines that, by all rights, they *should* have found Peter Parker whiny and "emo," but they didn't, for reasons they couldn't pinpoint.

Also, there was some back-and-forth over whether or not Spider-Man should be held responsible for Gwen Stacy's death after one of the facilitators brought up the neck-snap theory/fact. Interesting that even the non-fans were making statements about how he couldn't just let her fall because "that's not what a superhero does."

According to the facilitators, a bunch of the students who picked the FANTASTIC FOUR trade wrote in their reading responses that they were confused by the discrepancies between it and the Fantastic Four movie -- namely the differences in the origins. I, however, am personally convinced most of them were feigning said confusion just to give themselves something to fill up their mandatory reading responses with.

I find it hard to swallow that *any* American could be so unfamiliar with the concept of adaptations taking liberties with the source material. Heck, even when I was in grade school, I remember discussing with a friend the differences between, of all things, "cartoon Swamp Thing" and "live action Swamp Thing." (At the time I didn't have the slightest inkling he was a comic book character. Heh.)

I didn't read the FANTASTIC FOUR trade, so if there was any further discussion of its contents, I don't recall it.

As for the JLA book... After reading it, a number of the students were left with the impression that Batman was some sort of League leader or something, with the others as his underlings. Hee. I can see how reading TOWER OF BABEL in a vacuum could lead to that line of thought.

Honestly, there really wasn't much discussion of either trade because a goodly portion of the class that week was spent on an activity where we made up superhero teams out of pre-existing characters. "Democratic education," good people: the education that is anything but.

We were divided into groups for the activity, each one concocting its own super-team. I don't remember most of the results, but one particularly amusing creation was the team formed to bake a giant pie to sate Galactus's hunger and consequently spare the Earth. The members were the Human Torch (to bake), the Flash (to gather ingredients), Aunt May (for her culinary talent), and one or two other individuals I'm no doubt forgetting.

Aah, I suppose you had to be there.