Geek Stuff

So much stuff to catch up on. First up, GEEKTRESS launched weeks ago and I never posted to mention it. I suck. Go read. It's cool. Dane and Brenda have excellent recaps of Star Trek: the Original Series and Sarah Connor Chronicles respectively, and I highly recommend them. Dane's ST:TOS recaps especially. They are probably my favorite thing about the site.

Of course, Brenda, Rania and I are still doing the podcast thing. You can get the most recent episodes through the site too. If you listen to the podcast, and you like it, I highly encourage you to let us know. We are desperate for feedback. If you are so inclined, you can do so at PodOMatic , by email at comments[at]geektress.com, or by calling the voicemail number that Brenda gives in the podcast.

Speaking of podcasts, I have been listening to a bunch of comics ones, and I have fallen in love with Comic Book Queers. They are awesome and hilarious. And when I listened to their Jean vs. Emma podcast, I totally came out of it liking Emma. It only lasted until the next time I opened a comic book with her in it, but I am definitely more tolerant of her now. Considering my desperation for feedback, I should probably email them to tell them how much I love their podcast. Hmm...I'll look into that.

Comic Thoughts:

Uncanny X-Men: Schmoopy Scott and Emma kind of make me want to vomit, but aside from that, I'm digging what Brubaker is doing here. The Kurt/Piotr/Logan stuff is a hoot and the next issue looks like it is going to be trippy...and that's not just me using outdated slang like I am known to do. The art is gorgeous as well. Everyone looks smokin' hot. I wish there was another female carachter on the team though. Brubaker said Storm would be popping up now and then, so I guess that's something. Grrr...now I am even more pissed at Whedon for maybe, possibly killing Kitty off. I was totally serious in the podcast about never forgiving him. Never.

Buffy, Season 8: Issue #10 was like a sucker punch to the kidneys, and this one was just totally wow. I didn't even know I cared who was under that mask until that fake out (a perfectly Whedon moment, I might add). Damn you, Joss! I also think that Whedon is really finding his stride as far as scripting these characters for comics. In the first couple of issues, there was a problem with them not really sounding distinctive, which I chalked up to Whedon not being used to no being able to rely on actors to provide a unique voice, since it is not a problem he has on other comics. That's not a problem any more at all. Next up is a werewolf arc scripted by Godard. So cool! And I bet Oz will be back. Even better!

Nightwing: I have never read this comic before in my life, but I 100% approve of the character's new direction. As a matter of fact, the whole being the curator at the Cloisters thing is why I picked it up. (Well, that and seeing how beautifully Rags Morales renders NYC.) It may seem a bit improbable, but rich people pulling strings is pretty much how people get those jobs. I heartily approve of the new love interest too, since she's a history geek who is also a Mets fan. That's good people right there. Tomasi is also telling a pretty cool story in his first arc, but it's Dick's interaction with various members of the DCU, particularly Bruce Wayne, that has been the real treat so far. I am so loving this.

Manhunter: I just read Volume 4 and it was great. When is DC going to start publishing this book again? I was pretty content reading the trades, but I would be willing to switch to floppies just to support it. It is so good. Everyone run out and get the trades so DC will get the hint.

Birds of Prey: I'm pretty happy that Bedard is going to be the new writer on this title. His fill ins were great. I didn't hate McKeever's issues, and I'm sure given time, he would have improved, but Ii think Bedard is the right man for the job.

Trinity: Damn you DC for announcing a weekly comic I actually want to read. Bastards! This is so not going to be good for my wallet.

Spider-Man Family: According to the latest Lying in the Gutters, this title is going to become the place for married Spider-Man. This makes me happy. Not because I'm getting my Spider-Man back. He's still the ass who passive agressively forced his wife into doing the decision making on the Mephisto deal and then didn't say a word while she made some sort of side deal so that he could have a chance at happiness (jerk!). I miss Mary Jane. She's still awesome. I just hope they do it right. I have an idea in my head about what I want them to do with it, and I know I will be disappointed if they don't do it. Uhg! I am so going to be disappointed.

Spectacular Spider-Man: We've got episode descriptions for the premier episodes airing March 8th. It's nice that someone remembers Liz Allan.

That's it for now. I'll see you when I see you. Don't forget to visit Geektress.

Damn You Brian K. Vaughn!

Marvel Knight's next big miniseries the three-issue "Logan," starring Wolverine and written by Brian K Vaughan and drawn by Eduardo Risso. "I'd expect first quarter of 2008," Alonso said of the series' debut. "Eduardo's just about done."

What happened to only doing creator owned stuff from now on, huh? Why you gotta go and write a Wolverine story? I don't wanna read a Wolverine story, but now I have to. Don't I? Not cool, BKV. Not cool at all.

In Praise of Red Sonja's Belly

There was a comment to on my Spider-Man/Red Sonja #1 review asking who the artist was, and I thought I should just do a quick post on it, because I really should have mentioned it in the first place. Pencils were done by Mel Rubi, with color by Brian Buccellato. It was written by Michael Avon Oeming.

This was a big oversight on my part because 1)it's always important to give credit to the creative team, and 2) the art is very good. If I am going to take the time to call out Michael Turner on his general Michael Turner-ness, I should take the time to mention that Rubi did a great job on the interior art. My only defence is that I was distracted by all the awesome.

As my anonymous commenter pointed out, and I quote, "MJ's got belly! She's not stick-thin or inhumanly tuned, she's actually curvy and fleshy and realistic!" I believe that Rubi is the regular artist on Red Sonja, so I would assume that he always makes Red Sonja look like this. It's good to know that she's being drawn to like like someone who could, conceivably, carry a sword.

Anyway, Spider-Man/Red Sonja is not a book you should judge by it's cover. Rubi draws a pretty cool looking Spider-Man too.



Issue #2 isn't coming out until September 19th, and I'm already impatient for it.

And to anyone who came over here from When Fangirls Attack, thanks for reading. It's made me all self conscious though. I am suitably embarrassed of all my typos. Not embarrassed enough to go back and fix them, but embarrassed all the same.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

From Newsarama's interview with new Amazing Spider-Man writer Zeb Wells:

What I’m most excited about is bringing back the feeling that Spider-Man (and Peter Parker) can make mistakes. When a hero’s been around as long as Spidey there’s a tendency to make him too perfect, too confident. Our Spidey often makes the wrong decision in trying to do the right thing. I think the classic Spidey stories always revolve around these situations, and it’s an important facet to bring back. Oh, yeah... and web shooters!

OK, first of all, Spidey doesn't make mistakes anymore? Uh...I think he's made some pretty friggin' huge mistakes lately. Kingpin didn't call him a chump for nothing. Mostly though, there will be web shooters.

Don't get me wrong, I think organic web shooters make sense. I got over my fannish objections to their inclusion in the movie a long time ago, probably before the first movie even came out, but giving Spider-Man organic web shooters in the comics after so long did not make sense. I mean, using magic to fundamentally change a character - how dumb is that?

I'll give Marvel credit for one thing though. A while back, Quesada and Breveroot made a comment at a con that the Spider-marriage was an example of the carriage pulling the horse. It wasn't done for story related reasons. It was done so that all versions of Spider-Man would be the same. I thought this was pretty hypocritical coming from the guys who oversaw the web shooter change, so going back to mechanical web shooters means they aren't total fucking hypocrites. Well, I guess they sorta still are since Quesada has been bitching about Mary Jane forever. However, they are correcting themselves, so that's got to count for something. Good for you guys!

The Amazing Spider-Reboot

So there were a lot of announcements made at San Diego Comic con International, and many that I want to comment on, but, as always, the uncertain state of the Spider-Man comics is my top priority. And the Spider-Man announcements were big and plentiful, but far more interesting was the stuff that was all but confirmed. Here are some comments from Newsarama's roundtable discussion with the new "thrice monthly" Amazing Spider-Man writers:

Bob Gale: "(Also - Joe assured me we would not be bringing Gwen Stacey back to life. That would have been a deal-breaker for me.)"

Dan Slott: "But now it's time for some pure, New York City, can't pay the rent, can't get a date, crackin' wise, kickin' butt Spider-Man. And taking that Spidey to new and surprising places."

I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that if Slott is talking about Spidey not being able to get a date and Gale was worried that Marvel intended to bring back Gwen Stacy, we've got our confirmation of a mystical reboot, which conveniently only wipes out Spider-Man's marriage, Aunt May's probable death, and possibly the whole secret identity reveal. Is it too much to ask that it wipes out all the Civil War crap. Why not just turn the whole Marvel Universe back to 1986? That would be awesome. We could have Jean Grey back.

*sigh*

At least they aren't bringing back Gwen Stacy. I was really afraid they were going to do that, and the fact that Bob Gale had to be assured they weren't going to do that makes me think that my fears weren't unfounded. I bet it was under serious consideration. Please note that if they want to bring Harry Osborne back, I'm okay with that. Why yes, I am a total hypocrite, but 1) Harry's death was hardly the groundbreaking and character defining event that Gwen Stacy's death was; and 2) I'm still bitter that everyone but Harry got a resurrection in House of M: Spider-Man.

I'll admit that I am really happy about a lot of the things the writers are talking about, like an increased focus on supporting characters, the creation of new characters, and new villains. I just don't really get why they need to completely undo years of continuity in order to get that. They didn't even try to do any of that without rebooting the character. That pisses me off, because I've been saying that they needed to do that for years, and without once ever thinking that the Spider-family dynamic needed to change. As any regular reader well knows, I love Peter and MJ's marriage.

Anyway, I am pretty lukewarm about the writers that have been announced. I don't know Bob Gale's work. Dan Slott's Free Comic Book Day issue was good, but didn't rock my world. I don't think I've liked anything by Guggenheim that I have read (and the fact that he continually reinforces the idea that Wolverine is nigh unkillable in that series will always piss me off about him), but he apparently quit a career in law to write comics, so at least he has good common sense. Finally, the only thing I have read by Wells is Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways. It was okay, but I think I will enjoy anything with those characters. My no shot in hell picks were Jeff Parker and Matt Fraction. I wanted Parker because I now believe he should write everything (at least he's doing Spider-Man Family), and Fraction because the Sensational Spider-Man Annual was the best Spidey comic in years. Of course, the Sensational Spider-Man Annual was all about how great the Peter and Mary Jane marriage is, so that alone probably ruled him out.

The artists are way cooler. Jimenez was something we already suspected because of the Free Comic Book Day issue, but it's nice to have that confirmed. Bachalo and Larroca had preview art leaked prior to the announcement, so that was already out there. As far as I know, McNiven was a surprise though. His preview art looks amazing. Look at this:

I'm really happy about the artists. And at the end of the day, whatever misgivings I have about a reboot, if the stories are good, the art is good, and I feel like I am getting my money's worth, I will keep reading. It is Spidey after all.

I still have a lot of fears though. I don't know what to make of Jackpot, other than Jimenez's version is a lot prettier than Larroca's. (It's the hair. I love the hair.) I have no doubt that Mary Jane will continue to be the primary love interest in Peter Parker's life, even if we get a lot of him dating other people for a while. Unfortunately, I don't really like the idea of Peter being with a superhero, at least not in the long term. He belongs with a civilian. He's just that type of character. If they plan on making Mary Jane a superhero permanently, I'm not going to be happy. She was already a really cool character. She didn't need superpowers. Also, I think the story would have been a lot more fun if it was done with a married Peter and MJ. I am still hoping it's all some goofy Silver Age Lois Lane kind of riff (Basically, there are two ways I would buy Mary Jane suddenly getting powers and becoming a superhero: 1) to completely freak out, try to avoid it, but finally embrace what she knows, that with great power comes great responsibility; or 2) to just make a goofy costume and treat the whole thing like a lark. Look at that costume. She totally went for option 2.), but Larroca's preview art seems to indicate more broodiness than crack:

Also, if they are going to do a reboot that wipes out the marriage and the secret identity reveal, I would really like them to do some stories where Mary Jane knows that Peter is Spider-Man, but he doesn't know she knows. I doubt this will happen, since they will probably wipe out MJ's knowledge of his secret identity too. (Writers seem to be far more inclined to clueless females needing to be told as opposed to figuring things out for themselves lately, which sucks.) According to Parallel Lives, which was supposed to be official canon, Mary Jane had known since the night Ben Parker was killed, but since that was a retcon, we never got to see what that really meant for her character. There was one really great issue of The Untold Tales of Spider-Man, but that was it. There's good stuff to be mined there. Unfortunately, there's not many single Spidey stuff I can think of that I haven't seen before.

Finally, what's the deal with Dan Slott's "can't get a date" comment? Did he actually read the Lee/Ditko and Lee/Romita eras? Is he talking about before the spider bite? Betty Brant and Liz Allen. Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Dude had girls fighting over him. It was keeping the dates that was the problem.

Hey, do you think they will get rid of the organic web shooters? I could get down with that too.

Scout Attacks! week 20: Still Catching Up Part 2

I think I'm almost caught up now, but I noticed that I still haven't talked about how awesome X-Men First Class #1 was, and #2 is coming out on Wednesday. Uhg! I'm going to do and X-edition of Scout Attacks. It's the only solution.

Fables #63: It's hard to review this book just because it is so consistently good. That doesn't really leave a lot to say. I will say that I felt like this arc was going to be the best storyline ever, and I'm just not feeling that, but it's still really great. Also, Prince Charming has developed into really effectual character and I never expected that at all. I did think that the sequence where Beast is buying out all those sniper, or whatever, training schools was kind of scary, just because of the implication that all of that is being done and it is not tipping off any non-Fable authorities. Maybe it will though. Who knows where Willingham is going to go with all this.

Green Arrow Year One #1: I really enjoyed this. I like the art a lot, and the writing does a good job of giving hints of the genuinely good guy that lurks under the douchebag exterior. The fact that Ollie idolized Robin Hood as a boy says a lot on its own, but even his drunken speech, when he says that "If any of us really gave a rat's ass about the poor little druggies, we'd be down in the ghetto handing out needles right now -- instead of swanning around here in our thousand-dollar monkey suits!" he shows that he does know the right thing to do. (It's also kind of funny when you think about what happened to Speedy.) I really appreciated the Howard Hill reference too. Kudos to them for using a real reference, instead of deciding it was too out of date. Anyway, this isn't the greatest thing ever, but it's really very good.

Superman #664: I really loved this issue. There are just so many little moments to enjoy, like the interaction between Lois and Jimmy, the Prankster, or an entire splash page devoted to Superman getting hit with a giant pie! The bigger reasons why this issue was so great is that the story in general. It has really gone from being something that I wasn't really sure what to make of to being genuinely intriguing. And I love how Superman has to deal with the fact that, while everyone loves him, there is always this underlying fear of his power. He does get mind controlled often, and it is good to see that he has found ways to deal with that. They send in every flying member of the JLA and the JSA to stop him too, which leaves Batman out, but even he was on the case. And there's Squad K too, which actually just makes a lot of sense. It just illustrates how catastrophic a bad Superman could be. Another great character moment was how Superman was so frustrated about losing Arion that he went and took down the Prankster just so he could feel like he accomplished something. That's such a normal, relatable impulse. It's clear that everything is building to something, and I can't wait. I'm annoyed that the story is being interrupted for a Countdown tie-in issue. So disappointing. Anyway, this was a really great issue and I think that Busiek is doing a wonderful job of telling a meaningful story while also keeping things exciting and fun. Pacheco's art is great too. Did I mention that the Prankster hits Superman with a giant pie? Because he does and it is awesome.

Superman Confidential #5: Another great Superman comic. I actually thought this was the weakest issue of the series so far, the reveal that the Kryptonite's sentience had taken over Anthony Gallo's body and was not going to explain everything to Superman seemed a little too easy to me. It's still so good, and such an original story though. Also, I'm willing to give Cooke the benefit of the doubt that he's going somewhere with this, and with Lex Luthor showing up at the end like that, I am excited to see what happens in the conclusion. I don't think I need to repeat my feelings about Tim Sale's art either. It's gorgeous. I'm going to be sorry when this is over.

Supernatural Origins #3: Things are starting to tie into the show a bit more now as Harvelle's Bar is introduced and we see when John first met Ellen. Jo gets a mention too, and my only problem with that is that I can't really believe that she is supposed to be as old as Dean, or even Sam. We're also starting to see these characters become more like the versions of themselves we know from the show.

Deadpool GLI Summer Fun Spectacular: HAHAHAHAHA! That's my review. I will also add that Tippy-Toe's interjection was awesome. You can't not love this: "Yeah, that's right. Squirrel Girl totally pwns Doc Doom? Know why? 'Cause of somethin' that happened in a story by Steve - freakin' - Ditko! That's so in continuity. So just deal with it, fanboy." You cannot argue with that. It was pretty amazing that Marvel poke fun at emo-Speedball like that though. They literally point out why there was no need for him to go all creepy self-cutter, because it wasn't his fault. P-Cat, the Penitent Puss is simultaneously hilarious, depressing and horrifying. Ah, Squirrel Girl, you made a noble effort and we love you for it.

The New Avengers #32: The problem with this issue isn't that it wasn't entertaining, it was, despite the fact that it was just the team talking on a plane. It wasn't that it was explaining why we, the readers, should care that Elektra was a Skrull. It was that it was necessary to explain to the readers the significance of Elektra being a Skrull. As I've said before, I like the concept behind what Bendis is going for here, but this reveal just wasn't good enough. It wasn't shocking. It didn't sell the implications that are talked about in this issue. It was only Elektra. If it was revealed that key leading members in Shield were Skrulls, that would have sold it. Maybe. I'm not even sure. I just think this needed to be a lot bigger to have real significance. Aanother problem with this issue was that the plane is going down, and for no apparent reason, Dr. Strange can't use any magic to help. That was dumb.

Just Some Stuff

I'm still catching up. I've been trying to work on some stuff for another project. Hopefully, I will get another batch of reviews before I start reading The Deathly Hollows, but I don't know how long my willpower can hold out. Also, Say Anything was on, and that's never conducive to work. Anyway, just a few things I wanted to mention.

KryptonSite has a first look at Smallville's Supergirl, Laura Vandervoort. I'd say she looks pretty much exactly as I expected her to look. She's a pretty girl, but mostly she looks like every other skinny blond girl in Hollywood, or Vancouver, whichever. Is it wrong that I wish she were wearing more clothing? I should just be happy that she's wearing incredibly short shorts instead of an incredibly short skirt.

Also, Wolverine has a director, and it's not Brett Ratner. I'm kind of optimistic now. I haven't seen Tsotsi, but pulling directors out of the indie worlds has worked really well for comic book films in the past though. Now if we can just make sure it doesn't include three scenes of him crying, we'll be OK.

I did, however, think that it was weird that the Variety article on the announcement (via The Beat), states:

Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with the more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Barry Windsor-Smith and work by Frank Miller, "Wolverine" mixes action with an origin story about how Logan emerged from a barbaric experiment as an indestructible mutant with retractable razor-sharp claws.

Did I miss something? I do not remember any Frank Miller Wolverine comics. Nothing about Wolverine is mentioned on Miller's Wikipedia page either. It looks like the article was changed too, since it is quoted at The Beat as reading "Using several resources that include the Marvel Comics lore, along with more recent Weapon X graphic novels by Frank Miller." So, am I just unable to find these comics, or , after Sin City and 300, are they just saying that everything is written by Frank Miller these days? I think I'd be interested in reading a Wolverine comic by Frank Miller. Logan's already just ridiculous enough for it to not make too big a difference.

Finally, there's the news about Seth Rogen writing and possibly staring in a Green Hornet movie. I don't know how I feel about that. They better cast someone who totally kicks ass as Kato though, because I don't really have a lot of faith that Rogen can pull off the action.

Is Spider-Man Supposed To Look Like the Red Skull?

It's not just me right? I'm digging the concepts behind these covers, but the execution is kind of ugly.

Anyway, here's the description that went along with the cover:

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #41
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Pencils & 50/50 Cover by JOE QUESADA
50/50 Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
“ONE MORE DAY” Part 3
The most-talked about – and controversial – comic event of the year continues, brought to you by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada! Brace yourself, Spidey fans, after this, nothing will be the same for Peter Parker!
The stakes have never been higher. At his darkest hours – and he's had plenty – Peter has always had one shoulder to lean on, one person who'd remind him who he is, who he was, and who he can be. Now he's about to lose that person. What would he do...what would you do, if you only had "One More Day?"
48 PGS./Rated A …$3.99

I really think it's Aunt May who is going to die. I suppose that the lesser of two (three if you count Black Cat) evils, since a) she's roughly 900 years old, and b) there's not nearly as much of a point to having her around not that she knows everything. I was digging the family dynamic with Peter, MJ and Aunt May though. Also, like Mary Jane, Aunt May has already died once, so it's hard to believe it's going to stick this time. As a matter of fact, I don't believe any of this is going to stick because Ii really think there is going to be a magical reboot at the end of "One More Day." Then, in a few years, they will have another big event to reverse the reboot and pretend it never happened, just like every other time they have tried to reboot the character in a ridiculous attempt to end the marriage that no one cares about but Joe Quesada.

If Aunt May does die, and it does stick, I'll mostly be upset about the fact that it was ultimately pointless that they brought her back. I love Aunt May like I love all members of Spidey's supporting cast, but I was fine with her being gone. I thought her death was really well done the first time. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but as much of a mess as the Clone Saga was on the whole, there were some very good individual stories told in that time, and this was one of them. Also, it wrapped up a plot thread that had been going on for years where it was hinted that Aunt May did know that Peter was Spider-Man. I thought this was far better than the way JMS handled the revelation. (Don't even get me started on the fact that I don't think it has been acknowledged at all since the unmasking that Robbie probably knew Peter was Spider-Man. Cutting Peter off from the Daily Bugle was such a huge mistake.) Anyway, hasn't enough changed in Peter's life lately that nothing was going to be the same whether someone dies or not?

As for the other Marvel solicits for October, I think they are trying to make me hate zombies. Conscious effort is the only possible explanation. And the New Avengers cover with Wolverine as Venom? I think it's a brilliant idea to just go ahead and combine Marvel's most overrated and overexposed hero with it's most overrated and overexposed villain. Bendis is a genius.

The Spider-Man/Red Sonja solicit looks promising, if only because it seems to confirm that Mary Jane will be turning into Red Sonja just like she did in the original Marvel Team-Up story. How can Joe Quesada hate a character who periodically turns into Red Sonja?

Also, it looks like X-Men: First Class is going to continue to be awesome, and, while I wasn't even sure if I was going to pick up the second issue, I am so in World War Hulk for the long haul. A Hulk/Sentry smackdown is going to be awesome!

Scout Attacks! week 19: Still Catching Up

Eventually, I will be all caught up on these reviews. Unfortunately, I have no idea when that will be.

Action Comics #851: I'm still just really excited that I got to read a 3-D comic book. I think that's so cool. It really worked well too. It was a bit of a strain to look at, but I think that was an intentional attempt to try and create the same effect that being in the PZ was having on Superman. It's worth noting that I enjoyed Adam Kubert's art much more here than I have on any other issue, so maybe 3-D just agrees with him. I enjoyed the story too, even if it did seem a bit like filler. My heart really went out to Mon-El, and I am enjoying everything with Zod and Christopher. Way to step up, kid. Did Ursa mean that she killed all the other female Kryptonians when she said that she was the last by her choice? That's a bit extreme, even for crazy, killer types. Finally, I really did not see that development with Luthor at the end coming at all, and I can't wait to see the team up in the next Annual.

All Star Superman #8: While I wouldn't say this issue wasn't as good as the rest of the series, it loses points for just being really depressing. There's some amusing stuff with the Bizarro-JLA (I especially likes "Bizarro-Batman am no shot dead by him parents!") but everything was dragged down by the Zibarro's plight. His desperation to get off Bizarro world was so strong, and things like him asking Superman to look at his writing were so pathetic, it was almost uncomfortable to read, especially when Superman's later comments about said work seemed somewhat condescending. I think it would have been more palatable if I understood what Morrison expected the reader to take away from the encounter between Superman and Zibarro (Morrison's Superman, always so sincere in this series, really just seems like he's placating Zibarro in order to get back to Earth, and Zibarro may or may not be intentionally sabotaging his attempts), but it's all very ambiguous, making it an odd fit with the rest of the series as a whole.

Black Canary #1: This mini-series has a lot going against it, like the fact that it's built around whether or not Dinah will accept Ollie's proposal of marriage when we already know that she will, but despite that, it manages to be pretty entertaining. It helps that it is peppered with a lot of amusing little touches. I especially liked the Elvis impersonator assassins, which are second only to monkey assassins in awesomeness, and Merlin's extensive Green Arrow collection. The whole flashback to Dinah and Ollie's first meeting was great. It's so easy to see why Dinah would feel the way she did about him. Bedard also writes Dinah well, and you can't say that Siqueira doesn't make her look good. A few things did bug me though. It seems like Sin's first meeting with Ollie would be fairly important given so much of Dinah's response is supposedly weighted by her wanting to make sure she does what is best for Sin. (Where was Sin during the Ollie/Dinah 40 hour sex marathon from Green Arrow a few months back anyway? Did Dinah just leave her in the motel?) Also, after all we know about Sin from Birds of Prey, it seems odd to see her crying after an altercation with some other kids. I thought not crying was sort of her thing. This issue was by no means great, but it was fun and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Spike: Shadow Puppets #1: I picked this up because Brian Lynch was writing it. Of bought the first issue of almost every Angel or Spike mini-series that IDW has put out, and have thought them all to be fairly awful, written by people who didn't seem to get the characters at all or were just plain bad, except for Spike Asylum. Lynch did a really good job on that series, so I wanted to pick this up despite the fact that I think the concept is dumb. Don't get me wrong. "Smile Time" may just be my favorite episode of Angel's entire run. I just don't think revisiting the concept, this time with Spike, is a particularly good idea. Of course, then I get to the final page, with Spike being overwhelmed by and onslaught of puppet ninjas, and I am completely sold.

Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America: Iron Man: I didn't pick up any of the other issues in this series, but I had to get this one if only for Cassaday's art. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. I would even go so far as to say that, while Loeb did not do a bad job on the writing, the words almost detracted from the sheer beauty of the images here. There was just no way they could have matched the impact. I thought The Falcon's eulogy, which made up the bulk of the narrative, especially did not have the impact it should have. It didn't matter though, because the art was so gorgeous it bolstered the whole thing. I'm not ashamed to say that, in the end, I was a bit choked up. Also, I didn't want to punch Tony Stark in the face once. I think I'm making progress.

Loners #4: This month John Hughes cover homage is to Pretty In Pink, and I am just now wondering if the fact that it features three female characters, instead of a female character and two male characters like the original movie poster, is supposed to be a clue, as this issue all but says that Julie Power is a lesbian. I'm curious to see whether it is ever going to be explicitly stated or it will be left ambiguous. Considering the crux of the issue is Julie coming to terms with who she is and not wanting to pretend to be something she's not anymore, it seems like her coming out is inevitable, but in the world of comic books, one never knows when that sort of thing would be deemed acceptable or not. As the book is rated T+, the same rating as Young Avengers, it seems like there shouldn't be a problem. (Personally, I do not see why it wouldn't be acceptable even in an All Ages title, but I doubt the people at Marvel feel the same.) Anyway, this was another really entertaining character study, and I am really enjoying the way the relationships between the characters are evolving. Cebulski is capturing the John Hughes movie vibe quite well. I would love to see this series become an ongoing, but I seriously doubt that will happen. Hopefully, we will at least get some more mini-series with these characters.

The New Avengers/The Transformers #1: I don't know what I was thinking when I picked up this book. I think I was still on a high for seeing the movie the day before, and a bit excited by the idea of Optimus Prime and Captain America interacting. This really sucked though, and not in the cheesy bad, but fun way. I realize that the story needed to be set up, but the writer really should have found a way to get to the robot and superhero action a lot quicker. Is anyone really picking this title up for the story anyway? As it was, most of the issue consisted of the New Avengers (Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Luke Cage) bickering with eachother, while we barely even get to see the Transformers until the end. That's just not going to cut it. A series like this needs to deliver on at least one solid, giant robot fight per issue to even begin to be worthwhile.

This Is Going to Be So Awesome!

October 2007 DC Solicits from Newsarama:

WONDER WOMAN #13
Written by Gail Simone
Art and cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
An electrifying new era begins for the world’s greatest superheroine! Gail Simone (BIRDS OF PREY, SECRET SIX) joins the phenomenal art team of Terry and Rachel Dodson for what promises to be one of the most exciting Wonder Woman stories ever!
What exactly is the Circle, and what deadly secret do they hold about Diana’s birth? What familiar face from Wonder Woman’s past returns with a mission to spy on Special Agent Diana Prince? Why is the Department of Metahuman Affairs on a collision course with the wounded remnants of the Society of Super-Villains? All this plus monkey assassins in a story that spans the globe and shakes Diana to her core!
On sale October 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

You got that? Monkey Assassins, as in multiple. There is no way this isn't going to be the greatest thing ever. Also, the Dodsons are still on the title. Monkeys, Gail Simone and Dodson art - it's like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one. Also, October has Wonder Woman and Power Girl teaming up in Brave and the Bold and the Bizarro Batman on the cover of Action Comics looks like he's going to be a hoot. October is going to rock!

Scout Attacks! week 18: Comic Reviews for the Week of...Whenever the Hell They Came Out

Everything got all messed up because of the holiday and me not being able to get all my comics, and then I had to go to a wedding. Anyway, I'm just going to review a bunch of comics tonight, and then I will review a bunch of comics tomorrow night. Then I will be almost caught up. On the plus side, this week I have pictures!

Amazons Attack #3: This comic book is just bad. Will Pfeifer, if I want crappy political comentary, I will re-read Civil War or pick up some of Marvel's Initiative books. Worse than that though is that, none of this stuff seems to line up with what happens in Wonder Woman #10, or even with the events that lead up to the whole event. Clearly DC editors are too busy trying, mostly in vain, to get their creators to make their deadlines to actually read any of the books. There was one thing I liked in this issue though:

Superman throwing a dumpster at an Amazonian who is about to kill Batman. He then carries the dumpster away, presumably because it would have been disrespectful to leave it on the Korean War Memorial. Seeing Batman sneak around the Memorial is fairly amusing as well.

Detective Comics #834: This issue was a bit of a let down after the last one, but, overall, another entertaining issue. It had some clever gags. We get an explanation for how Joker came to impersonate Loxias, and I am just going to assume that everything that has taken place in Detective Comics during Dini's run takes place prior to the events of Batman during Morrison and Kubert's run. This saves me from having to criticize the editors again. The success of this story, and the real point of it, is the reconciliation of Batman and Zatanna. It's a credit to Dini that he made me care about this relationship to the extent that I do, in the span of just two issues, considering I could not have cared less about it prior to issue #833.

Wonder Woman #10: The best thing I can say about this issue is that it brought us that much closer to Gail Simone's run. This issue just feels like a mess, like there are all sorts of conflicting ideas going on. I mean, what the hell is this?

The tone of that scene is completely off from the rest of the Amazons Attack event. It's so random. Also, Jodi Piccoult should never be allowed to write Batman again. The thing is, I'm still seeing some interesting stuff in what Piccoult is doing. She's trying to bring Wonder Woman to a more emotional place. I think that, had it not been for this editorially mandated event, there might have at least been an interesting and entertaining take on superhero comics here, if not necessarily specifically an interesting take on Wonder Woman. I'm still wondering why DC would go to the trouble of getting a big name novelist to write this title and then impose a story on her that seems so at odds with what she wants to do. Also, what the hell is up with the killer bees? Seriously? Killer bees? Wasn't Wonder Woman being held captive in order to get some advanced piece of weaponry that the Amazons had? On a final note, I really don't think Nemesis is going to die, which is why I am so surprised that they had him figure out Wonder Woman's secret identity so soon. Maybe I'm wrong though. I was completely confused by his monologue though. Did he not get to choose his own name? At least the cover was cool:


Runaways #27: Leave it to Joss Whedon to make the always tricky, and rarely successful, concept of time travel work. He isn't just telling some story where the kids have a wacky adventure in the past, and considering the revelation at the end, it almost seems surprising that it has taken so long for Runaways to have a time travel story. Not only are the pieces falling into place with regard to the events that happened while they were still in the present, but complexities are being added to the characters and the relationships. Even Leapfrog might be more than it seems. Also, this entire page was just priceless:

I think I have a new favorite character. I still miss Vaughn and Alphona, but Whedon and Ryan are doing a bang up job. Finally, while I don't think I have ever met a Jo Chen cover I didn't like, this one is probably her best ever:


Sensational Spider-Man #38: I stopped reading this title during Aguirre-Sacasa's first story arc (and after sticking it out through the entirety of Hudlin's run too), but decided to pick this issue up because I was curious to see what he could have planned for an Eddie Brock story now that Brock isn't Venom. After reading this issue, I think I may have made a mistake. It's not the best writing, but there is a lot of interesting stuff going on and he has a really good handle on these characters. There's a good flow to the narrative, as it shifts perspective from Brock, to MJ, to Spider-Man, and then back to Brock. Brock is losing his mind here, and it is genuinely creepy. I'm enjoying Lee Weeks' art as well. I don't think he was the artist the last time I picked up this title, because I recall the art being one of my major complaints with it. It's also nice to see the original Venom design again. As much as I have always thought he was an overrated villain, he was always cool looking. The new Venom, in addition to being less interesting, just looks dumb (it's the eyes). My favorite part though is probably MJ's speech to the comatose Aunt May. It's no secret that I love MJ, so I naturally like when she's given some real moments of her own to shine. Again, the writing here is not the best (I'd like to think that it was intentionally written as overly melodramatic, because, well, she's MJ), but the sentiment is. I have always been fond of the relationship between MJ and Aunt May, and the speech highlights that bond, as well as showing how much she has taken Peter's own feelings about guilt and responsibility onto herself. From dingbat, party girl who wanted nothing more than fame and fortune, to this. Peter and Mary Jane really are a lot more alike than a lot of people seem to understand.

Spider-Man Fairy Tales #2: While the first issue of this series, was, in addition to being one of the most adorable comic books I have ever read, clearly identifiable as being about Peter and, even more so, Mary Jane, the connection is a bit harder to see in this issue. However, the story here, which is based on African folklore (I couldn't tell you if it is a real folk tale or not), is very much about power and responsibility - the issues at the core of any good Spider-Man story. It's also about the power of friendship, which is odd to me, since Spider-Man is more of a loner, but I guess it's about him joining the New Avengers, much like the Red Riding Hood story was about Peter and MJ's marriage. Maybe the next issue will be a fairy tale version of "Sins Past" and then the mini series will wrap up with a Native American folklore rendition of "The Other." Then we will have JMS's whole Amazing Spider-Man run in the far more entertaining fairy tale form. Kidding aside though, the thing that makes this issue worthwhile is Niko Henrichon's art.

X-Men: Endangered Species: I'm not a fan of the fact that the mutant population has been cut down to only 198 (and now less). I think it ruins the metaphor of mutants as a minority group. (Quite frankly, if there are less than 200 of them in the world and there cannot be any more of them born, they're basically irrelevant on a societal scale.) I also didn't think that a lot of the things that happened to the mutant population in the wake of House of M made much sense. (I guess Marvel was going for an analogy to Native Americans being put on reservations, but it really didn't work because the issues leading up to it were so completely different.) All that considered, I was surprised to find myself actually interested in where Carey is going to take this. While I do think the essence of what Marvel's mutant population has always been representative of has been completely undermined, the population dilemma that the X-Men are facing is an interesting one. (I'll also add that it's long overdue for the X-books to be dealing with it.) Carey also handles the characters quite well here, providing several good moments, particularly the conversations between Professor X and Sebastian Shaw and Cyclops and Wolverine. All this adds up to me having to start reading X-Men comics again, which really, really sucks. Also, how skanky is it to wear fishnet stockings to a funeral?

Scout Attacks! week 17: Michael Turner Is Just Bad

This past week, UPS failed to deliver a bunch of boxes to the comic shop I frequent, so I missed out on the X-Men: Endangered Species one shot, Sensational Spider-Man, Spike: Shadow Puppets, and The Tick Twentieth Anniversary Special. How much does that suck? Hopefully I will be able to get them this Wednesday.

The Brave and the Bold #4: This issue seems like filler. While there is some amusing interaction between Supergirl and Lobo, their storyline seems irrelevant and unnecessary. However, this is still an entertaining read, so while I would normally complain about wasting my time and money, I won't. Sometimes being entertaining is more than enough. Also, the half-Batman/half-Cyborg is awesome.

Justice League of America #10: Apparently, DC reduced Power Girl's breast size from the version of the cover that was previewed. That's a nice gesture and all, but it's still an ugly ass cover and Power Girl still looks like a deformed elf who is completely stoned. I look forward to the day when we can all move past the "Michael Turner covers are sexist" debate and onto the agreement that Michael Turner is just a really bad artist. The story inside isn't much prettier than the cover. Basically, what we learned in this issue is that everything we read for the past however-many-issues-this-crossover-was was pretty pointless. They could have condensed it to two issues and it wouldn't have made any difference. The JLA and the JSA meet up with a bunch of time traveling members of the Legion of Superheroes who are getting together to bring back the Flash. There was no need for all the amnesia and searching and all that stuff. It wasn't interesting or entertaining enough to warrant all the time put into it - just a bunch of issues of the JSA and the JLA on a wild goose chase and ultimately not doing anything. I would have preferred and extended six issue story arc about the game of capture the flag from the first issue ending with Wally West walking into the Hall of Justice saying, "Hey! What did I miss?" All the interesting stuff that hinted at greater conspiracies and events, like the fact that the Legion of Superheroes appeared to bring someone else back in addition to Wally and his family or the white gorilla born in Gorilla City or the Ultra Humanite stuff, is apparently going to be dealt with elsewhere, presumably Countdown. That's just wasting my time, and not in a good way, especially since I have dropped Countdown with no intention of buying it again (until Ollie's bachelor party, anyway).

Highwaymen #1: This was entertaining enough, if fairly generic. Two over the hill adventurers come out of retirement to deal with something from their past. Old guys with guns is practically a genre in and of itself, and it's one I'm fond of, but this story doesn't do anything to set itself apart. Also, it seemed to be trying too hard to be clever in parts (like the whole "President Clinton...no, the other President Clinton" thing), and, in the end, it was somewhat forgettable.

The Amazing Spider-Man #541: My first reaction when I finished reading this issue was "There are seriously going to more issues in this storyline? Is the next issue just going to be page after page of Spider-Man getting his ass kicked by the inmates?" On top of that, this just isn't very interesting. The outcome is a foregone conclusion, mostly because we know that Kingpin isn't dead from other Marvel comics, but also because of the simple fact that this is Spider-Man. It's just tiresome. It's also not very believable. I don't think I really buy Spidey having these reactions, unless it had been one continuous tear between May being shot to Kingpin. The more time he takes, whether it be to call MJ or to sit at May's bedside, the less likely his actions seem. This also marks the second storyline in a row where it would actually seem relevant for him to be thinking about Gwen Stacy, and yet he isn't, so I had to sit through House of M: Spider-Man for nothing.

Captain America #27: This is another comic where not a lot happens in this issue, but it doesn't matter because it's so well done. Basically, it's just more of everyone dealing with Cap's death, while Bucky continues to be bad ass. He goes to the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian, sees that the shield on display there is a fake and sets out to get the real one because he doesn't think Tony Stark deserves to get to keep it; he fights the Black Widow and we learn that they used to have a relationship; the Falcon and Sharon are sent out stop him, but get there too late; Sharon wears an interesting but cool white cat suit; and Black widow informs Tony Stark that Bucky is out to kill him. Ultimately, that's the most interesting thing about this issue as I am intrigued to know what Stark is going to do about it. Also, I don't think I've mentioned this before, but part of what makes this title so much cooler than the other ones I read is, in addition to the amazing work by Brubaker and Epting, it has flying cars. They're just cool.

Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four #3: I've been enjoying this series, but this issue was made infinitely cooler by an appearance from Dr. Doom. He makes everything better. Also, this issue has anthropomorphic animals as an added bonus, and Wieringo makes them look adorable. This mini is just fun., and that's enough. I know it's a long shot, but I think it would be cool if Jeff Parker were one of the new Amazing Spider-Man writers.

Spider-Man Mythos: The world probably didn't need another retelling of Spider-Man's origin, but it's such a good story, and I am so partial to Spidey, that I am rarely able to resist them. Fortunately, this one features some pretty solid writing and some really beautiful art. I thought the appearance by Conan O'Brien was a bit weird though. I prefer the pro-wrestling.

I Would So Buy This

Stan Lee gets his own action figure

Now they just need to come out with Kirby, Ditko, and all the greats from the Marvel Bullpen. Oh, and a Marvel Bullpen playset. That would be awesome!


(Found via The Beat, were you can also see a picture of said action figure.)

Wait! What Decade Is It?

Because I was pretty certain the '90s were over. So what's up with this Marvel?

Scout Attacks! week 16: Skrull Edition

Before I begin, I just want to announce that Skrulls are going to be my new thing. I'm going to blame everything on Skrulls from now on, or at least until I get tired of it. If it's anything like Superboy Prime's time punch, that could take a while.

Fables #60: James Jean's cover is gorgeous. His covers are always gorgeous, but this cover is particularly so. I wasn't as impressed with the rest of the issue. It was typically good. An average issue of Fables is still better than most other comics. It just felt a like filler. I realize that certain things, like Flycatcher's transformation, the exposition about Lancelot, and everything with Hansel were important to moving the story forward, but they all seemed like relatively minor developments to build and entire issue around. I'm assuming that this was a matter of pacing though. I expect awesomeness in the next issue.

Green Arrow #75: I don't even know what to say about this issue. It wasn't good. There were several groan-worthy moments. I cannot even fathom why Batman would have developed something that could not only dissolve a wall into a water-like substance, but happens to smell like milk and honey. It is quite possibly one of the dumbest things I have read in a comic book in quite some time, which, given the state of Marvel right now, is saying something. Then there's the fact that the whole thing is basically just a missive on how wonderful Oliver Queen is. My least favorite part of the issue though is when Slade is about to kill Dinah and Ollie pleads with him to kill him instead. This is dumb in so many ways. The first being that Slade obviously intends to kill both of them and Ollie is an idiot for thinking that Slade would just kill him and leave Dinah alone. The second is that the whole scene is obviously meant to show how much he loves Dinah and can't live without her, but the point is completely blown by the fact that he's a superhero, one with no powers I might add, and lays his life down for other people all the time. I am knew to these characters, but it seems to me that the best way to show Ollie's devotion to Dinah would be to show him being a decent guy over a period of time. Grand life and death gestures just don't cut it for people who deal in life and death all the time. It's emotionally hollow. I'm not inherently against the pairing since I'm not all that familiar with the characters, but these issues have done nothing to sell me on it either. There are a lot of things that can be dictated by editorial mandate and rushed into being story-wise. Good romance is not one of those things. Also, as someone who is primarily interested in Black Canary, I am concerned about the upcoming joint Black Canary/Green Arrow series being scripted by Winick. Has the entire series been all wonder and praise to the glory of Oliver Queen while he's been writing it, or has it just been part of the rushed romance and showing that he's changed and is worthy of Dinah? If it's the former, I have no interest in reading a series where Dinah is going to spend all her time gushing about how awesome Ollie is. Anyway, at the end of the issue, Ollie proposes, even though they have only been back together for approximately 2 nanoseconds, and we are left on a cliffhanger for her answer. Given the DC solicits for September, it's the opposite of what I would advise. I'm still totally going to buy all the special wedding issues though. This one especially looks super cute:

Supernatural Origins #2: Things start to get exciting, dark and really morally questionable in this issue. It's clear that this series will be about showing how John Winchester went from normal, loving and good husband and father to the man we saw on the television show. Some mysterious new characters are introduced also, and I am interested to see if they are what they claim to be. One in particular has the potential to be a mentor figure who teaches John how to hunt, but something about him doesn't seem quite right. This is getting pretty good. I also really like the art. It's more along the lines of a B.P.R.D. as opposed to the average licensed property and it really adds to the tone, as well as making it feel more like it was meant to be comic book rather than just something based on a television show.

Avengers Classic #1: Not being up on my Avengers history, I'm really happy about getting to start from the beginning, and I always love reprints of 60s stuff. Lee and Kirby were...well, they were Lee and Kirby. 'Nuff said. But I really like the new stuff too. First of all, the Art Adams cover is gorgeous. Then there's Dwayne McDuffie's story which is seriously fun. I love how the Wasp plays on the team's sexism to get to become the first Avengers (secret) chairman. It fits so well with the way the female characters were written back then, while subtly subverting it. The whole story is very funny. Finally, there's "The real Origin of the Avengers!" by Stan Lee, which follows the "Stan as ultimate huckster" thing that we have seen in a lot of his stories where he meets his characters. It's still amusing. "I'll finally be able to buy a saddle!" is definitely the line of the week.

New Avengers #31: It's pretty pointless to discuss anything but the big reveal at the end, like the fact that the art in this issue is just weird and the story doesn't really flow well from panel to panel in certain places, so I'm just going to get to it. First of all, if the writer has to go around to every major comics website explaining what the huge reveal in the comic means, the reveal doesn't work. Simple as that. I'm not sure why the reveal didn't work. I think part of it was that it was Elektra, as opposed to someone more major or in a position of power in Shield or something. Elektra being a Skrull just doesn't seem to be all that important to the greater Marvel Universe. Also, when New Avengers began, the conspiracy plot was really at the forefront and was by far the most interesting thing about the book, but it got dropped in order to deal with Civil War, thereby causing it to lose its momentum. And then there's the question of why Wolverine couldn't smell the difference in Elektra, but I assume that's an issue that will be dealt with at some point. (I strongly suspect that they are going to reveal that Elektra has been a Skrull since her first death anyway.) That said, I think the concept is pretty cool. While there is absolutely a chance for Marvel to take this way too far and reboot everything, making everything that's happened in the last few years pointless, the stories that can grow out of it in the future have a great deal of potential. Unlike Civil War, which was socially relevant in a heavy handed and insulting way, the idea that anyone can be a Skrull is pretty creepy and socially relevant like really great science fiction or horror. It's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. OK, so it's not terribly original, but to my knowledge it has never been done in superhero comics. I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with this, but I'm preparing myself for disappointment. Other than that, this issue wasn't very good. Really, this arc was only interesting during the flashbacks in the earlier issues. I liked the banter between Spider-Man and Ronin/Hawkeye, but I'm still pissed off that Spidey's characterization is completely different in every book. Also, if either Jessica Jones or Luke Cage are Skrulls, which is very possible with that creepy baby moment, I will personally storm Marvel's offices. I love them, and just...no. They can't be Skrulls. That is final.

I'm starting to think I made a mistake in not picking up World War Hulk #1. I don't really have any interest in the Hulk, but I love John Romita Jr. and I have a strong desire to see Iron Man get his ass kicked.

Damn You Marvel!

They just keep dangling Cyclops in front of me:

Something happens in Chapter One that changes everything. It stratifies the world of the X-Men in a clear way. It unifies the heroes in a way they haven’t been for years, and all under Scott Summers. Cyclops steps up huge in this event and will get people talking.

The main character in the whole thing, the character that takes the most prominence, would be Cyclops. He steps up and becomes a leader, like we all knew he had in him, but he might not have shown all that much lately. He takes a very large role in this, but there are a bunch of others.

Expect Cyclops in rare form.

And he's wearing his visor, too. I was expecting him to get his powers back by the end of Astonishing X-Men anyway.

Still no Jean though:

There’s some really big reveals, but there are no resurrections within the pages of this event.

Anyway, I guess I'm gonna have to check out this "Messiah CompleX" thing. I'm kind of excited to see Brubaker write more of Cyclops too. I liked what I saw in Deadly Genesis. But still...I did not want to be reading and X-Event. Grrr...

Do You Know What I Love about Superman?

He's a sport.

I mean, look at that. I bet Batman wouldn't agree to be the entertainment at a bachelorette party.

Also, considering Justice League Unlimited is the reason I started branching out to DC, I'm pretty damn excited about Dwayne McDuffie taking over writing JLA when Brad Meltzer finishes his run.

Skrulls

Elektra
Hawkeye
Iron Man
Wolverine
Xavin
Hulkling*
Emma Frost
Cyclops**
Spider-Man
Mary Jane
Aunt May
Magneto
Captain Marvel
Ms. Marvel
The Sentry
Mr. Fantastic
The Invisible Woman
Dr. Strange
Professor Xavier
She Hulk
Captain America***
Various members of Shield
The entire Marvel editorial staff



*But only half
**This one's just wishful thinking
***The one Millar wrote, not the Brubacker one. He's still dead.

Scout Attacks! week 15: Tuocs Skcatta!

It was a decent week though. I forgot to pick up Supernatural: Origins #2 though. I hate it when I do that.

Countdown #47: So, Jimmy Olsen is having freaky dreams, the Monitors are making big speeches and targeting Jason Todd, Donna Troy and Kyle Rayner, the Rogues share a moment, and Mary Marvel gets Black Adam's powers. While the I thought the scene between Trickster and Pied Piper was nice, the Mary Marvel part was the only thing about this issue that was truly interesting. That's why it was too bad that it didn't make much sense. The last time I saw Black Adam he was looking to get his powers back. Now he has them and doesn't want them. It's an obvious attempt to get me to read the upcoming Black Adam mini series, and while I think it was probably successful, I'm very close to dropping this title, so I think DC is losing out in the long run. The basic problem with this series is that it is far too uneven, and unlike 52, which hooked me on the characters from the beginning, Countdown has yet to really make me care more than mild curiosity. It doesn't help that the end of the last issue made a big deal about what it might mean for a god to die and then this issue had no follow through on that. It destroys the whole impact and forward momentum.

Birds of Prey #107: As I suspected, the cover is very misleading, but this was still a rollicking good issue. We've got everyone just brawling, some truly awesome Harley Quinn lines, Huntress and Catman being the sensible ones, while also being flirty (more of this pairing, please), and a really great Deadshot moment. Really great. We do lose a member of the team though, but I think it was worth it to see Zinda take out Spysmasher like that. I am very much looking forward to the Babs/Spysmasher showdown in the next issue. It should be good.

Detective Comics #833: It amazes me that I had dropped this title at one point. Sure I wound up going back and picking up the issues I missed, but there was still a point where I didn't think it was worth continuing to read this title. I am completely flummoxed over how it got from that point to this really great issue. There's so much good here from the character stuff, to the suspense, to a reveal at the end that I really did not see coming. There are also a bunch of Alan Moore references. It's also really nice to see Zatanna clothed here, unlike the last time I saw her where she appeared to be wearing her underwear while helping Superman.

Superman #663: This is one of those issues that is probably essential to the story arc, but feels inconsequential right now. Still, I thought it was fairly entertaining. All the stuff with the New God youngsters was pretty cute. I'm interested to see if anything is going to happen there now that Lightray is dead. It's clear that a lot of stuff is being set up with Arion too. It's no surprise though that Superman has decided not to just sit back and watch civilization crumble. He is Superman after all. I just kind of hope this doesn't lead to a storyline where Superman gets mind controlled and destroys a bunch of stuff, but then snaps out of it and all is better. This whole concept is pretty intriguing and I would like to see the story come to a more satisfying conclusion than that. It's all been pretty philosophical so far, and while there definitely needs to be some action, I don't want things to just end with a brawl.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4: This is the last issue of this arc and it's plainly clear that Whedon isn't even trying to reach out to readers that are not familiar with the television show. Warren, aka skinless guy, doesn't even get a name check. I guess that's OK though since, judging by sales, there are a lot more Buffy watchers than comic book readers. That's probably the biggest flaw with this series, but since I am a Buffy fanatic, I don't really have many problems at all with this series. I will say that it has been a little strange the way the story is unfolding though, because it sort of follows the format of the television series, in that while this storyline has ended, it's really just a set up for things to come, but it's different because what was multiple issues here probably would have been cut down to a single episode. The effect is something unlike a normal comic series, but also unlike the television series and is therefore taking some getting used to. Moreso that any of the action is this issue, what was good was the future potential of what was being set up. Willow is rescued, but Buffy and the slayers clearly have bigger things to worry about, and I love that Whedon is revisiting the issue of what a slayer actually is, while also questioning a lot of what Buffy has done when she chose to give all this power to these young women. Nothing's ever black and white with this franchise and everything has consequences. It will be interesting to see how far Whedon can take this without undermining the female empowerment message that he clearly set out to make with the show's series finale. Also, I've never been one of those fans that outright hated Dawn, though I was often frustrated with the character, so I am interested in seeing what develops in Buffy and dawn's relationship. We know that Buffy loves Dawn so much she was willing to sacrifice her life for her, but ever since then there has been an ever growing gulf between them. I think repairing that bond is going to be very important to Buffy and her humanity in the coming months.

Loners #3: I have a confession to make. I have always liked Phil Urich. Sure I thought it was a bit idiotic to try and be a good guy version of the Green Goblin, but that's one of the things I like about him - that he tried. This issue is told from his perspective, and well, he's a little messed up. He's trying to keep everything under control, for him and the group, but he's obviously ready to snap. It doesn't help that they have some major problems with Julie Power now in the hospital after being attacked by Hollow, formally known as Penance before Speedball stole her name, and the leader of the MGH dealers after them because Hollow escaped. In the end, Mickey makes a mysterious deal to make there problems go away, but nobody really feels good about what has happened. Phil does now have a smitten Hollow sleeping on his floor though (and it is absolutely adorable when she kisses him earlier in the book). I'm really enjoying this series, and I really hope Marvel sees fit to make it an ongoing. It's interesting because it isn't a superhero series at all really, but it deals with the issues of being a superhero in a way that I don't think I've seen before. Oh, and this issues John Hughes movie cover inspiration is Weird Science, for anyone keeping track.

Spider-Man Family #3: Usually, the most enjoyment I get out of this title is from the reprints and Mini Marvels stories, which are always adorable, but the new story in this one is really good Tobin does a good job with all the characters and the art is really different and cool. There's just one thing that kept me from loving it. Why didn't Spider-Man see the brick that is floating, practically, right in front of his face?

Uncanny X-Men #487: I had dropped this title during the Shi'ar arc because it was boring and the pacing was all off, but bringing in Storm got me to give it another chance, because, well, Brubaker is good enough for me to think of the previous arc as an anomaly and Storm is cool. So far, this story seems pretty interesting, and given that it is only 5 issues long, I'm confidant that it will hold up better than the last, which also started out as fairly interesting. It seems I did miss quite a bit though, as Corsair is now dead. I wonder if they showed Scott's reaction to that. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing what's going on with the Morlocks in the post-M-Day Marvel Universe, and I always think it's interesting to see Storm dealing with them. Also, as much as I think everything with Magneto is kind of a mess right now, I'm interested to see if Brubaker brings him back. Somehow I think that if anyone could right Magneto really well at this point, it would be him.

In other news, Smallville has announced that they have added Supergirl to their already over inflated cast. Kara is going to be 19, with a rebellious streak and able to fly...before Clark. This is part of Millar and Gough's ongoing plan to make the lamest incarnation of Superman ever.

Please, No

From this week's Lying in the Gutters:

ONCE BYRNED

A while ago, John Byrne talked about an idea he'd had with Howard Mackie to "reset" Spider-Man continuity. First they would have put Peter Parker through the worst of it, until he considers ending it all. At that point, he'd find himself on the bridge where Gwen Stacy died, offering his soul if the clock could have been turned back to simpler times. At which point the Shaper Of Worlds does just that, remaking Spider-Man's world to when he was back in High School, but with the current book's supporting cast, taking place in the modern day. Eventually confronting the Shaper, he discovers nothing can be changed, and his memories of the old world slowly fade away. The team decided though that this kind of event would be too "cosmic" for Spider-Man, who has a "street level" tone.

Well, while Byrne may be out of favour at Marvel (or vice versa), his ideas may still see the light of day. Coincidence of course, these things usually are - google "ideaspace" for further discussion. That is all for now.

This is pretty much my worst nightmare. Well, not really, because that would involve some combination of sharks, wax figures, Parmalat, and Critters. This is my worst nightmare when it comes to potential outcomes of the upcoming Spider-Man arc "One More Day" (which I always want to call "One Day More" because of the song from Les Miserables). And it seems like an ever increasing likelihood that it's going to happen, when you take into consideration the fact that a similar un-writing of Spider-Man history appeared in Lying in the Gutters several months back (I can't be bothered to search for it now, but it was a scenario that involved a new character introduced in the Ms. Marvel Annual), my own observations in my review for New Avengers: Illuminati #3, and even the appearance of the new character Jackpot in Dan Slott, the guy who is probably going to be taking over Amazing Spider-Man Free Comic Book Day story "Swing Shift."

I guess I just don't understand why Spider-Man being married is such a big deal. Personally, I happen to like the marriage and always have. Since I have been reading since I was nine-years-old and Peter and Mary Jane have been married that whole time, the argument that kids can't relate to a married Peter Parker always seems a bit weird to me. If anything, I think most nine-year-olds probably assume they will be married by the time they are Peter's age. I know I did. Whereas now, at roughly the same age as Peter, the whole idea of marriage is increasingly foreign to me, yet I still like the fact that Peter Parker is married. I like who he's married to too, despite the fact that she's a super model. (I'm not even going to get into the constant remarks like "How bad could his life be? He's married to a super model" made by certain writers and editors. It gets me far too annoyed.)

Even more than my personal feelings about Peter Parker's marriage, which I could go into far more depth about, I do not really see how ending the marriage could be so all important that Marvel would damage the integrity of the character and company just to make it go away. Isn't the fact that Marvel didn't do stuff like this supposed to be one of the things that set them apart from the Distinguished Competition, not to mention a key part of the more reality based storytelling they have always prided themselves on? If this happens, I guess it will show that it's just a slippery slope from Wanda uttering "No more mutants!" to completely throwing out 40+ years of continuity and character development.

It also doesn't make much sense to me because there already is a version of Spider-Man who will never grow up. He won't even ever leave high school. Wouldn't this kind of thing render Ultimate Spider-Man completely pointless? (One could argue that Marvel is making the whole Ultimate line pointless with the recent developments in the main Marvel Universe, but since it still has a Captain America and as much of an ass as Ultimate Tony Stark is, he is not crossed the line into supervillain territory, I don't hold with that opinion.) There's also Spider-Man Adventures, which is targeted at younger readers. It's odd to me that, with a number of alternatives, Marvel wouldn't want to appease all fans, by at least keeping the current continuity intact, even if they still wanted to end the marriage through divorce or, loathe as I am to even mention it, death. This is what gives me hope that Marvel won't take this road though, because they do seem to want to appeal to all the different Spider-Man fan preferences. Still, the fact that this rumor gets floated repeatedly, combined with the fact that there are so many pieces in place for them to do something like this is troubling simply because it indicates that Marvel editorial has given it serious thought, which in my not so humble opinion it does not warrant. This is Spider-Man, people. This sort of thing does not suite him. Unfortunately, I might argue that mystical totems don't really suite him either.

Even as a fan of the marriage, I could have been OK with the divorce scenario. Done well, it could have opened up both Peter and MJ for some interesting personal stories while still keeping MJ in the picture as 1) a close friend that knows Peter's secret (now a moot point, I know) and he can confide in, and 2) a love interest, since divorce in no way precludes a potential reunion and Mary Jane has pretty much become Marvel's Lois Lane thanks to the movies. It's been pretty obvious for a while now though that divorce isn't an option for these two. Their post-separation relationship has been stronger than ever, and the Sensational Spider-Man Annual clearly illustrated that neither one of them are giving up on their marriage. That still, of course, leaves the option of Mary Jane's death, which despite the sinking feeling I got when I finished reading the Sensational Spider-Man Annual, I still don't believe is going to happen. The movies have made her too well known. Anyway, Mary Jane's been dead before, and it didn't really work out well for the Spider-Man titles.

Personally, I don't have much interest in reading about a perpetually young Peter Parker that never moves forward. Maybe it's because I myself am an adult now, but I have always liked the fact that Peter Parker was the one character that has really grown and matured through the years, experiencing various stages of life and the dilemmas that they hold. I think it adds to his status as the "everyman" character. Furthermore, I think it is much truer to the character that Stan Lee created, a character who aged in real time for his first five years of existence before the publisher made Stan Lee slow it down. Here's a quote from Write Now #14 (January 2007):

STAN: Yeah, I thought it would be great to have him age in real time. I never really knew that it couldn't be done. You may recall, after high school I put him in college and then after he'd been there for a few years I made him a grad student. Later we had him get married--or maybe it was earlier. I can't quite remember. I'd have eventually had MJ get pregnant also. However, Martin Goodman, the publisher, didn't want him to age in real time so that put a stop to it.

(Sidenote: I don't think Peter graduated college until Len Wein's run from 1975 to 1978.) I actually believe that it was a good thing to not have Spidey age in real time, since it allowed to more fully examine the story potential, but eventually, the story gets played out and it's time to move the character forward. I love coming of age tales, especially when it comes to superheroes, and Spider-Man was probably the best. However, the whole point of a coming of age tale is that the character eventually comes of age. If one tries to hold the character in place for too long, he or she stops seeming like a kid who is making normal mistakes and growing and learning from them, and more like an idiot. To me, that's a great deal more unrelatable than a protagonist who is from a different age group as myself, as it tends to make the character downright unlikeable.

I would prefer to see the character move forward. He's just unmasked, which I am not all that keen on, since another thing I see as essential to the character that Stan Lee created is the duality of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, but it would have been nice to see that fully explored before changing everything yet again, or resetting it, as the case might turn out to be. As I said, I could have been OK with a divorce had the story remained true to the characters of Peter and Mary Jane, and I am still a bit bitter about what happened to baby May back when they actually did broach the subject of them having a child before jettisoning it never to be mentioned again like everything else that happened during the second Clone Saga.

Anyway, it's hard to take any argument about marriage making Peter too old and unrelatable seriously when it comes from the people who made him a teacher, the ultimate symbol of being an old and unrelatable authority figure for any child and probably more than a few adults. For now though, I am just going to have to chalk these rumors and suspicions up on my list of things that are making me not look forward to "One More Day" along with Joe Quesada's ugly ass art. Why take ideas from Byrne and Mackie anyway? Their run sucked and didn't sell well.