Posts tagged Action Comics

I have a lot of feelings about the JLI

April 27, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seven books this week, including the end of two excellent series. Oh, and Fail Train makes its final stop today. Shall we begin?

“I…I have this instinct, Jason. To burn the black.”
WHOA GEOFF. I just, I can’t even…the hell you say?! Okay, so, long story short, Swamp Thing is going to be the White Lantern, but in order for him to live again, Dove had to die, which is why Digger’s job was to kill her. Except it was Hawk’s job to catch the boomerang he would throw, which he failed. Because the White Energy knew that Boston and Dove would fall in love, and he’d throw himself in front of her, dying and becoming Deadman again, with a twist! Dove, apparently, can see and hear him. This…will make for interesting fandom conversations about their sex life. Aw, and Hawkgirl is officially dead too, it seems. She’s the wind, now. Oh, and John Constantine is back in the main DCU? Yesssss! Now let’s just hope he has some guest time in the Zatanna series.

Action Comics is back to being about Superman. My interest, it wanes.

Completely uninterested in Batman Inc. Next book.

And we’re back to War of the Green Lanterns! In this sixth part, John shoots things, Guy is an asshole, Kyle is adorable, and Hal is…boring. Can I just mention that Entity-infused Guardians is one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen in a comic?

The fourth issue of Velocity marks the end of the mini that I’d assumed was supposed to be an ongoing. Ah, well. It was well-written, had a good number of twists, and I would sell my soul to own an actual page of Kenneth Rocafort’s amazing art. It was a good series, and I hope to pick it up if and when it comes out in trade.

Okay, not gonna lie. The last two pages, I was screaming inside. My horror at who the boy from the crime scene could have been was sort of overwhelming me. But everyone rest easy, it’s not Inertia. In other news, Bart is making a good effort at stealing the title of Emo Teen of the DCU away from Raven. He just has a lot of feelings, okay?! A speed intervention has never been so interesting, especially because it’s not related to drugs.

I just have a lot of feelings about the end of Generation Lost. For one, Max won. He’s got Checkmate. The world remembers him as he was, but he’s got Checkmate. Then there’s the fact that Nate has been flung somewhere in history. Where did he go? Will he be back? And then there’s the fact that Justice League International is going to be a series again. My heart literally jumped into my throat, and I got the hiccups. I was so excited, I got hiccups. I just…I really have a lot of feelings about this, you guys, and I don’t know how to put them all into words right now.

Well, that was this week in comics. I don’t know what I’m going to do now, probably just wander around in a haze for a little bit until my excitement at the prospect of a new JLI series wears off. Same time next week? Groovy. ToG out.

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Sorry for the delay

March 31, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Oh, I’m excited! Guess what comes out today? You may remember it from last year, early last year. No clue? Kick-Ass 2 #2! I know, that wasn’t cancelled. Aside from that, we’ve got five DC books to go through and not a lot of time. Shall we?

Lex Luthor, you’re a moron. I mean, you find a giant ship that looks like a head, and you don’t think Brainiac is inside?! I mean, you worked for him for a time, let’s get real here. Oh, okay. Bad acting. Way to fake your way through that, Lexy babe. BRAINIAC IS ORGANIC DAMNIT. He isn’t a machine. He is of the planet Colu. He should not have probes coming out of his brain. Well. This explains…nothing. So the nanites in Lex’s bloodstream placed there by Lois were being controlled by the unholy demon boss of Mr. Mind. That makes perfect sense. I’m going to write this off as a batshit insane Lex Luthor story and be done with it.

Oh shit. Well, that was so worth the wait. Kick-Ass joins a Justice League style team called Neighborhood Watch, finds a new BFF in a kid that goes to his school and also fights crime, and then they take on some Mafia guys. Fast-paced action, some nice storytelling, I’m re-hooked. Let’s hope it doesn’t take another year for the third issue.

Hal, Guy has built up an imunity to ‘one-punch’, what the hell are you doing. Okay, I think I get it now. The entire point of War of the Green Lanterns is to get Hal to take off his ring. But Hal won’t take his ring off. He’s only been able to commit to one thing in his life, and that’s the Corps. Whoops, spoke too soon. So tell me this, boys. How do you plan on defeating the entire Green Lantern Corps without rings? Am I the only person that wants to see Hal Jordan: Sinestro Corps honorary member? That’d make a nifty action figure, and also a really good start for some slashfic. Hal putting on Sinestro’s ring to defeat the Corps, using the impurity immunity against Krona. Give the fandom something to work with, guys! Also, the art this issue was just amazing. Fernando Pasarin, you can stay the rest of the arc and more if you want to, I’ll be happy to stare googly eyed at your pretty, pretty Guy.

Just from the cover and first page of Gotham City Sirens, I worry for Harley. As far as female characters go, she’s a, pardon the expression, cash cow. DC isn’t going to kill her off. But they may end up shelving her for a while, depending on how this storyline plays out. Oh. Goddamn. See, this is something that scares me about good writers. I know how stupid that sounds, don’t get ahead of me. Good writers, like Paul Dini, can get you to like a character. Invest yourself emotionally. Maybe even find things in that character that you relate to. Writers like Peter Calloway can get you to worry for a character in a way you normally reserve for a close friend. I’ve been to a lot of comic shops in my life, and even more conventions. And I’ve never been to one where someone didn’t have a piece of Harley Quinn paraphernalia, wasn’t dressed up as a version of Harley. I talk to people. One woman I talked to said she was only dressed as Harley because her boyfriend was dressed as the Joker. One girl said that she’d grown up with Harley in the cartoons. And one woman said that she’d always hated Harley. “But when she finally split up with the Joker for good and for reals,” she said, repainting the places on her face where the white makeup had rubbed off during her time walking around the convention center. “It sort of reminded me of when I got the restraining order against my ex-husband. You try and give them all the love you have, but they don’t want it. All they want to do is take and take and hurt and hurt, until you just ain’t sure what’s you anymore, and what it is they’ve programmed into you.” I don’t have a good memory, but I’ll never forget that conversation, that woman. I hope she doesn’t read this issue. And if she does, I hope she’s somewhere safe.

Honestly, I just want to spend my review of the latest issue of Zatanna gushing about how much I love Dr. Bodie. A shrink that lives between realms and caters exclusively to magicians and magical beings both good and evil?! Leave it to come from the mind of Paul Dini. And that cover…no one draws the ladies like Adam Hughes, no one. He just has this dynamic style that I’ve always thought best reserved for covers and pin-ups, but ironically, he was the person who drew the first comic book I ever read. I hope Oscar Hampnel doesn’t become a recurring character, he freaks me out. Stay canned, you creepy bastard.

Where the fuck is Tim jumplining in from?! Did he just…jump off the roof? What was the point of that, Tim? They’re called stairs, try them. Now now ladies, don’t fight. I swear, Rose and Cassie just need to make out get over their issues and work together already. Right there. That group shot, for just a second, had Bart looking a little like Bart again. Aaand next page we’re back to Wally-lite. The kid never had freckles, and his hair isn’t red. It’s a dark brown. Ooh, the pissy bitchometer is off the charts today. Whoa! Demon! Didn’t see that one coming. No, really, that was kinda off my radar, no sarcasm meant. Good to see J.T. Krul can keep me on my toes still. So, Cassie and her mom are on the demon plane? Is she going to come back into the human world after an hour and a decade has passed? Okay, enough Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic references from me tonight. I’m intrigued. Teen Titans, you pass muster for this month.

Well, that’s the comic review. So sorry about the late, late update, but Florida sort of fails as a state. My internet was down for ages, so I’ve just been reading The Walking Dead trades and playing Spider Solitaire until it came back on. See you next week. Same place, much, much earlier time!

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I may just start a Tumblr like that…except Beetles must be remember for the good times, not the bad

February 24, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oh, what a small week. Five books, one of which is guaranteed to either make me happy beyond words, or so full of rage, I begin spontaneously spewing blood everywhere. Let’s do this thing.

Larfleeze, your quirkiness is amusing beyond words. “Hairless Lex Luthor!” Yes indeed. Oh my god, is he doing a, a Gollum impression? You precious little flower. I think Glomulus is his favorite Corpsblob or something, because Larfleeze doesn’t just hug anyone. Oh my god. So he’s behind this. Of course he is. Who else could it be? I’m hoping that the reinclusion of Brainiac in Lex’s life will finally lead up to where the hell the Brainiac/Lex clone has gotten to.

Harley has snapped. I know people will argue that she’d snapped by the time she first showed up in Batman: The Animated Series, but at least she was happy then. This Harley is just a tightly-wound ball of rage and hatred in a fancy hat. A manipulative woman we’ve never really gotten to see much of before. And she wants the Joker dead. Good luck, honey. You’ll need it.

So, Peeg. You dug up one of your dead friends to prove to Dick Grayson that Max Lord was real. How does that feel? Not gonna lie, this issue made me facepalm and yell at Dick a lot. Bruce, however, was sort of awesome for once, though his whole ‘I remember everything’ sort of cemented him as DC Jesus in my eyes. In other news, Nicco, you would be an awesome liar if ladies smarter and more fabulous than you weren’t around to spoil everything. Also, I have this feeling that the next couple of issues of everything that ties into Generation Lost is going to be all Crying About Beetles dot Tumblr dot com.

My rage has flared to previously unimaginable levels. I don’t care about you anymore, Max. The sleazy, sometimes goofy businessman from times past is dead to me. I don’t care that you’re essentially a momma’s boy with a god complex. I don’t care that your mommy was in Coast City when it was destroyed. A lot of people lost their lives in a tragedy that no one could have stopped once it got started. There’s only one thing I care about right now.
Jaime Reyes had almost seven years. He was introduced during Infinite Crisis to immediately replace the fallen Ted Kord. In the seven years he was around, he had his own series, a spot on the Teen Titans, a few back-up stories in Booster Gold, and a snug place in the hearts of many of DC’s readers. His popularity only grew when he was introduced to the rest of the world through Batman: The Brave and the Bold. He was always a smart, responsible, goofy kid that loved his friends and family. He, he wanted to be a dentist so that his sister could go to college and his parents would be assured an easy retirement. And now he’s dead.
That was one of the worst things I’ve ever had to type. Who’s going to tell his family? Who is going to tell Paco and Brenda? Who is going to have to stoop down and tell Milagro Reyes that her big brother isn’t going to be coming home because a man they’ve never heard of, a man they didn’t even remember existing, killed him just like he did the Beetle before him? I can’t do it. Booster shouldn’t have to do it. No one should have to. Because this boy didn’t deserve to die.
All I can say about this entire this is this: DC, if you’re doing your whitewashing thing again by killing a minority character in order to bring in a white guy, that white guy had better be Ted Kord. Not a new character. Not a PoC. And you better not be retiring the mantle of Blue Beetle, either. You fucking bring back Ted Kord. Or I just…I don’t know what I would do. I’m way too invested in your better series’ (Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Secret Six, etc) to be able to keep a boycott of DC for even a week. I just don’t have any answers right now.

(this review was written before the above one, but moved to the bottom so that this entry would end on a happy note)
Damian, you precious flower. AUGH. AUGH. KON, TIM, MAKE WITH THE KISSES ALREADY. No, seriously. You boys need to just get over yourselves and your issues and just make the kisses happen. Well, I guess it’s 100% confirmed now then, isn’t it? Kid Eternity is even deader than he was before the Calculator got to him. How does that work, exactly? Did he just…disapparate or something? Become discorpereal? What? I mean, the character’s whole schtick is that he’s already dead, he just can’t go to heaven or hell yet. So, what’s going on? Did he finally cross over? You’d better get back to me on this, Teen Titans. I want to know. So…Tim’s back on the team, and Damian has been curbed? Well, that sort of makes sense. Dami’s only ten or so, he wouldn’t really fit in with this particular team of Titans yet. Try again in a few years, Dick. Aww, how cute. And I know people are gonna be like, he called Dick his only friend! No. He’s talking about Colin. You know, Abuse from Streets of Gotham. He and that kid are totally BFFs. Dick isn’t his friend, Dick is his substitute daddy that hugs too much.

And that was this week in comics! Sort of. Look, I know two Deadpool titles came out today but I just…I can’t follow that guy. As much as I love him and his concept, I just can’t stay interested for more than two or three issues at a time.
Oh, and speaking of Tumblr, I’ve had one of my own for several weeks now! Follow me at touchofgrey37. But as always, parental advisory is suggested. I swear like a sailor.
Peace out, you guys. Got some computer problems I need to fix. Same time next week? Swerval.

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Tiny week, early post. Coincidence?!

January 26, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Wow, tiny week. Four books, that’s sort of sad. The reason this review is going up so early is because I’m actually writing it in the comic shop (Crossroads, on University for those in the know). Broward County has been hit by some massive thunderstorms in the past couple of days, and one of them knocked out my power. Anyway, enough of my woes. To the books!

“Jazz hands!” Lex and the Joker. Just from saying those two names, you know an issue is going to be good. I don’t really like the Joker, never have, but I like it when he can call people out on their own delusions. Well, that’s interesting. I have no idea where this entire quest is going anymore. Does Lex want to become the master of death? Does he just want to collect rings and energy? Seriously, what? But hey, for our patience, we get a little Larfleeze next month, so that’s okay.

Wow, Kara. I forgot all about that haircut. It…looked spectacularly bad. Uh oh. Peeg thinks she’s fighting Superman? Congratulations, Nate, you’re epically fucked. What I want to know, Max, is how do you get Batman out of Booster? No, really. Clue me in. If I were controlling Power Girl’s mind and I wanted her to see a Justice League gone evil in place of her friends, I think I would have gone the all-alien route. Maybe it’s just me having my sexy-Max blinders on, but is anyone else seeing this torture scene as kinda…prelude-to-rape-y? Of all the powers in the superhero grab bag, I think I would want superhearing the least. Sure, no one would ever be able to sneak up on me, but is the intense pain every time someone plays a Daft Punk CD really worth it? And now Kara is on the team. Good show, Generation Lost, good show.

Evil puppets? Creepy. Not-so-evil puppets? Still creepy. Just because you didn’t kill the guy, what makes you think that you’ve got the right to try killing Zatanna? For the third time, I may add. Ah well, you’re pretty lucky Zee is good people, Hampel. The little second story, about Zee as a teenager, was beyond adorable. Not to mention a poignant love note to the 80s. Oh, Speak and Spell. You know some nerd that still has theirs is going to go home and try that, now.

Okay, I have a theory. If Damian stays with the Titans, he’s going to have a ridiculously hilarious not-crush on Rose. “Girls are gross! Um, especially Rose. Because she’s a girl. And girls are gross.” Their banter is just precious. They should start a ‘damaged kids’ club within the team, for Titans with crazy parents. Inertia cameo?! Well, Inertia outline cameo. Still made my day. Aaaand Kon splits with Cassie. I saw this. I saw this coming like, two issues ago. “Well, maybe this Wilson isn’t so bad.” Damian, just admit that you love Rose with all your psychotic little heart. You know you want to. Cliffhanger! I’m guessing this has something to do with the next issue of Red Robin. Okay, I’m intrigued. Go on.

Well, that was this week. I’m going to spend some time with my man, maybe go to the other comic store in the area (Tate’s Comics, for those in the know), then head home to see if the lights are back on. I hope they are. Just because I carry a flashlight around doesn’t mean I want to have to use it all night. Until next week, peace out!

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Last week, on Days of Our Lives…

December 30, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Last week of the year, faithful readers! Oh, 2010, how sad I am to see you go. Pff, nah. Farewell, 52 weeks of partial disappointment, partial euphoria, hello 2011! A new year, full of endless possiblities. Also, this is the year I’m finally allowed to legally imbibe, which means that come March, I will be inventing the DC Comics Drinking Game. But that will be then. This is now, and I plan on reviewing these five books as well as they deserve.

Action Comics’ main story ends with a cliffhanger and features Vandal Savage alternating between sweet and murderous. It’s an interesting concept, but does it work? Yes and no. While it’s obvious that Vandal still cares greatly for his daughter, Scandal, he is still a man of goals. Since it has been prophesized that Lex Luthor would bring him his greatest happiness, he’ll do anything to make that prophecy come true. It’s my personal belief that Vandal’s greatest happiness would come in the form of a son from Scandal, but since that will never happen willingly, I’m guessing some shenanigans will be involved to make it so.
When a second feature begins with the line “I am not a male prostitute”, you know that you’re in for a few chuckles. And when the punchline is basically “Jimmy Olsen marries the daughter of Mr. Mxy in a story worthy of the Silver Age”, as well as the news that the story itself leads into a new Jimmy Olsen ongoing, well, it’s enough to make a girl positively giddy.

I hate it when I have to admit that I liked an issue of Green Lantern. In my defense, Hal Jordan didn’t show up at all this issue, it was focused entirely on Atrocious, the Butcher, and the Spectre. Hal Jordan on the cover was a lie, the best lie I’ve ever seen. Geoff, please know that I don’t hate you. I really don’t. You’re an excellent writer, you have the ability to create witty, interesting, convincing characters, but you’re in love with Hal Jordan. When it comes to him, your fanboy hat comes on, as well as your nostalgia goggles, and you refuse to characterize him as anything but Jesus reborn and walking the Earth. This Red Lantern focused issue was awesome, and I hope you do more in the future, perhaps even one that would reveal more about the Indigo Tribe, or something that tells us what Larfleeze’s oath is. The comic community will thank you.

A jealous woman is a horrific thing. I would never want to be in love with the same man as Talia al Ghul, that bitch would rip me apart. What does this have to do with Gotham City Sirens? Everything. Zatanna, Talia, and Selina are all in love with Bruce Wayne. don’t ask me why, I don’t see the appeal. But remember, back in the second issue where a flashback sequence showed Selina and Talia talking, and Talia said that they were the only two women Bruce had ever really loved? Well, she got one woman right. I’m convinced that Bruce has never loved Talia, a woman many have considered to be a psycho, but has pretty much always loved Selina, in any identity she chooses to take. Talia can’t stand that, so she wants Selina’s memories of Bruce gone. Luckily, Zatanna caught on at the last second, shippers rejoice.

Oh, Teen Titans. At $2.99 a book again, I am pleased to say that I can afford to buy you and your pretty, pretty art again. JT Krul and Nicola Scott have been doing a great job with the new team, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where they’re going with the Hindi chick. But the real stars of this issue are Robin and Ravager. I really hope Rose doesn’t have a Robin fetish or anything, because that could get real creepy real fast. We’re going to see next issue whether or not the team wild cards play well together, and I can’t wait.

Wow, Scott Kolins. That’s really bad art you’ve got in Flash this month. I mean, holy shit. I have never seen Eobard Thawne drawn so badly in my life. But the story is…okay, I’m going to be frank. Geoff, you really knocked it out of the park in Green Lantern, but this issue of Flash sucks. It really does. The idea that Zoom spends his later life time travelling to make his earlier life easier is absurd. Rip Hunter and the rest of the Time Masters exist to prevent this sort of thing from happening. Every change Eobard made to his life would immediately be undone by Rip or Booster, and therefor no change would occur. You’re the one who rebooted the idea of the Time Masters back in 52 and the earliest run of the new Booster Gold series, what the hell are you doing contradicting yourself like this? I am disappoint, Geoff.

See you next year, lads and lasses! This it ToG reminding you to stay groovy, bundle the hell up, and always support your Local Comic Store by saying no to food and saying yes to comics! Peace out, and a happy new year!

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A small week, but still juicy! Like a pear!

December 3, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Five titles? That’s it? Ohh yeah, it’s a five-week month, so the loads will be relatively light all month long. Well, that’s okay. Shall we begin?

“I’m Batman, and I can breathe in space.” All Shortpacked! readers know that joke, and that’s what the cover of fail train Brightest Day reminds me of. It’s another J’onn issue, and I’m not hooked. Back when it was being presented as a sort of mystery, I was intrigued by the Martian Manhunter portions of Brightest Day. Now that things seem to be coming to a climax, it just looks like one of those wah wah my planet is dead emo emo emo type deals, and I really don’t care. Next issue is supposed to be the origin of Aqualad, which I assume means sex between Black Manta and Mera, so stay tuned!

So, in my personal opinion, a book full of redheads is a damned fine thing. I love JSA: All-Stars. Cyclone is one of my favorite characters. So a mini-arc featuring Cyclone? Oh yes please. So, Cyclone was infested with nanites that made copies of her every time she sneezed on someone. I, I’m surprisingly okay with that explanation. And yay, random space battle causes King Chimera to stop being a dork and just make kissies with Maxine already! It does my shipper heart good to see warm fuzziness every now and then.

The Action Comics annual is all about young Lex Luthor and his earlier adventures in greatness. So, apparently Lex has been an apprentice to both Darkseid and Ra’s al Ghul? Intriguing. The stories were actually pretty good, for an annual, and I’m glad they were focused on Lex and not Jimmy.

God DAMN, Gail. Well, it looks like Giganta knows about Ryan Choi now. A moment of silence for the surely fallen Dwarfstar, he will not be missed. I really like Black Alice as a character. Unlike the paragons of virtue that make up the Teen Titans, Lori is both a teenager and a total brat. She has her moments of kindness, and she really does love her parents, but for the most part, she’s a horrible little monster and I just want to smack her repeatedly. My only real question concerning her is, when the heck is the confirmation on her relation to Misfit going to come up again? As a matter of fact, where is Misfit? I know that last one was technically a Birds of Prey question, but it’s all the same in the eyes of Mother Gail.

Adventure Comics is making me wig out a bit. I mean, Mon-El is the new Green Lantern? What? And if Tasmia is with Kirt now, why’s she still trying to persuade Lar to stay with the Legion? In a more than friendly way? I’m still not going to read the Atom second feature, because I still don’t care about you, Ray Palmer.

It’s the second night of Hanukah for you Hebrew and Shebrew readers of mine, hope you’re celebrating it like I am, with a buttload of good food! Until next week, my lovelies. Peace!

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It’s a Damian Wayne sort of day, I think

November 25, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eight books this week, and very few distractions. Am I happy? Hell yes, I am! Shall we begin?

So, Deadpool. What can I say about this guy, and this title, that hasn’t been said a million times? Very little, aside from the fact that this particular issue has Steve Rogers sitting in his lap. That…was pretty boss. I like this title. I like it a lot. Because god damn, it’s Deadpool, and he’s kind of impossible to hate.

So, who hates cliffhangers? Oh, Gotham City Sirens. You tease me with wonderful, wonderful teamups and then you make me cry. I think that this is officially an abusive relationship. But ooh, it hurts so good.

More Deadpool? Man, you’d think I liked the guy or something. But yes, Deadpool Team-Up is a delightful romp into the realm of the absurd, as is basically every Deadpool title ever…but this one has guest stars! Thor and Deadpool band together to fight a naked nerd whose body is being inhabited by a hot demon. Wade admits his attraction to Thor many times. Hilarity ensues. I’m not a huge fan of Thor, no, really this time, but this wasn’t a terrible issue. In fact, it made me laugh a few times.

Oh man, I love Action Comics. Seriously, Lex Luthor is just fun to read about. And then there’s the lead in to the Secret Six crossover that’s coming next issue, and I can’t even tell you how excited I am about that. But I think the real winner of this awesome issue would have to be Jimmy Olsen. Sure, he’s kinda drawn like shit, but hey, he pulled a Power Girl! No, he didn’t suddenly aquire huge…tracts of land. He saved the planet! Yaay! And…Chloe doesn’t give a damn. Y’know, there is no pleasing this girl. Oh, hi badly-drawn Lois Lane! How’re you doing? Find Jimmy a new girlfriend? I smell shenanigans!

Batwoman is an interesting character. No, seriously. I liked her back in 52, but after reading Batwoman: Elegy, I was hooked. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a spunky redhead, and that I can be very biased when it comes to them. Let me summarize this issue in three words: Yay, stalker Bruce! Seriously, this man is more paranoid than the Question on crack. Goes around just following Kate instead of doing his Bat-job. One thing I wasn’t pleased about was the amount of oh hey she’s a lesbian you guys! that showed up in this issue. Seriously, noting that she was released from West Point because she came out, the story of which was shown in Batwoman: Elegy, showing him going undercover in a gay club to watch her hit on girls…we get it, J.H. Williams. Kate Kane likes vagina. Let’s not make a Midnighter out of this. For people unfamiliar with the name and term, here, lemme tell you. The Wildstorm character, Midnighter, is gay. He’s married to a man, they adopted a little girl together. For awhile, Midnighter had his own series, and the writers could not for the life of them go an issue without drawing attention to the fact that he was gay. It got to be sort of a running joke within the fandom, and good lord, did it get old fast. So please, writer or writers of Batwoman. Don’t pull a Midnighter.

Batman and Robin was downright weird this month. Then again, when your villain is revealed to be a woman with a hole through her head, well, weird doesn’t really begin to cover it. Certain observations were made by Damian that I agree with. Now that the mantle of Batman has become sort of like a franchise, every player involved can become their own type of Batman. Dick is the resident HappyBats, and that’s just swell. It makes me wonder, though. How much longer before Bruce takes on a Robin of his own? And will that Robin be Tim? Or Damian?

Speaking of Damian, I’m getting a really familiar vibe off of Teen Titans this month. Back in 03, Kory was all up in a snit because the Robin on her team wasn’t Dick. Now, the current roster is up in arms because the Robin they’re working with isn’t Tim. Team, don’t be afraid to try new things! I’m sure Damian will work out fine, once he’s done being a screw-up. Speaking of unresolved sexual tension, if Damian is still on the team once he hits puberty, he’s going to get such a gigantic crush on Rose. They’re too alike for him not to.

I don’t know how I feel about the Captain Atom issues. He’s never been a character I liked, or could even partially relate to, because of the military thing, but at the same time, he’s probably an essential part of the JLI somehow. Well, he’s strong, at least. Man, Damian has been cropping up everywhere today, huh? In this issue of Generation Lost, he’s 131. Hmm, 131 years old minus the 112 years Nate was in the time stream means that the current Damian is…19?! Well, that isn’t right at all. Someone didn’t do their math right, and I am not pleased.

Well, that was this week in comics. Have a happy Thanksgiving, for those in America, and remember, next week new comics come out on Thursday. I’ll think up something neat to post on Wednesday to make up for it, though. Peace out!

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I just think of a few of my favorite things…

October 28, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Compared to the last couple of weeks, this nine-book review is going to seem tiny. Well, all I have to say is, tough tomatoes, I refuse to pick up more Marvel than I have to.

For some reason, Time Masters made no impression on me other than, “Boy, Hal Jordan is a prize douchebagel.”. Anyone else see that? I mean, there he and Booster are, stuck in a cell made of nothing before it turns into a crushing cage, and all Hal does is bitch about how Booster is a famewhore. Yes, Harold “Highball Hal” Jordan calling someone else a thrillseeking famewhore. The irony just rolls off the page in freaking waves. Oh well, only two more issues to go of this…this. I can’t even think of a word to describe it, and fail train is already taken. Moving on.

What was it I was saying about the lovely ladies of the Dark Knight last week? Something about how they’re awesome? After reading this week’s issue of Zatanna, I stand behind that statement even more. I mean, the girl managed to wriggle out of a deal with Mammon, the demon god of wealth and greed, by the skin of her teeth, that’s something to respect. Not to mention how she handles Zach when he goes all teenager-y on her. Yeah, Miss Zatara has worked long and hard to be the best the magical world has to offer, and I think she deserves to be there.

Okay, so the last two The Road Home one-shots are this week. My general opinion? Ehhh. I mean, the Oracle one-shot wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t something I’m planning on buying. It was nice to see Hawk and Dove in something other that Brightest Day, though. The final issue in the set, the Ra’s al Ghul one-shot, wasn’t great. It was interesting, don’t get me wrong, and Vicki Vale is officially in on the secret, part of the Batclan, but but just didn’t pull me in like some of the others did.

God damn it, Judd. Do you just hate Tora, is that it? You break up her and Guy, make her a whiny emo bitch, have her get so riled up that she goes completely beserk and turns into a killer icicle, and now you change her backstory completely. Seriously, patricide? Was that really necessary? You know what? Screw you. I’m not letting this into my canon. Tora is awesome, she’s not a killer.

What do you get when you cross Deadpool, the Thing, and professional wrestling? About 30 pages of references I don’t get that make me laugh anyway.

Before I review the Supergirl Annual, I want to tell y’all a little story. Back at the Tate’s tent sale in 07, I found an issue of Legion of Superheroes from the same week that Supergirl died in Crisis on Infinite Earths. In it, Brainy was mourning Kara’s death, and watching clips of her from a thousand years hence. It was that issue that really made me get it. Kara and Brainy were one of those couples that was destined to never end up together, no matter how hard they tried to. A thousand years is a pretty big age gap. And while in my personal canon, Brainy always ends up with Lyle (I grew up reading Reboot, bite me), the tragic love story that is Supergirl and Brainiac 5 will always be one of my favorites. Now, onto the issue. It was pretty good, touching on how Kara had gone to the future once before when she accidentally hopped dimensions as well as timestreams. And then it brought to mind this one little question; how is Kara going to die this time? Her last death wasn’t even a death, it was an erasing. She was one of the big sacrifices made in Crisis on Infinite Earths, though the Supergirl character itself was reborn a few years later. But if this death is recorded within the halls of time, obviously she wasn’t erased again, just killed. So what’s going to happen? How many more years of Supergirl do we have to look forward to? Your guess is as good as mine, Superfans.

So for weeks I’ve been hearing about how this new issue of Teen Titans is gonna rule. New creative team, new team within the book, Bart and Kon are back, Rose is gonna be bringin’ the sexual tension…it was supposed to be awesome. Well, I’ve read the issue.
Damnit, they got me again! I’m not gonna say that that was the best Teen Titans team I’ve ever read (sorry, nothing beats the New Teen Titans lineup by Marv and George for me), but this was definitely the best the Teen Titans have been since 03. Nothing against the 03 lineup, but with Tim, Starfire, and Cyborg out of the way, there’s more of a chance of seeing a Bart storyline, or something focused on Rose, like the Dark Side Club arc was. Here’s hoping that this series doesn’t become something of “The Kon and Cassie show featuring the Teen Titans”, because that would suck. The ending really makes me look forward to the next issue because frankly, Damian just makes everything better.

Oh man oh man oh man. I’m trying not to add emoticons here. I swear to aiesha, I just joygasmed. He wasn’t dead! He was just…having a hallucination of Death as we know her, and arguing his head off! Oh, Lex. I do so love you. The Jimmy Olsen second feature has, wait for it, drunk aliens! No, Supes didn’t go on a bender, the Dalwythians are in town. Who are these strange creatures? Well, they’re partiers from another planet (didn’t Power Girl do that in her second arc?), and they can get drunk on oxygen. Unfortunately, the planets they party on don’t always survive the experience, so in order to save the world, Jimmy has to make Metropolis the most boring place on Earth! Well, Lex isn’t there so for me, check.

That was this week in comics, lords and ladies. I think I’m gonna hurl a little, so, I’m gonna go lie down.

If you’re in Broward (or Dade or West Palm or South Florida in general), take the time this weekend to stop on by Tate’s Comics’ annual Halloween tent sale! Fill up a longbox for $35, and all back issues inside are 50% off! There’s more info on their website, www.tatescomics.com , or on their Facebook page. Speaking of Facebook, if you haven’t yet, add Touchof Grey to your friends list, because that’s me! Well, actually, it’s The ToG Blog, but still.

But wait, there’s more! Finished with the Tate’s sale? Still have money jingling around in your wallet? Stop by the grand opening of Florida Super Comics in Davie! Yes, Florida Supercon has a store now, holy crap! For a limited time only, subscribers with FSC save 40% on their comics! Look for me at both sales, dressed as the Flash! This is ToG, reminding you to spay and neuter your children. Peace!

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Better late than not at all!

September 30, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

My comic shop was shorted all the issues of Gotham City Sirens, thank you, Diamond, so this week is going to be tiny. Oh, wait. What’s that, Marvel? You say you started a new Namor series last month, and the second issue is out today? Well, I guess that settles it. Instead of one serving of GCS, y’all are getting a double scoop of Namor-y goodness!

Let’s get things rolling with the third, sigh, scintilating issue of Time Masters: Vanishing Point. Time Masters, why do I still read you? You’re not entertaining, you don’t tie into The Return of Bruce Wayne in any way except to mention that he’s in the past, and Booster doesn’t have any really good lines. In fact, the only decent parts of you involve tiny!Rip and Poppa Booster. Still, three down, three to go. Let’s just keep chugging along.

Action Comics is really good lately, for some reason. I mean, we’ve gotten to see sexy!Lex, smart!Lex, twisted!Lex, dead!Lex…wait, what was that last one? And who’s that girl? Can it be? Is it she? Unholy crapballs, it’s Death! I know it’s terrible to say that I love death but…I love Death. She’s cute, she’s smart, she’s quirky…and she’s Death. A timeless Gaiman character, soon to be hitting the big screen. Action Comics, I am not disappoint. So, does that mean Lex is dead? Or is he going to pull a Hob Gadling-esque deal with Death? Is he gonna hit on Death? Outsmart her? Oh, I’m a-tingle with the possibilities. And the second-feature is actually interesting! Mainly because it features Jimmy Olsen, who is so uncool, he’s awesome, and a badly-drawn version of Smallville’s Chloe Sullivan. The second-feature storyline is going to be about an exciting week in Jimmy’s life. Hmmmm, I think I can hop aboard this story and ride it home.

Teen Titans is famous for their death-as-a-plot-device issues, and it makes me happy to see that they’ve deviated from that path. Kinda. With the end of the ‘Eclipsed’ storyline, we’re down four Titans: Miss Martian is in a coma, Static is depowered, and Bombshell and Aquagirl are lost at sea. Yeah, Aquagirl is lost at sea. Plot device? Maybe. Oh, and we get to see Cassie and Kon post-coitus. Eeew. Uh, no offense. The second feature was basically like watching a teen drama with magic and demons: betrayal, secrets, and the Big Bad is never really down for the count.

What two things would you never expect to see together? Ice cream and soy sauce? Maybe. A straight guy at a Twilight movie of his own free will? Yeah, that’s pretty unlikely. Namor and vampires?

…

Did I read that right? Namor? Pointy-eared, pale-skinned, speedo-wearing king of the seas and…those fangy bitey folks? Apparently, this new series spins directly out of a pre-existing Xmen plot (Namor’s on the Xmen, now? I thought he liked to stick close to the Fantastic Four?), and Namor’s mission is to find the severed head of Count Dracula which was thrown into the ocean by the, dear lord, sea vampires…who have a vampire squid. No, I’m not making this shit up. Anyway, the first two issues seem pretty sound. We get to see Namor being all kingly, which is nice, and the art is just amazing. I can give this thing another look or two, see how it turns out.

That’ll be all for this week. Sorry that it’s technically going up on Thursday, I had a few personal problems that I had to sort through. See you here next week?

Oh, and a just a reminder to the citizens of Broward County: West Regional Library is having its Manga and Comic Convention on October 9th from one to four, and The ToG Blog has a table! Well, I have a vendor table…but yay, free advertising! Don’t miss it!

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Hey, guess what I did yesterday?!

August 26, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Okay, I kinda lied to you last week. This week may not be as epically huge as I lead you to believe. I mean, I’m going over seven titles, but it’s not like the ten-title week I was expecting. Stupid title delays. Anyway, let’s get into it!

Time Masters: Vanishing Point. I didn’t want to read this book. I really didn’t. It’s not very good. It has Booster playing a secondary role as an idiot. And, to top it all off, it has a lot of Rip’s magical inner monologue. The only up points are getting to see Daddy Booster in the opening pages of each issue.

Legion was weird this month. Even dead, Darkseid is still being passed around like a joint at a Crazybones concert, who knew? On the upside, we get to see Garth and Ayla being badass, so that’s cool. I love all the different versions of the Legion, but I’m really beginning to miss Reboot Legion. Maybe it’s because that’s the one I grew up reading, but it just seemed…I dunno. More fun. That’s another thing. Gates has been used several times in the series, but where the hell is Jenni?! Is DC trying to discard all speedsters that aren’t Barry Allen? No, because Jesse Chambers is running around in both JSA titles and Justice League, and Bart Allen has been in the Teen Titans for a few months. Argh, I hate trying to inject logic into comics. Next title!

Hey, remember Superman: Secret Origins? Written by Geoff Johns, drawn by Gary Frank? No? No wonder! Issue five came out almost six months ago. Well, it’s finally over. After a long, long, Flash:Rebirth-esque wait. Final opinion?

Welcome back, Geoff.

Your blatant favoritism towards Hal Jordan makes me hurl. The way you depicted Inertia and the Rogues in Rogue’s Revenge made me curl up in a ball and cry. But this…this is Wonderland quality. This is Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. quality. A fitting end to a series I thought would never finish. Way to not half-ass it at the finish line, man.

Action Comics was actually pretty good this month. I mean, it’s still starring Lex Luthor, it’s pretty much assured to be at least halfway decent. But a Luthor/Deathstroke fight? And a Superboy second feature? Oh yeah, I’m digging this book. Actually, the second feature seems to be a lead-in to the new Superboy series starting in November. Am I the only one hoping for a cameo from Rex and Roxie Leech? Yes? Aw, shoot.

I love Gotham City Sirens for many reasons. The consistantly good writing. The consistantly good art. The intriguing covers that sometimes border on fetishist (covers 3-5 and the recent cover 15 show that quite well) and religious iconoclasm (easily the Pieta remake on cover 13). But what I love most about this book is that above all, it’s about three women whose binding interest was once crime, and now they’re genuinely friends. Harley’s little speech to Ivy after she’s been beaten nearly to death just got to me. Selina and Harley tried to reason with Ivy when they got to her, while most other vigilantes would simply focus on taking her out. I’m so glad this book exists, and I eagerly await the next story a- The return of Talia al Ghul?! Oh crap. How are you going to steer us through the storm of angst and daddy issues that come floating along with Talia’s every step, Tony? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

New Generation Lost! Man, this issue had everything. Political speeches! Daring escapes! A possible love connection forming between Gavril and Bea! Booster being smart! Bea…cursing for no reason! Tora…whining like a bitch. Sigh, the second Giffen-free issue. I hope this doesn’t become a trend But there is one little element that’s conspicuously missing from this book, and that would be Max Lord himself. Seriously, we don’t see hide or hair of him until the very last page. Is this a lead-in to some answers? Why are his mind-control powers deadly when used on one person at a time, but he was able to make the entire world forget about him with extinguishing the human race? Did he actually kill the woman who made Power Girl’s company bankrupt? When are you guys going to stop fucking around and reveal that Ted is secretly alive? The answers (?) next issue! Hopefully!

Teen Titans was…weird this month. Now I love the Teen Titans. I do. But…the new scientist chick they have in Titans Tower watched Miss Martian kill her beloved husband while being controlled by the Wyld, then did some kind of memory-wipe psychic whammy on M’gann so that she doesn’t remember the fight? What, does this lady have instant-retcon powers or something? Can I get some sort of an explanation, DC? I mean, there were other things in this issue that bugged me (Wyld considers Raven its mom? M’gann can astral project now? Kon and Cassie made out in the middle of a crisis why?), but that kind of took the cake. And the second feature wasn’t much better. I’m still pissed that Zach’s fondest wish was to be married to his never-before-mentioned dead girlfriend. At least Eddie got a mention, sort of. Zach, you don’t get to talk about Eddie. You were a horrible boyfriend, not even showing up to his funeral. I WENT THROUGH THAT ISSUE TEN TIMES. You weren’t in it. Oh well, at least Lori isn’t acting like a bitch anymore. She plays nice with the rest of the group just in time for an express trip into hell, fun!

And that’s your week in comics. Well, that’s my week in comics. Next week should be a big one. Hopefully. Because if Flash is pushed back one more week, I’m gonna snap. Peace out, you guys.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

As of yesterday, The ToG Blog has officially gotten onto Facebook! Instead of waiting until Wednesdays to update you all on the little things that are going on in the comic world, I’ll be able to fill you in instantly with links, pictures, and other interesting tidbits to make your day. AND THAT’S NOT ALL! You can follow me personally on Twitter! touchofgrey37 I try to follow all the major writers and artists on Twitter, so you’re bound to see some interesting retweets!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/touchofgrey37

http://twitter.com/touchofgrey37

Well, that’s about enough network pandering. Peace out, you guys! I think I smell broccoli cooking, yum.

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