Comics - Batman, Superman and the New 52 Discussion - The Kryptonian

The Absolute Mess that is Batman: The Dark Knig...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:33:55 +0000

This issue was all over the place. I hoped it was going to be great. It was not. The story was campy and the art was inconsistent. There were times when I had to re-read panels thinking that I must have missed something. I'm actually still wondering now if I even understood it at all.

Tuxedo in a Bag
Batman ejects himself from the Batwing and soars through the sky clutching a duffle bag. He lands and jumps from roof to roof. When he arrives at his destination, he carefully considers his surroundings and then changes into the tuxedo that was stored in the duffle bag. As Bruce Wayne, he utilizes his grapple gun to zip line to his final destination. He hops over the balcony ledge, stows the grapple gun, and proceeds over to the podium where he gives a speech to Gotham's who's who.

Wait, what? Batman changes in public? Ok, fine. He then zip lines over as Gotham's Most Eligible Bachelor Bruce Wayne. No one should notice right? As Carmine Falcone once said "You'd have to travel a 1000 miles to find someone who didn't know your name." This is sloppy.

Side note: Has David Finch or Paul Jenkins ever worn a tux? How about a suit? Any shirt with buttons? That tux, the one in the duffle bag, would have been wrinkled as hell. Bruce is a billionaire. He's not showing up for a party in a wrinkled tux that he just pulled out of a bag. Come on. Poor writing.

What Does Bruce Wayne Even Look Like?
Panel to panel, Bruce goes from looking young and attractive to old and in major need of ReNuYu. It was as if DC wasn't clear to Finch on how old Bruce was, or he was staring out of the window when they told him, so he just decided to make him both young and old for good measure.

Harvey's Your Man
There is a mass breakout at Arkham. When Batman arrives, he asks one of the officers where Two-Face is. Batman assumes this break out is a distraction for Two-Face to escape. That's right. Two-Face is using a mass breakout as a distraction for him to break out. Amazing stuff here.

I can't even write it off as him being “The World's Greatest Detective." He doesn't see Two-Face when he gets to Arkham, so Two-Face MUST be up to something. After a guard confirms his assumption, he knows he has to go inside and find him. Is Arkham like one room and a front door? I don't get how he would know that Two-Face was still inside and hadn't run out earlier or ran the other way.

Two-Face No More
When Batman enters Arkham to pursue Two-Face, we are given a couple of gems, one on the final page of the issue.

Quote

Whoever you are...this is Batman. Come out with your hands raised where we can see them.

What? Would he say that? His inner monologue was just about Batman being fear and shadows and all that. Suddenly, he's giving away his position demanding that someone show themselves to him.

He finally finds Harvey and Harvey is juiced up on something. He quickly lets Batman know he is no longer Two-Face.

Quote

Two-face no longer, Batty Boy. YOU CAN CALL ME ONE-FACE NOW.

One-Face. One. Face. Is that what they called him before the accident? I just don't get it. He still has two sides. Maybe he's all bad now. Even though he's always been all bad as Two-Face. So maybe he's "badder" now. Or doesn't need his coin. I don't know.

Changes in Superman team after Issue #6

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:53:21 +0000

CBR is reporting that as of Superman #7, George Perez will step down as writer/breakdown artist to be replaced by Giffen and Dan Jurgens.

And so it goes. Although one does have to wonder over the large number of artist/writers currently working on the new DC books and why, if they need replacing, do they not hire straight-up writers to do so?

Go Teen Titans! A Look at Teen Titans #1

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:32:38 +0000

Go Teen Titans!
Metahuman teens are running loose and unchecked in the new DCU. It’s a borderline plague that is spanning across the entire planet. A global organization known as N.O.W.H.E.R.E. (introduced in Superboy #1) is rounding up these teens. The reasons are unclear, but we can be sure it isn't to give them a full ride to Jean Grey's School for the Higher Learning.

Red Robin (Tim Drake) is working to take down N.O.W.H.E.R.E. He's already leaked information on the organization via blogs and wikis (how modern of you, Tim). Red Robin quickly becomes the center of attention for N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and is surprise-attacked at his penthouse in New York. In typical Bat-Family fashion, Tim has a backup plan. His penthouse is rigged with explosives! He triggers the timer and uses them as a diversionary tactic to allow him to escape while N.O.W.H.E.R.E. scrambles to avoid certain doom. Tim jumps off of his penthouse balcony and out pops a Nolanverse-style Red Robin feathered cape that turns into a glider.

During his N.O.W.H.E.R.E. research, Tim finds clues to help him track Cassie Sandsmark. He finds her just as a N.O.W.H.E.R.E. agent is about to attack her. After taking down the agent and the drone helicopter that follows, Tim makes the first moves towards establishing a team relationship with Cassie (who refuses to be called Wonder Girl, by the way). He explains to her that they (and those like them) are being hunted and can't hope to survive alone. This sets in motion the birth of the Teen Titans.

If you picked up Superboy #1 you know that he is itching to bust some Titan skulls in exchange for his freedom from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Teen Titans #1 leaves on the same ending, so we can expect the clash to occur between both series’ #2 issues.

Red Robin's escape via blowing up his penthouse concerned me. Originally, I looked at it as poor writing, but I do believe that it was intentionally written that way to show how careless that even the most highly trained of the meta teens can be (other examples of youngsters being careless are in the issue as well). I just thought it was really careless for him to blow up a penthouse on one of the tallest buildings in New York. What about the people, Tim?

Overall, it is a good start to the Teen Titans series. The artwork and writing are great. It flows smoothly through the storyline. I'll be picking up #2.

Why You Should Read Aquaman #1

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:18:11 +0000

If any of you are like me, DC's New 52 offers a stunning opportunity. I never bothered getting into comics until now because it was just so much effort. I lived in a small Texas town that didn't have a comics shop and all the superheroes I was interested in had 20 years of backstory that I'd have to dig through just to understand what the hell anyone was talking about. This reboot, coupled with same-day digital releases, has given me a fresh start.

The same can be said for Aquaman. For years he's been a laughingstock but how was anyone supposed to take him seriously? He's the guy that swims around and talks to fish.

Oh. Right. Sorry, sir.

It looks like Geoff Johns is perfectly aware of what everyone imagines when they think of an Aquaman comic and he's making it clear that this Aquaman is every bit the superhero as any of his Justice League comrades.

The issue begins with our friend Aquaman foiling an armored truck robbery while cops and crooks alike crack jokes at his expense.

That is not the last, nor is it the worst jab someone takes at our boy, Arthur Curry. It seems that Aquaman's real power is the ability to suffer fools without impaling them on a giant, golden lobster fork. Aquaman takes himself and his heroics completely seriously while basically every bystander treats him like a joke.

Don't worry, Aquaman. The times, they are a-changin'.

As you've probably noticed in these pictures, the art is just godly. It's meat-and-potatoes superhero style artwork but that doesn't mean it isn't absolutely gorgeous. Very classic. Reis does a remarkable job with Aquaman's movements and facial expressions.

In my mind, if there's one comic that really epitomizes the New 52 reboot, it's this one. It's accessible to new and old and it breathes life into a character with a murky, confusing background. Pick it up; you won't regret it.

What’s Going on With Dick Grayson?

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:14:50 +0000

Nightwing #1, set in current day DCU, puts Dick Grayson back in the Nightwing suit after a year of filling in as Batman for Bruce Wayne. Coming off of his tenure as Batman, Nightwing is more mature, faster, wiser, and evidently deadly.

*** Warning: Spoilers below for Nightwing #1, Supergirl #1, and Batman #1. ***

Something is going on with Dick Grayson, and DC wants you to know it. Dick’s inner monologue in DCU foreshadows information we are presented with at the end of the issue. He mentions that being The Batman can only make you stronger, if it doesn’t drive you mad first. He then drops a large goon in Gotham’s monorail with notable ferocity. He activates red lenses in his cowl and leaves a trail of blood across the goon’s chest in the shape of his Nightwing symbol. Fast track to the end of the issue (I won’t spoil any of the filler) and Dick Grayson gets attacked by an armored assassin. When the cops arrive on the scene, Dick uses the opportunity to escape and change into his Nightwing suit. This is where it gets interesting. During Nightwing’s fight with the unnamed assassin, we learn from the assassin that he is here to kill Dick Grayson because “Dick Grayson is the fiercest killer in all of Gotham, and he doesn’t even know it.”

Hop over to Supergirl #1, also released today (September 21), and we get a reference to the aforementioned conversation when Kara’s super-hearing kicks in for the first time after arriving on Earth.

Now, let’s jump over to Batman #1. The finale of this particular issue has Batman solving a murder alongside Detective Harvey Bullock. Batman collected skin from underneath the murder victim’s fingernail. He then finds a hidden message left on the wall in paint thinner, ignited by Bullock’s cigar, that reads “Bruce Wayne Will Die Tomorrow.” Bullock quips that if someone is going to try to kill Bruce Wayne, it would have to be someone close to him. Alfred beeps in on the Bat-communicator with results of the DNA Batman collected. (Note: Batman is now connected to the Batcave’s computers through the suit no matter where he is.) The Batcave’s computer system matches the DNA 100% to Dick Grayson.

What do you think is going on? Did Dick’s tenure as The Batman cause him to snap? Is he being framed?

Catwoman #1

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:24:53 +0000

Catwoman sets Selina Kyle in the current day Gotham City. She's been around long enough to have friends with bat-ears and enemies that are bombing her downtown Gotham apartment. Did I say bombing? Yes, the story starts with Catwoman (with her cats crammed in a pet taxi) fleeing her apartment just before it is blown to bits by a group of men she'd likely wronged at some point!

Like most of the new 52 issues, Catwoman #1 serves as a method of getting us up to speed with the post-Flashpoint Selina Kyle. Selina's methodology reminds me a lot of the show "Alias." She utilizes various disguises (other than Catwoman), her superior intellect, and her sexuality to get close enough to get what she needs. Though this story lacked substance overall, the Catwoman series promises to be really entertaining. I'll be adding it to my monthly pull list.

What we learned:

Her story is set in the current day DCU
She is still a cat burglar that flirts with both sides of the law
She has a close friend (Lola) who also provides her intel
She doesn't know Batman's identity and doesn’t know if he knows hers
She speaks fluent Russian
She and Batman are sexually (and presumably romantically) involved

The Good

Guillem March's artwork is wonderful
The dialog (written by Judd Winick) is as great as you'd expect. Selina's internal monologue is really entertaining

The ending of the issue is a huge curve ball to the reader

The Bad

It is a warm up issue, so the story doesn't have a lot of substance

Superboy #1 Synopsis (Spoilers)

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:45:21 +0000

When we were introduced to Superboy in Adventures of Superman #501 we weren’t given much of a back story. We had Superboy and three other characters presented to us and we watched them fight for the mantle of Superman. We had the bad haircut and costume that later turned into the everyman that wore a black t-shirt to fight crime.

The New 52, and Scott Lobdell think we deserve better. Superboy’s story starts out at his 3rd month alive in a man sized test tube. He’s the success of a laboratory’s attempt to combined the DNA of Superman with the DNA of an unknown human. (But come on we all know who it is!)

The take on his powers is the same, but we get a closer look. The tests he’s put through in the labs virtual reality simulator show us that his conscience is not limited to his mind but is alive in every cell of his body. He’s really connected to the world around him. His super-senses are almost animal like. He can sense thoughts, emotions, and life. He also has a familiar telekinesis (tactile telekinesis) power that is said to be unique to him alone.

The VR tests are designed by his creators to activate the memories and instincts of Superboy’s on DNA donors. They claim that the VR test are meant to exercise him in preparation of him being released into the world. They become very interested to see that in the reality created by Superboy he is a high school student in a small town in Kansas that lives on a farm. (Normal right? He’s got Superman’s DNA.) What the scientists can’t figure out is why when Superboy sees a woman in a burning building he consistently does not rush to her aid. Sounds like he must have inherited his emotional lexicon from someone else.

In the end Superboy is presented with an opportunity to gain his freedom from his captivity in the laboratory. All he has to do is wipe out a team of young heroes - a team we all know as the “Teen Titans”.

What I really enjoyed about Lobdell's take on Superboy is the use of his thoughts. Superboy's conscience is everywhere in him and his thoughts show it. He's emotional, compassionate, and yet very alien. He's a genius but yet, has no idea why. I am excited for Superboy grow into himself, and curious to see how his human DNA is going to factor in to his development.

Why You Should Read Batgirl #1

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:18:53 +0000

The internet was buzzing when it was announced this summer that Barbara Gordon would be swapping her chair for a cape. Long time fans had grown to love Barbara in her role as Oracle, and after 20 years had fully embraced the notion that she was wheelchair bound. I say to you now, forget everything. Forget the memories you have of Oracle. Forget anything that caused you to grasp on to the notion that she must be bound to her chair. Batgirl is back.

Batgirl #1 not only addresses the events of The Killing Joke, but it gives us a look at what it has done to Barbara emotionally. This introductory story puts us into the perspective of a young Batgirl who has just returned to wearing the cape and cowl after 3 years of being paralyzed. Barbara is having to learn to be Batgirl all over again. We see a Batgirl that is literally shaking at the knees after a fight with a gang of (would be) serial murderers. Make no mistake about it, The Killing Joke BROKE her both physically and mentally. For the first time, we see how the shot to the spine causes her to second guess herself as Batgirl. The internal struggle that is taking place inside of Barbara’s mind is like nothing I’ve read before. It has all the internal dialog of a great Batman story, with all the doubt and lessons of a year one.

Gail Simone does a great job putting the story together. She ties it all together at the end, setting us up for how Batgirl’s own insecurities are going to lead to uncertainty of her true intentions from the GCPD.

How is Barbara Walking Again?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:28:31 +0000

If you're wondering how Barbara Gordon is walking around in the "New 52" universe, Batgirl #1 has an explanation.

We knew earlier in the summer that "The Killing Joke" happened in the "New 52" universe. The result of the shooting is where we were left hanging. As it turns out, after Barbara was shot in the spine by the Joker she was paralyzed for a year and regained the ability to walk.

There was not much in the way of explanation of how exactly she recovered. It is only touched on as Barbara waking up to a miraculous recovery. Could it be our girl in the hood? She does appear in this issue as well.

Action Comics #1

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:41:01 +0000

The New 52 continues! Action Comics #1 was released today. The story takes place just 6 months after Clark's first appearance as Superman (named Superman by Lois Lane).

About Superman
A young Clark Kent uses the guise of Superman (a very Tom Welling blue t-shirt, jeans, leather boots and cape) to explore, and correct, corruption in Metropolis. He then uses the information he learns as Superman to make ends meet writing for an unnamed Metropolis newspaper. He’s best friends with Jimmy Olsen, who works alongside rival reporter Lois Lane. We don’t know if Lois works for the Daily Planet or if Clark does. My assumption is that Lois does.

Public Perception
The public is generally unsure of Superman. The Metropolis PD considers Superman a threat. It really has a Batman feel to it, the way they pursue him. It probably doesn’t help that when Superman is in action his eyes are typically glowing red.

General Sam Lane is in charge of a military task force charged to capture Superman. They have enlisted the help of Lex Luthor. Luthor has put Superman through several tests over the last 6 months, only to discover that Superman is continually increasing in strength. At the end of Action Comics #1 Superman is knocked unconscious by a bullet train smashing him into a wall and is apprehended.

His Super Powers
Superman’s powers seem to be in their early stages. In this issue we see him demonstrate super-hearing, x-ray vision, heat vision, super jump, super speed (listed at 200 mph), super strength, and a level of invulnerability. His invulnerability is certainly not the caliber we’re used to, as mortar shells to the head caused bruising and the bullet train that knocked him out also caused blood to flow from his left ear. He’s still tough as nails - make no mistake. No flight!

My Personal Thoughts
I am excited for this issue. It is great to explore the early days of Superman, and I am happy that they are letting his powers mature with a little throwback to the original Action Comics. What I didn’t enjoy was his attitude or his methods. I can excuse it because he’s starting out and he isn’t the authoritative figure that we assume he’ll one day be. It is just a bit of a change for me. Superman hanging someone over the roof of a building with fire red eyes didn’t sit well with me. That business belongs in Gotham. It just doesn’t seem like the type of thing the Man of Steel would do. Maybe all of that is gone though. It is certainly possible that this “new” Superman is darker than the one we’re used to seeing.

The second thing I didn’t enjoy had to do with Morrison and Morales. The story seemed to go everywhere, and the artwork did nothing to help the disorganization. Often times I had to re-read panels or entire pages to figure out exactly what just happened and what was going on. Hopefully #2 will be more organized.

And Just One More Thing
Our hooded figure showed up again.

Austin Books Justice League #1 Midnight Release...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:41:44 +0000

Austin Books packed fans in on Tuesday night as people came from all over to get their copy of Flashpoint #5 and Justice League #1, which was released at midnight. DC Comics fans circled through the store taking advantage of a sale on back issues as well. It was a lot of fun to walk around the store and speak to comics fans and hear the chatter of excitement as we all waiting for midnight to come.

How would you imprison Captain Marvel, the Worl...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:49:53 +0000

I've been trying to plot out the grand finale of a fanfic set in the DCAU. My plan is to use the Justice League Unlimited version of Captain Marvel/Billy as a major character.

My current thinking is that it would be very helpful if I could find a plausible way for the evil mastermind to somehow imprison/restrain Captain Marvel's super-strong body. (Let's face it: Any schmuck could imprison the ordinary body of young Billy Batson, but that wouldn't fit my plans and it wouldn't impress the readers as being much of an accomplishment on the villain's part.)

I want the bad guy using chains, or a dungeon cell, or something along those lines to keep the Big Red Cheese immobilized for a lengthy period of time. But I want Cap conscious during at least part of it, so that he can hear the villain gloating about his own diabolical cleverness. Therefore, just using telepathy or magic to mind-control Cap or to simply knock him out like a light wouldn't be good enough -- not all by itself, anyway.

Even if such a method is used at first to soften him up, I will still need him to wake up, in his right mind, and find himself truly trapped -- in a cage, or shackles, or whatever.

About all I came up with at the time was: "I could handwave it as 'Heap Big Magic.' The villain isn't a sorcerer -- but he bought special equipment from somebody who is. Or he dug it up in an ancient temple, or some silly thing. Mention it to the reader as a convenient way of 'justifying' why certain shackles -- glowing blue or some weird thing -- are, in fact, able to immobilize Cap's body for a while."

But I'm not wildly enthusiastic about using such a thin excuse for rendering "the World's Mightiest Mortal" helpless. So now I'm asking for advice from other fans.

If you were a supervillain and you wanted to immobilize the incredibly powerful body of Captain Marvel when he was wide awake -- not keeping him mind-controlled or stuck in a trance or anything similar -- how would you do it? Have any villains ever achieved that exact trick in a previously published story?

(I seem to be working on the assumption that the villain doesn't know anything about the "magic lightning," so his plans don't revolve around controlling or blocking it.)

How often do smart DC villains come up with rea...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:47:44 +0000

I'm wondering -- what are the most memorable times that a supervillain, supposedly a clever one, has come up with some elaborate plan which had a huge flaw in it that he didn't even notice at the time?

I don't just mean "my plan failed because Superman showed up." I mean some fundamental flaw that meant the plan probably would have failed anyway, somewhere along the line, even if no superheroes had derailed it by doing something the supervillain wasn't ready to counter as fast as it happened!

I'd prefer to restrict this thread to DC-related stuff. (That includes old stories originally published at Milestone, Wildstorm, Fawcett, Quality, etc.) I'll probably start a parallel thread about memorable cases of Bad Master Plans in the Marvel Universe at some later date.

I'll provide an example which I mentioned in another thread yesterday. It was what got me thinking about a case where a supposedly-clever bad guy "really should have known better."

Way, way back in "Batman #276," published in the 1970s, The Spook (Val Kaliban) labored hard to set Batman up and make him think he was guilty of murdering . . . The Spook.

As I understand it from what I've read -- http://farm3.static...._40cea25802.jpg, for instance -- the following checklist covers the way things were supposed to happen (but didn't) once The Spook set his "master plan" in motion:

1. Goad Batman verbally and use "subliminal messages" to get him to completely lose his temper and hit Spook really, really hard.

2. The Spook "drops dead." Thanks to his studies in India, he can reduce his vital signs to a point of "suspended animation" such that he appears dead if someone grabs his wrist and tries to find a pulse.

3. Batman, after failing to find that pulse, becomes convinced that he's gone over the line and murdered one of his enemies. (Or at least committed unpremeditated "manslaughter," I suppose?) Shocked by his own behavior, he abandons the role of Batman forever.

4. The Spook's death is officially confirmed. He gets a funeral and is buried in a graveyard. (After all, if the body disappeared an hour after Batman "killed" the guy, then Batman just might smell a rat.)

5. Weeks later, after Batman ought to be psychologically broken, The Spook wakes up from his "near-death" trance, somehow escapes from the buried coffin (perhaps henchmen have been paid in advance to excavate him?), and now he can have a blast in a world where Batman is no longer active. (My guess is that he would have abandoned the identity of "The Spook," however, so that Batman would never realize he'd been conned!)

Of course that plan never worked out in practice -- they didn't even make it as far as Step #2. Batman figured out what was happening and "dropped dead" himself (apparently using similar highly developed abilities of mind over matter to slow his vital signs to imperceptible levels). The Spook, furious at being cheated of his intended victory, started ranting and raving about how it was supposed to have gone!

The really funny thing is Step #5 in that plan couldn't have worked anyway, even if all the rest of it did!

The Spook's "brilliant" plan overlooked one important point. In the modern world, when a man's "corpse" is found, and the police have reason to suspect foul play, they have a Medical Examiner do a full autopsy on that corpse. Slice open the torso, start removing vital organs, examine each organ for signs of poison or disease or anything else which might conceivably be relevant to answering such questions as how and when and why this person dropped dead.

It would serve The Spook right if he had died on the dissection table under a pathologist's scalpel.

Even if his death were written off to "natural causes" or "accident" or something, a mortician probably would have set up his equipment to pump embalming fluid into "the late Val Kaliban's" veins before they buried him in a local cemetery, though. That could also be fatal!

So any way you look at it, The Spook's plan was doomed to fail, at least where the part about his living long enough to gloat about the destruction of Batman was concerned! He should thank his lucky stars that Batman derailed the plan at an early stage!

The New 52 is Upon Us, A Review of Justice Leag...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 04:08:22 +0000

Fans at Austin Books & Comics were clamoring to get their copy of Justice League #1, which was released at midnight all across the country. So now with the release of Justice League #1 and the culmination of Flashpoint, DC Universe has set the New 52 in motion. What happens and what did we learn from Justice League #1?

Spoilers in the Synopsis below:

JL #1 starts off in Gotham City, with Batman pursuing an extraterrestrial shapeshifter, while being pursued by Gotham PD himself. GCPD helicopters are firing away as Batman pursues our unknown ET. Suddenly, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) appears on the scene claiming to have been sent to Gotham after receiving a notification that an unknown extraterrestrial was in Gotham City.

We learn here that Batman is indeed an urban legend in this new universe, as GL is shocked that he is actually real. Green Lantern goes on to question what Batman can do and delivers what is sure to be a classic conversation:

Quote

Green Lantern: What are your powers anyway? You can’t fly.
Batman: No.
Green Lantern: Super-strength?
Batman: No.
Green Lantern: Hold on a second... You’re not just some guy in a bat costume are you? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!
(Batman flashes a Christian Baleish grin and steals GL’s power ring for observation)

We also find out that people are not only scared of the Batman (who of course is using it to his advantage), but of all supers as Green Lantern has had issues with the military pursuing him in Coast City.

As the two pursue the ET (who just wiped out the pursuing GCPD) we get a taste of something to come. Before exploding into an inferno, the ET attaches a motherbox to a wall and screams out “DARKSEID!”, to which Hal assumes is a rock band. (Ha!)

Batman sees the motherbox and assesses it as an alien computer. Green Lantern assumes that it might have something to do with Superman. We find out here that though Batman has not met Superman, he’s researched his power levels and is already aware of how dangerous he could potentially be. Lantern assumes that Superman will be no match for him. With that, the two travel to Metropolis to talk to Superman. Which leads to some more great dialog:

Quote

Batman: You flew us to Metropolis in a glowing green jet?
Green Lantern: You can’t fly, so how else were we going to get here? Talk in a deep voice?

Hal traps Batman in a green cage (presuming that no Superman can be strong enough to be a Lantern) and walks into a demolition zone/LexCorp facility where, according to his ring, Superman is located. Moments later Hal is seen soaring out into the open sky, presumably knocked back by Superman. Superman then appears and surveys Batman, asking him "so...what can you do?" Setting up Batman vs. Superman in issue #2.

We also get a quick look at Vic Stone between Batman & GL’s travel time to Metropolis. He is fully human at the moment.

Overall I think it was a well written issue that makes it exciting to see how all of these moving pieces are going to fit together. There was a lot of great dialog between Batman and Green Lantern. I hope that we get more of that as this series moves forward.

Batman: Knight of Vengeance

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:47:02 +0000

Everything right now is Flashpoint, Flashpoint, Flashpoint. It’s all we hear about. On top of that, many readers are really hesitant to get into a storyline right now since DC is just going to shift into another gear in September. Because of that I feel like it is my duty to you to point out the good stories that might otherwise be lost in the shuffle.

This week I want to recommend you all read Batman: Knight of Vengeance. “But Aaron, this is a Flashpoint story...why are you recommending it?” Because Flashpoint side stories are just that: Side stories, and are easy to pass up or overlook. So what makes this so important? Minor character spoilers follow the break...

This Story Is Important To Batman Fans

It is important because it is the first story to feature Thomas Wayne as anything other than a dream or a flashback. Knight of Vengeance has Thomas Wayne in the drivers seat. He IS Batman. Not Bruce, not Dick, but Thomas. This timeline features what would have happened had Bruce been killed on that night outside of the theater in Crime Alley.

So What Else Makes It Worth It?

You get a glimpse of a totally different Gotham. Thomas took a drastically different route than his son in his effort to stop crime in Gotham. I don’t want to give away too much, but this Gotham has Thomas best friends with Jim Gordan, working alongside Oswald Cobblepot, and living in the ruins of what was once stately Wayne Manor. Also, you ge to enjoy the grumblings of Thomas as Batman who has to be pushing 60 by now. He’s an old man and he’s not afraid to complain about it. You’ve got to read it yourself to get the full effect.

If do you do give this series a read, or are reading it now give us a comment and let us know what you think about it. It is a 3 part series, so it isn't a huge investment to get into. Give it a shot!

Reading Checking

New Headliners In The New 52 Lineup

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:44:18 +0000

Among many returning, revamped old favorites, there are some new characters and starring roles for existing characters new to the spotlight.

You can read my earlier post in M'Onel's Justice League Line-up Leaks thread for a complete listing of titles in the new DC post-September line-up, or get the complete information plus cover art straight from The Source at DC's blog.

Here are some of the new titles I find particularly interesting:

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS

Wow. Love him or hate him, Jason Todd is back with a vengeance. Batman's second apprentice to don the Robin costume, who died at the hands of the Joker only to be reborn and return to haunt the Bat family of heroes as a villain, returns yet again to be chosen as a leader of a new group, The Outlaws. Rounding out the team are Starfire and Roy Harper, better known as Speedy, then Red Arrow, and now the fallen, perhaps psychically damaged Arsenal. Arsenal and Todd together should make for one heck of a lot of drama.

BATWING

Answering a question previously discussed at The Kryptonian, we can now assume that at least some of the Batman Incorporated theme will survive in the revamped DC Universe as Batwing, the new Batman of Africa, get's his own title of the same name. Of all the newer titles introduced I think this will be the biggest gamble. It will be interesting to see if a new international character with little to no previous history with DC fans can carry a new series on his own. Maybe with enough initial cameo appearances by the more familiar Bat heroes, the series can build a fan base.

RED LANTERNS

With an existing fan base growing out of Blackest Night, Brightest Day and War of The Green Lanterns, Atrocitus and his Red Lanterns getting a series of their own should be an instant success. I've personally heard lots of good buzz and anticipation from all the fans at my local comic shop. I can't wait for this one.

AQUAMAN

Aquaman finally headlines the title, fans at The Kryptonian have talked about for years. If you're at all concerned that the character was broken down and built up in Blackest Night and Brightest Day only to have his role fizzle toward the end of the run, the staff at DC promises "to take AQUAMAN to amazing new depths!" Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado come together to bring new life to this undersea star. As someone who used to be a naysayer myself when it came to this character, I have to admit that DC has gone a long way toward giving the character dimension, personality and drama stemming from personal tragedy. It will be interesting to see him in his own series.

CAPTAIN ATOM

I have to say I don't really get the interest in this character having his own starring role, not to mention DC has not put what I would term my personal favorite staff members on this series. I'll have to page through the first issue to decide about this one. What I know from past stories involving this character tells me that if you like stories about military men becoming superheroes, you may be interested in checking out this new series.

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM

This isn't your same old Firestorm, or even your same even older Firestorm. As we learned in Blackest Night and Brightest Day one member each from the original Firestorm team and the more recent Firestorm team have been murdered. Now Jason and Ronnie must come together as the new Firestorm and battle new evils. DC has been building up the character for some time, telling us in previous stories that Firestorm may in fact be the most powerful being in the Multiverse. So where do they go with that? Find out in this new series starring Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond as Firestorm.

Mister Terrific

Ripped from the pages of previous JSA series, Mr. Terrific returns with what is perhaps the most dramatically different new costume in the DC Universe with his own series. With cover art reminiscent of The Atom exploring electrical circuitry DC's description of the first issue has Mr. Terrific "[inhabiting] a world of amazement few others know exists, let alone can comprehend." If you were a fan of the Mr. Terrific before, this new series promises to explore the character in new depths.

Finally, among the series newer to DC are the titles loosely collected under the heading The Dark and The Edge. I can't really say much about these titles because many of them are recently acquired or merged with recently acquired titles that are new to DC.

There promises to be something for everyone as all these new titles join returning fan-favorites in the new DC line-up of 52 first issues. Check it out at DC COMICS THE NEW 52.

Abin Sur Flashpoint Preview

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:42:08 +0000

Wow! Check out this awesome preview of next week's Abin Sur: The Green Lantern Flashpoint issue. DC has released an exclusive preview of cover art and content from the issue at IGN.

Green Lantern fans will love this issue. It has back-story panels of Abin Sur training Thaal Sinestro, arguably Green Lantern mythology's most beloved villain.

The issue deals with Abin Sur's decision to go against the Guardians of Oa. Here is what DC posted on The Source about the issue:

Quote

Abin Sur finds himself on Earth to retrieve the white entity. Yet his priorities change when he meets Hal Jordan and realizes how valuable and worth saving Earth is. As he forms an allegiance with Cyborg to save the doomed planet, Abin Sur is secretly visited by Sinestro. How will his old friend’s reveal of the prophecy called “Flashpoint” affect Abin Sur’s mission to protect Earth? And what does it mean for their relationship?

FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR – THE GREEN LANTERN #2 is written by Adam Schlagman and features art by Robson Rocha, Felipe Massafera, Joe Prado, and Rod Reis. To view exclusive preview pages, head over to IGN and be sure to look for the issue when it hits stands on Wednesday.

Justice League line-up leaks

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:55:56 +0000

CBR reported today that there has been an "oops" moment due to marketing material for the upcoming Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Quote

Aside from the known heroes who would grace the series from Superman to Cyborg, the image reveals in its margins eight other characters likely to round out the new Justice League. They're numbers include Deadman, The Atom, new character being introduced in the "Flashpoint" crossover Element Woman, Firestorm, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Aquaman's wife Mera and another female character who is as of yet unidentified

[CBR]

City of Heroes Going Free To Play

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:37:43 +0000

Announcing City of Heroes Freedom and Issue 21: Convergence!

While free players will have access to the game, a paid "VIP" account will be available to those who want to get to extra content, including a VIP only Server. For those who already have a paid account when Issue 21 launches, they will automatically be upgraded to a VIP account.

I can't say I'm surprised. I like that they are really rewarding people who keep their subscriptions though, and the free account is REALLY restricted in number of character slots.

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Abin Sur Flashpoint Preview

Justice League line-up leaks

Recommended Reading: The Reign Of The Doomsdays

City of Heroes Going Free To Play