Walking with Superman: Day 268

Superman's in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Idaho, digging toward the center of the Earth to find the source of a strange sinkhole. He suspected the cause before setting out on this infernal expedition, after being suddenly attacked by the amnesiac forester Jack Doe. It's little surprise to the Man of Steel when he reaches the core and discovers, unharmed by the heat, a familiar piece of 30th-century technology: the Persuader's Atomic Axe! Somehow, the Fatal Five's axe-wielding assassin has fallen through time and become separated from his memory! Superman must remove the axe before it does any further damage to the planet and the forest, but unearthing it risks reviving the ruthless killer in the peaceful forester. Can Superman save the forest and help his futuristic foe have a second chance?

Walking with Superman: Day 247

In 1962, the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle, WA, left an indelible mark on the city, and today the Seattle Center--with the Space Needle, the International Fountain, and the monorail terminus--stands as a testimony to that future-minded event. Needless to say, the Man of Tomorrow feels right at home. And when a familar-looking spherical craft materializes above the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, Superman is thrilled to meet it. But while the travelers are indeed from a thousand years in the future, they have come from a parallel universe--Universal Boy! Titan Girl! Thunder Teen! The Battalion of Ultra-Brigands represents the future of villainy in the evil-dominated universe of Earth-3, and they've come to New Earth to initiate their newest recruit, the titanic teenage tyrant, Ultraboy! His test: kill Superman!

Comics that should be drawn for free

I know it's a little cliché to criticize Greg Land for being the laziest, most shameless tracer in comic art, but so long as the man is being paid to rip off other artists' work with no credit, I think that it needs to be repeated and restated.

One thing, though, that I commonly read in threads about his hack work is that he used to be pretty good and didn't do this kind of thing. I've seen some of his old Birds of Prey covers, and it seemed like that might have been true.

And then, when going through the Legion of Super-Heroes reboot chronology, I read The New Titans Annual #11, with pencils by 1995's Greg Land. And while it isn't obviously porn- and wrestling-tracing all the way through, that's partially because it looks so terribly '90s. All the typical '90s excesses are here--ridiculous proportions, huge muscles, everyone shouting and veiny. But in addition to that, it's clear to see the germs of Land's current career: blatant tracing, lazy reuse of images, and images that just don't fit either the story or the scene.

Frankly, I didn't even know it was Greg Land at first. I didn't go back to look at the artist credit until I saw these two panels on the same page:

Really? The same exact pose in consecutive panels? There's no reason for it in the story, either.

Then there's these, mercifully spread out in the book:


And finally, special guest star Don Knotts!


The idea that Greg Land was better in the past is a Comic Book Legend worth debunking. The man is a hack, he's always been a hack, and he will continue being a hack so long as his comics keep selling. There is no reason that Land should have a career as a professional comics artist when there are starving artists with metric tons more talent working on freaking DeviantArt. Anyone can trace, and it's time people stopped paying for Land's stolen work.

The New Krypton Overview

I've been pretty open about my enjoyment of the New Krypton storyline in the recent past. Since I've recently (finally) caught up with the Superman comics, and since "War of the Supermen" is creeping ever closer toward the storyline's inevitable end, I figured it'd be a good time to mention some of the things I've liked--and a few that I've disliked--about "World of New Krypton" so far.

• Novelty:As I mentioned before, the thing I like most about this story is that it is one of those vanishingly rare things in a 70-year-old franchise: new. Bringing back a slew of Kryptonians who have ties to familiar characters, putting them on a New Krypton, and placing that New Krypton in orbit around Earth's yellow sun, thereby giving all the restored Kryptonians superpowers, is something that hasn't been done before (in canon, as far as I know). When I consider all the things that have happened to Superman¹--even in the short time I've been reading the series--that alone is enough to give this story a positive spin.
  
• Sci-Fi: I really like that Superman has been operating on a more cosmic scope. The sci-fi/space aspects of Superman's character sometimes get neglected, but this story has really allowed them to shine. Conflict with the Thanagarians? A locked-room murder mystery with Adam Strange? Freaking Jemm, Son of Saturn? It's nice having a high-profile cosmic character (who isn't mired in the War of the Light) again, and it's one of the reasons I'd like to see New Krypton stick around.
  
• The Kryptonians: Something I didn't realize before reading this arc was just how little attention had been paid over the years--at least the recent years--to characterizing any Kryptonians outside of the -El family. Even then, it's mostly just Clark and Kara; Krypton has been a planet of hats for most of its history, and the most characterization we've seen has been mostly to show how awesome Jor-El is compared to everyone else. "New Krypton" has given us a full-fledged society, with a caste system, religious traditions, political friction, and other individual quirks. We've gotten some particularly interesting individuals out of the mix as well: distraught technical genius Alura, demented doctor Jax-Ur, Clark's Labor Guild friend Tyr-Van, the Red Shard soldiers, even many of my issues with Zod have been mitigated by giving him a personality deeper than "revenge-obsessed megalomaniac." "World of New Krypton" has been utterly fantastic for fleshing out the titular planet, which I suppose would make it all the more upsetting if it got shoved back into a bottle or destroyed again.
  
• Useless New Characters: On the other hand, this crossover has given us a host of totally useless and uninteresting new characters. The biggest offenders in this case are Mirabai and Codename: Assassin, both of whom showed up as major players for months with no explanation of who they were or what they could do (and in the case of Mirabai, I'm still not sure what the hell the point of her is; even in those scant places where her story intersects the main one, the connection seems forced and unnecessary). While I suppose the argument could be made that this was a way of keeping the audience as in the dark as the main characters, it really just looked like someone either assumed we'd already be familiar with them, or that they were using ciphers to get around the limitations posed by characters who already have described power sets and motivations. I suppose, given that C:A is an obscure character pulled from comic book limbo, that both of these situations are accurate. I'm all for creating new characters and resurrecting forgotten ones, but there has to be some kind of reasoning and explanation; I spent at least one issue thinking that Mirabai was Sasha Bordeaux. Now I just have a hard time caring, since both characters are just terminally uninteresting.
  In addition to those two are the vast majority of officers on the Science Police force. I understand what Robinson has been attempting to do with them, making a Gotham Central-esque police ensemble with individual backgrounds and personalities, but he hasn't followed through on any of it. The only one to have gotten any real characterization is Billi Harper; everyone else is fairly interchangeable--including the two who have turned out to be sleeper agents. The problem--besides the general redundancy of the Science Police--is that we've seen very little of Mon-El's time with them. Every time he settles into his uniform, he ends up called away or kidnapped or on a whirlwind tour of international superheroics. Robinson's arc has been plagued by a multiplicity of good ideas carried out halfway. Any one of the stories we've seen so far would have been fantastic--Mon-El protecting Metropolis and working secretly for the Science Police, Mon-El traveling the world and experiencing the sort of life Superman gets to lead, Mon-El fighting against the machinations of Project 7734 with secret assistance from the Legion and the Daily Planet, Steel working with a new partner who secretly turns out to be Atlas--but instead we've had all of these stories, and only in the course of a year. Naturally, something (actually, a lot of things) is going to suffer, and it's been the characterization. Consequently, there's not much impact when it turns out that some of these characters weren't who they appeared to be, because they didn't appear to be much in the first place.
  
• Reactron and Metallo: I've been, for a long time, a kind of Metallo purist. I prefer the post-Crisis Byrne-era version of the character, as a skeletal metallic robot with a Kryptonite heart and the brain of a small-time thug. They've changed it up over the years; I kind of liked it when he had an indestructible skull that could take control of mechanical devices (although it made him far too similar to Cyborg); I thought his Brainiac 13 upgrade had some cool visuals to it, but I've never cared for the green-faced human-skinned version that dominated his pre-Crisis incarnation, and I only cared for the animated version after his skin sloughed off. So it's a little surprising to me that I like the newest version, with a heart of just one kind of Kryptonite, a human-like exterior, and some odd-looking green armor. Part of it is because I like the notion that the government's weapons against Kryptonians include Kryptonite-powered villains, but the bigger part is that I really like Reactron (and that he's got a Gold Kryptonite heart, and that Gold-K isn't permanent anymore), and I think it's fitting that the government would outfit similar soldiers in similar uniforms. Metallo works best as a thug working for someone, and for this, Sam Lane is as good an employer as any.
  
• Squad K: I know these guys were introduced during Kurt Busiek's run, but it's good to see them active again, and with a more wide-reaching purpose than when there were only a half-dozen or so Kryptonians around. I don't care for the recent uniform change, since it makes them less distinctive visually, but it does seem to be a reasonable function-over-form change.
  Science Police: Again, granted, the SP debuted (in the current era) earlier in Robinson's run, but it's during New Krypton that they've been really fleshed out. I frankly can't see why they aren't just the SCU. I don't like having superfluous organizations in comics; it bugs me. It bugged me when Wonder Woman invented the Department of Metahuman Affairs, given the existence of the Department of Extranormal Operations--until they eventually explained that the former is a subdivision of the latter. So far, I haven't seen how the Science Police integrate with the Special Crimes Unit and the rest of the Metropolis Police Department. If I had to guess, I'd say that the SCU is an investigative body, and while they used to handle major metahuman battles and such, the Science Police has been created as a sort of SWAT team related to but independent of the SCU. But I'd like some official word.
  
• Superwoman: I love the new Superwoman costume, and I've liked the Superwoman concept ever since the first time I saw an image of Kristin Wells. In fact, she remains one of the few Elliot S! Maggin innovations that I've really enjoyed. The "Who is Superwoman" mystery was fun, and I like the idea of having a human double-agent operating on Krypton.
  
• Lucy Lane: That being said, did it have to be Lucy Lane? Everything about this portrayal of Lucy has come out of left field, from her ruthless vindictiveness to her apparent lack of husband and child. Her death was gratuitous, but not quite as gratuitous as the casual murders she's committed since being resurrected. I'm not sure why they've decided to give her superpowers, and I'm certainly not sure how her character could possibly recover from all this.
  
• Steel: I love Steel. He's been the single best addition to the Superman family, and one of the best additions to the DCU, in the modern age. What I don't love is when he's treated like a total chump, which has been par for the course recently. He gets tricked, then trounced, by Atlas; he spends time in a coma (again); and overall he really hasn't been the presence that he should be in Superman's absence.
  
• This page: On the other hand, I love this page:
  
  Precisely because of how much it evokes this page:
  
  
• Natasha Irons: Between the Captain Atom backups and the Mon-El conspiracy stuff, Natasha Irons has really had a chance to shine. Between her stint as Steel, her superpowered turn in Infinity, Inc., and now her time in deep cover in Project 7734, she's really come into her own as a competent, formidable heroine. We're a long way from the bright teenager who reprogrammed Kelex to speak Ebonics.
  
• Mon-El: I straight-up love Mon-El, so any time he can get more exposure is fine with me. Joining the Justice League might be a bit much, and I haven't cared for the unexpected and unnecessary "I'm dying/losing my powers!" plot devices, but otherwise I've been pretty happy with how Mon-El has been characterized and utilized here. It's a far cry from Valor, that's for sure.
  
• Chris Kent's SORAS: Chris Kent was the best thing to come out of the Johns/Donner collaboration a couple of years ago, though he was used better in Busiek's books than in the main story. I'm glad to see him back, but did he have to get the Soap Opera Rapid-Aging Syndrome in the process? It'd be one thing if he were an immature mind in a young adult body (after all, both Superboy and Impulse pulled that schtick off for years), but apparently suddenly losing a few years of childhood in the Phantom Zone happens to grant maturity and intellect beyond one's years. Still, Chris is still a pre-teen by my reckoning, and that makes his relationships with Lois and Thara really, really weird. If they were going to reintroduce Nightwing and Flamebird, I'd almost wish they'd used a different character (Van-Zee) than add these weird wrinkles to Chris's history. It's a shame, because I actually like the way the Chris/Thara romance is portrayed; I just wish it didn't have the spectre of Zoltar hanging over it.
  
• Nightwing and Flamebird: And unfortunately, the rest of the Nightwing and Flamebird arc doesn't offer much as a distraction. It's a shame, because I like almost all of the ideas that go into the Nightwing and Flamebird story. I like the expansion and fleshing-out of Kryptonian mythology. I like the idea of outlaw Kryptonians acting as heroes to improve relations with humans. I like the idea of Kryptonian sleeper agents, which is a great twist on the basic Clark Kent disguise concept. The costume changes have been more than a bit much (especially since the first costumes were easily the best, albeit short-lived). What I don't like is how disconnected the arc feels from the main story. When you have a crossover like this, it helps to have all the different pieces leading to the same eventual end. Yet, while Mon-El and the Legion have just joined the battle on Krypton against Brainiac, Thara and Chris are out fighting a facsimile of Rao in Iraq.
  What I've realized is that the Nightwing/Flamebird arc should be an epilogue. This is the kind of story that spins out of a crossover, where newly-introduced heroes pick up the pieces left over from the major story. This is "From the pages of 'World of New Krypton': Nightwing and Flamebird in their own ongoing series!" It's "Valor" or "Anima" or "Warlock and the Infinity Watch." What it isn't, and what it shouldn't be, is a main component of the crossover itself. This has hamstrung the story to some degree, as it's working through what ought to be an ongoing story told leisurely, but must be done quickly and with frequent crossovers into the other titles in order to work as a part of the main story.
  
• Silver Banshee: Hey, the regular Silver Banshee came back! And people remembered her actual backstory and powers, rather than just making her an evil version of Black Canary! That's pretty awesome. I dig the Silver Banshee, and I like the idea of pitting Supergirl up against her. The great part of it is that Banshee can kill someone if she knows their true name, but Supergirl's having an identity crisis where her "true name" might be one of any number of things. That's a clever concept, and it might be nice to see it picked up again in the near future.
  
• Supergirl: Speaking of Supergirl, I think it's safe to say that her comic has never been better (at least, not in this incarnation of the character). Where once she was a floundering cipher with no real identity, now she's burdened with an overabundance of them. Torn between Lana and Alura, between civilian and superhero and Kryptonian, Supergirl is in the midst of the kinds of conflict we ought to have seen since she crashed on the planet. I hope Sterling Gates sticks around for a good long time.
  
• Lana Lang: I really like the idea of Lana taking Supergirl under her wing, especially since it gives Lana a more stable and interesting position in the Superman family. Since the Crisis, she's been kind of a third wheel, the person who knew Clark's secret but never really got to be part of the club. Her appearances have often portrayed her as mopey and pining, as though she never really moved on after Clark left. Even when she was married to Pete Ross, it was clear that he was second place. Recently, the writers have done a fantastic job of making her a stronger, more independent character, giving her a position atop LexCorp and separating her from Pete as a clear indication that she's leaving Smallville in the past, where it belongs. Taking care of Supergirl has been an interesting step in the right direction; it allows Lana to be part of the Superman family without having to be directly connected to Clark, and thus, looking like a stalker or like someone who's terminally trapped in high school. It's a good fit for both characters: Lana gets to put her experience dealing with adolescent superpowers and secret identities to good use, and Kara gets a parental figure who isn't a superhero.
  That's really not the problem; the problem during New Krypton is that the Insect Queen-caused sickness in Lana has forced her into a position of being deceptive, weak, and dependent--precisely the kind of things which have hampered her character in the past. The drama that came from her illness felt a little forced, but I liked the way it was resolved. I mostly just wish it had happened at a time when the characters could deal with it as a main concern, rather than having it shoved to the sidelines by the big Krypton crossover.
  
• Insect Queen: What can I say? I love the new Insect Queen.
  
• This conversation: And the whole Lana thing is worth it to see the fire come back. Her ball-busting speech with Supergirl here was a highlight of the most recent Superfamily books.
  
  
• Matter-Eater Lad: I'm not a fan of the adult Legion, really. I think the Legion tends to get bogged down when it's more about marriages and divorces and children than about teenage alien superheroes fighting crime and prejudice in the future. I liked "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" well enough, but that's not the "real" Legion to me.
  
  That being said, Matter-Eater Lad is frigging awesome, and his reveal in the Mon-El story was nothing short of fantastic.

It's a mixed bag, and I think there have been some serious missteps along the way, but overall I like the story, and I can't wait to see where it's going. I just hope we can end all this without completely restoring the old status quo.

---

1. Losing his memory, losing his powers (at least twice), having his powers go out of control, exiling himself to space, getting mind-controlled (repeatedly), dying, resurrecting, getting body-swapped, being tried for Krypton's destruction, faking his death, taking over the world, getting new powers, getting split in two, having his city destroyed then rebuilt then upgraded then downgraded, and on and on and on.

Unsolicited Opinions

The September '08 Solicits are out, which is odd, because I could have sworn that the December solicits just came out last month. Curse my temporally-displaced memory! Click the new little expanding posts link below to find out what I think, because you care so much.

TRINITY #14-17
Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza
Art by Mark Bagley & Art Thibert, Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens, Mike Norton, and Tom Derenick & Wayne Faucher
Covers by Jim Lee & Scott Williams
Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman lead the heroes of the DCU against the machinations of their malevolent counterparts, resulting in a cataclysmic event that will change the world – but not like anyone involved expects. Plus, Hawkman and Gangbuster make their move to rescue Tarot, and Konvikt breaks loose.
Issue #14 on sale September 3; issue #15 on sale September 10; issue #16 on sale September 17; issue #17 on sale September 24
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I seem to be one of few enjoying "Trinity" so far, and maybe it's because of things like this solicit: the return of Gangbuster? Busiek knows what I like. Also, I'm surprised to see Tarot making an appearance...does this mean that Chris Sims will be annotating it?

DC UNIVERSE: DECISIONS #1-2
Written by Judd Winick & Bill Willingham
Pencil art by Rick Leonardi
Covers by Stephane Roux
Election season is upon us, and the stakes have never been higher! An unknown villain is attempting to assassinate the presidential candidates, and only the heroes of the DCU stand in the way. As Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Superman, Batman and more try to learn the killer’s identity, they are faced with the difficult task of reconciling their own personal ideals with the mission at hand.
Brought to you by writers Judd Winick (GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY, TITANS) and Bill Willingham (FABLES, DAY OF VENGEANCE) and featuring sensational art by Rick Leonardi (ROBIN, SUPERGIRL)!
Issue #1 on sale September 10; issue #2 on sale September 24 • 1 and 2 of 4 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I don't think I've ever been less excited about a comic than I am about "DC Universe: Decisions." I have a feeling that it may be the most anvilicious, straw man-filled, poorly-conceived caricature of a comic ever. Given that Winick and Willingham's politics are basically caricatures of reasonable positions anyway, I have little doubt that this series will serve only to piss off absolutely everyone.

FINAL CRISIS #4
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco
Covers by J.G. Jones
It's one month after the Anti-Life Equation was released worldwide. Millions now toil as slaves of Darkseid, while the Justifier shock troops of Apokolips lay waste to the planet Earth and hunt down its protectors.
The remaining free humans and superheroes are stationed around the world, besieged within the walls of ten very familiar 'Watchtowers', as they fight a desperate, losing battle against the triumphant forces of evil.
While Green Arrow and Black Canary attempt to deliver the secret of humanity's last hope across America's blasted wastelands, the Outsiders brave the horrors of the Bludhaven bunker in search of Batman. The ultimate battle is coming...but which heroes will become villain – and vice versa? And what part do the Secret Society have to play in the dawning of this new Age of Evil?
Darkness is falling and death rules the day. Is this truly the end of the Age of Super Heroes? Don't miss FINAL CRISIS #4: “How to Murder the Earth!”
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by J.G. Jones that will ship in approximately 50/50 ratio. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale September 17 • 4 of 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

So I hear that skipping the last 40 issues (or so) of "Countdown" and not actually finishing reading "Death of the New Gods" may have greatly enhanced my enjoyment of "Final Crisis" #1. In any case, I'm pretty psyched about the series, and this issue's solicit suggests that we may get the same kind of awesome dystopian storytelling that Morrison presented in "JLA: Rock of Ages." And that can only be good.

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #2
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by George Pérez & Scott Koblish
Covers by George Pérez
Geoff Johns and George Perez continue crafting the Crisis of the 31st Century! As Superboy-Prime leads the Legion of Super-Villains against everything and everyone inspired by the legacy of Superman, the Legion of Super-Heroes are forced to call for help from beyond their world. Meanwhile, contingency plans are created by Brainiac 5 as he attempts to overcome Colu’s devastating betrayal, Dawnstar and Wildfire pull off a startling rescue, but at a horrible cost to the universe, and Saturn Girl uncovers the source of the Legion’s troubles.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by George Pérez that will ship in approximately 50/50 ratio. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale September 17 • 2 of 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

"Legion of 3 Worlds" is the only Final Crisis tie-in series I'm really excited about. I think "Rogues' Revenge" will be good (even if only because it reunites Johns, Kolins, and the Flash), I'll begrudgingly buy "Requiem," I might read "Reign in Hell," and I'm curious about "Superman Beyond," but I'm chomping at the bit for "Legion." Johns' Legion arc in "Action Comics" was his best so far, and I love the Abnett/Lanning and Waid Legions to death; seeing them team up should be a blast.

But nothing can compare to my excitement over this:

AMBUSH BUG YEAR NONE #3
Written by Keith Giffen & Robert Loren Fleming
Art by Keith Giffen & Al Milgrom
Cover by Amanda Conner
Darkseid makes a list and checks it twice! Plus, a shotgun wedding, alternate universes, more OMACs than you can shake a stick at and the very important return of Super-Turtle all wait for you in this all-new, all-ridiculous third issue.
On sale September 24 • 3 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Ambush Bug is the definition of awesome. Ambush Bug, Amanda Conner, and the Inferior Five? This book may require a warning label to explain the side-effects of a fun overdose.

SECRET SIX #1
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Cliff Chiang
Because you demanded it! The Secret Six are back in an all-new ongoing series that promises to deliver some of the darkest, most twisted action-adventure the DC Universe has seen since...well, the last time the Secret Six got together! Writer extraordinaire Gail Simone (BIRDS OF PREY) is reunited with BIRDS penciller Nicola Scott to chronicle the adventures of the Six, and you will not believe what they have in store. Join Catman, Scandal, Deadshot, Ragdoll, and ?? as they prepare for an adventure that will take them through a gauntlet across the seediest parts of the DC Universe, and will ultimately pit them against a foe more monstrous and murderous than any they've had to face! Don't miss the beginning of the most ferocious and scandalous Six story yet!
On sale September 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Yay! This almost makes up for losing Gail on All-New Atom (and subsequently losing All-New Atom).

ADAM STRANGE SPECIAL #1
Written by Jim Starlin
Art by Rick Leonardi & Dan Green
Cover by Jim Starlin & Al Milgrom
A RANN/THANAGAR: HOLY WAR tie-in! After narrowly escaping a deadly blast, Adam Strange finds himself spiraling through the timestream, forced to relive the past and helpless to watch as his future unravels before his very eyes. Will he be able to pull himself together to rejoin the Holy War?
On sale September 3 • 40 pg, FC, $3.50 US

Dear DC,
There are writers besides Jim Starlin who can do space opera adventure stories. In fact, I daresay there are much better writers for that than Jim Starlin. Please make a note of it.
Sincerely,
Tom Foss

TEEN TITANS #63
Written by Sean McKeever
Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Ruy Jose
Bombshell is back! But wait — isn't she dead?

My first thought upon reading this: "Who the hell is Bombshell?"

My second thought: "Isn't she on X-Force or something?"

My third thought: "Why am I still reading Teen Titans?"

SUPERMAN #680
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes & José Wilson Magalháes
Cover by Alex Ross
“Atlas,” part 4! The grand finale of the Atlas epic finds Superman's foe seemingly victorious! With Superman down for the count, who can stand in the way of the city's supposed new ruler? Enter Krypto, (Super)man's best friend, who will do anything to protect his master. Don’t miss Krypto at his most heroic, a worthy addition to the Superman Family – and a very good boy. Plus: A new, magical character settles in Metropolis, just when Superman needs him most.
On sale September 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I can't wait for James Robinson's Superman to start, but this solicit got me thinking: is Kurt Busiek's Krypto-centric story ever going to get published? Because I'd really like to see that.

SUPERGIRL #33
Written by James Peaty
Art by Ron Randall
Cover by Stephane Roux
Coming off the most devastating decision of her young career, Supergirl finds herself at a crossroads. Is she worthy of the "S" she wears? Can she involve herself in the affairs of humans again after misusing her powers so badly? Enter the Empress (of YOUNG JUSTICE fame), who has a whole different perspective on the matter!
On sale September 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I'd complain about Supergirl getting another new writer, but I'm so incredibly happy about seeing Empress again that I can't bring myself to say anything bad.

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #17
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art and cover by Phil Winslade
Supergirl and Raven team up to save San Francisco from a new super villain with deep roots in the DC Universe!
On sale September 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

You know, I like Marv Wolfman as much as the next guy, but I really hope he isn't permanently taking over "Brave and the Bold." If Waid can't do it, why not Karl Kesel? Dwayne McDuffie? Someone else with an encyclopedic knowledge of the DCU and the ability to write characters with distinct voices? As far as I can tell, Wolfman's only got one of those skills.

Also, that cover is hideous.

GREEN LANTERN #35
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Cover by Ivan Reis
The conclusion to “Secret Origin”! The prelude to the Blackest Night begins as the climax of the story of Hal Jordan’s first adventure comes to a close! Hal and Sinestro are confronted by the Guardians over their greatest fears. Plus, Sinestro uncovers a new prophecy all his own as the stage is set for next month’s “Rage of the Red Lanterns”!
On sale September 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Oh, holy crap. You know, I thought "Secret Origin" was almost done at this point. I was kind of expecting it to wrap up in the next issue or two. I mean, it's not a bad story, I just can't bring myself to care about the latest retelling of Hal Jordan's origin. Yes, it's a great deal better than "Emerald Dawn," does it have to be twice as long too?

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #25
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes
Cover by Ed Benes
Vixen and Animal Man journey into the sacred Tantu Totem to solve the mystery of their altered powers. But Anansi, the African spider god responsible for these changes, has only begun reshaping the powers and histories of the Justice League, as eight-year-old Bruce Wayne shoots the burglar who killed his parents, Wonder Woman retires from the JLA after the tragic death of her husband, Superman, and The Green Lantern Corps quarantines Earth after one of their number destroys an American city. With the team’s history changing before Vixen’s eyes, is the JLA we now know gone forever?
On sale September 17 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

McDuffie has gotten the short end of every stick with this JLA run. Between the artist, Meltzer's loose threads, and half a dozen stupid crossover tie-ins, there's been very little opportunity for him to do anything interesting or original with the series. I'm glad to see him still trying, and this story looks pretty interesting, but I'd really like editorial to give him as much free reign as they gave Brad "six issues of table talk" Meltzer.

TINY TITANS #8
Written by Art Baltazar and Franco
Art and cover by Art Baltazar
School is in session at Sidekick City Elementary and it’s time for report cards and parent teacher conferences.
Plus, Beast Boy gets more than he bargained for with a trip to the local library and hilarity ensues at Blue Beetle’s birthday party with a case of mistaken identity and much, much more!
On sale September 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

I love "Tiny Titans," and that cover gag is precisely why. Major props if this issue has Raven waiting in a pumpkin patch for the Great Trigon.

Also:


Hm...the Doctor Manhattan toy looks more like a Photoshop effect than an actual action figure. Is he unfinished, or just naked? I notice there's no new Minx titles slated for September; is it just a lull in the schedule?

Anyway, that's about it for DC. Looks to be a much better month than July. I'll hit Marvel up tomorrow.

Legion Errs

The Legion of Super-Heroes has always been plagued by continuity confusion. One of the problems with writing a series about the future, which frequently ties into the present, is that major changes in the present must be directly addressed in the future. This is part of the reason for the soft reboots (replacing Supergirl with Andromeda, the pocket universe) and the harder reboots (Zero Hour, the current relaunch). This has been a bit of a stumbling block for the series to obtain and retain readers.

This problem with continuity stability is only exacerbated by failures to maintain stability from creative team to creative team. I'll be honest, I really liked the Waid/Kitson reboot, and I was sad to see it go. But I'd be a lot more happy with the Shooter run if there were any sense of consistency between the two teams.

What really stuck out to me are the detail problems. It was a fairly major plot point early in the Waid reboot that the Legion flight rings are keyed to their owners' genetic signatures, and thus can't be used if stolen. Shooter apparently missed that point, as a recent issue had precisely that happen, with no mention of the reason for the change. Today I'm flipping through the newest issue, and I see various Legionnaires pulling brand-new costumes out of the automatic closets. While this is a particularly cheesy way to introduce a new look to the team (especially since I thought some changed costumes at the beginning of Shooter's run), it's also totally unnecessary, because, as also established early in the Waid run, the costumes are images generated by the Flight Rings, and can be changed at the wearer's whim.

I know these are minor problems, but I think that's precisely the point: there's no reason why a halfway decent editor, or a quick perusal of the first trade or two, couldn't have cleared them up. I mean, I haven't read the relevant Waid issues since One Year Later hit, and yet these inconsistencies stick out like sore thumbs to me.

It just annoys me to see errors like this that could have been avoided with a sharp-eyed continuity editor, a thirty second Google search, or the fifteen minutes of research that ought to have been standard practice before taking over the title.

Stating the Obvious?

So, this thought has been rattling around my head for awhile now, and I keep wondering if it's actually some kind of insight, or if it's something that everyone else takes for granted and I'm just slow on the uptake.

Anyway, there have been quite a few characters in the history of the Legion who are analogs of "modern" heroes, intentionally or otherwise. Mostly, I think, this is because there are just a limited number of powers that superheroes generally have. And while I'm sure that this connection isn't intentional (as the future character debuted three years before the more contemporary one), it occurred to me recently that Ultra Boy is the future version of Ultra the Multi-Alien.

You probably all know Ultra Boy's schtick--normal guy gets swallowed by space whale and bombarded by energy, ends up with a slew of powers that he can use one at a time. Ultra's is a bit similar--normal guy gets shot by several different alien-transformation beams, ends up with a slew of powers that each correspond to one quadrant of his body. His left arm is magnetic, his right arm is super-strong, his right leg can fly, and he can turn one leg invisible, which really isn't all that practical, and unless you're extremely gullible, you won't get fooled by Super-Skru..oh, wait, sorry. Forget the last bit.

Point being, both "Ultra" characters have sets of powers that are quantized in some fashion, confined to solitary use or use from only one part of the body. While it might not exactly be the stuff great stories are made of, I think it's enough to warrant a team-up. I'd love to see them swap limitations; Ultra gets the one-at-a-time thing while Ultra Boy suddenly has flash-vision coming out of his left leg.

One of these things is true

I just read Action Comics #858, the first part of the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" arc. Yes, I'm a bit behind on comics. Anyway, I had some serious problems with the comic, which led me to one of the following conclusions:

1. This story does not take place on New Earth.

2. Continuity lord Geoff Johns hasn't read a Superman comic in 20 years.

Now, if the former is true, then there are some serious problems with continuity. While it would clear up the whole Legion thing and the other problems in this issue if the story took place on Earth-1 or something, it does refer to the recent General Zod storyline, which by all appearances took place in the normal DCU.

Unfortunately, it seems to me that the latter is probably true. See, in this issue we find nebbish Clark snubbed by his co-workers, then berated by Perry White for never making any friends his own age. Now, I don't mind so much the decision to make Clark unpopular around the office again; that I can handle. I do mind that Perry White has gone from a caring father figure who treats Clark, Lois, and Jimmy as friends to J. Jonah Jameson-lite, smoking cigars (I guess he forgot about his bout with lung cancer) and calling Clark by his last name. Especially since that character development backsliding only applies to Action Comics. Over in this week's Superman Annual #13, we get the more modern, nuanced Perry White.

The most egregious thing about that whole exchange is where Perry says to Clark, "Why, you've been here, what--three years? And yet I haven't seen you make a single friend outside of James Olsen!" Did Perry have a $&*@ing stroke? Besides Ron Troupe, who, last I checked, was still writing for the Planet, there's at least one other absolutely-in-continuity friend Clark's made since starting at the Planet. A close friend, in fact. So close that they got *&%^ing married, and Perry was at the wedding!

It's telling that, in the panel where our intrepid Editor-in-Chief makes this comment, Clark isn't wearing his wedding ring. Whether it's telling that this is on some other Earth, or telling that even Gary Frank hasn't been paying attention to Superman comics in years, remains to be seen.

There go my Heroes

In hindsight, that would probably make a better title for the post about the next season finale of "Heroes." Of course, there's nothing to say I won't use it for that too.

So, I've been playing Justice League Heroes on the PS2, and I've quite enjoyed it so far. The game's certainly not without its flaws, but I'm playing through a second time (got to beef up those unlocked characters and see the alternate costumes), which I don't usually do immediately after beating a game.

In fact, the last game I started playing a second time immediately after the first was Marvel Ultimate Alliance, easily one of my favorite superhero video games of all time. Given the similar game mechanics and subject matter, comparing these two games is inevitable. Unfortunately, that's not so great for JLH.

The biggest, most obvious difference is in the size of your teams; Ultimate Alliance gives you four-hero squads, while JLH, probably because of its multiplayer feature, limits you to Dynamic Duos. I applaud the decision to include a two-player option, but limiting the teams to two heroes makes the game feel a heck of a lot more like "Brave and the Bold Heroes." Allowing for larger teams might have required some creativity or flexibility with the multiplayer option, but it would have justified the latter half of the "Justice League" name.

One of the neat ideas in MUA was the team bonus: by combining characters who fit thematically (all women, all spies, etc.) or historically (the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, etc.), you'd get some benefit to your stats. While this obviously makes the most sense with larger teams, there's really no reason that it couldn't have been adapted to the two-person system in JLH. Superman + Batman = World's Finest bonus; Hal Jordan + Green Arrow = Hard-Traveling Heroes bonus; Batman + Huntress = Gotham Knights bonus; and so on. I really think the only reason you wouldn't include such a feature in JLH is that the number of character options might give you more bonus-combinations than normal ones.

Don't get me wrong, JLH has a nice assortment of characters. You start with a pool of seven, ranging from the obvious (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) to the slightly more obscure (John Stewart, Zatanna), and you can buy six more by collecting icons in the game. Unfortunately, I've been spoiled by the sheer number of characters included in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, where in addition to playable characters, you run into all sorts of other superheroes and supporting cast members in the game. MUA is chock-full of easter-eggs and shout-outs to the fans, which really enriches the feel of the universe. JLH has only a fraction of that (though the messages on the Watchtower recorder are fun). And some of the choices made are a little on the odd side; for instance, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Hal Jordan are all separate characters with separate voices and dialogue (albeit with the same powers), but Jay Garrick is just a costume for the Flash. I can't for the life of me figure out why they did that, unless it was to save on game size or something, but how much space do a few new lines of speech really take up?

As great as it is to be able to unlock new characters and some cool costumes (black suit Superman is teh awesome; biker suit Wonder Woman, less so), the game isn't exactly new-character-friendly. There are very few missions where you get to choose your own team (and their costumes), and none of them happen until fairly late in the game, which means any newly-unlocked characters are at a severe level disadvantage. MUA offered frequent chances to change your team's composition during missions, allowing quite a bit more flexibility, and making new characters a little less disadvantaged when they entered the fray.

The story is neat (though it borrows liberally from a couple of JLU plots and "Rock of Ages"), and with Dwayne McDuffie at the helm, it's no wonder that the characterizations are pretty well spot-on. Unfortunately, the game is rather short (and rather easy, for that matter), and a bit repetitive. While I don't necessarily have a problem with all the punch-'em-up action against largely indistinguishable grunts, drones, and robots, I do wish there were a bit more problem-solving. The bosses are tough and varied, but I couldn't help but wonder, in this Justice League game, where all the Justice League villains were. There are two Superman foes (Doomsday, Brainiac), a Flash rogue (Gorilla Grodd), a Firestorm villain (Killer Frost), and Darkseid. The only League villains are The Key and Queen Bee, and arguably the unnamed White Martians. Where are the Weapons Master, T.O. Morrow, Starro, Amazo, Kanjar Ro, and the host of other villains with names ending in "o"? It's not as though the existing villains were picked because of name recognition (the Key? Really?). Picking almost exclusively the enemies of individual heroes rather than the League's villains only contributes to the feel that this game is more "DC Comics Presents" than "Justice League."

Like I said, it's not a bad game; I've had quite a lot of fun playing it (both times). I just hope that DC's next Justice League game takes some hints from MUA, and provides the fans with larger teams, a larger cast, a longer story, more flexibility, more Justice League villains, and greater immersion in the universe. I'd also like to see a Legion of Super-Heroes game along the same lines. So get on it, DC!

Am I reading this correctly?

Maybe there's a flaw in my Interlac TrueType font, but when I run that through MS Word (and my own knowledge of the alphabet), I get "Tle Villain is tle Lero in Lis Own Story," or, since none of the letters have the capital bar, "tle villain is tle lero in lis own story." Now, I realize that in Interlac, "h" and "l" are very similar letters, but shouldn't someone along the line notice that the letters in the middle of "villain" look exactly like the letter at the beginning of "hero"? When you're writing in a non-Roman-character font, you ought to be taking extra care to make sure that things are spelled correctly; otherwise, you end up with stupid mistakes like this.

Has this been happening all along? Is this just the first I've noticed it? Or did someone drop the H/L ball for this issue (or would that be the "bahh for tlis issue")?

Also, what's up with Wildfire being Red Tornado? When did that happen? Wikipedia's entry on Wildfire doesn't mention it at all, and it doesn't seem to make sense given Wildfire's origin, power set, and whatnot.

But, aside from all that, fantastic ending. Too bad it's such a kick in the crotch for the other big finale this week.

Edit: Just thought I'd let David Brothers, --J--, and Erin Palette (and anyone else who's interested) know that I posted their questions in the comments to this post, so they can make with the interviewing.

So, who's the Seventh Legionnaire?

Hey kids, Spoilers!
We know Star Boy/Starman and Karate Kid for sure. We saw Dream Girl an issue ago. If you know your Interlac, then you recognized that what Starman said to Karate Kid was "Lightning Lad."

By the way: recognizing and being able to read Interlac may represent a new achievement in geekiness for me. Even scarier, it may not.

That's four. The "white angel" is almost certainly Dawnstar, who we've seen at least once at this point, and the howling "wolf" is probably Timber Wolf. That leaves one more. Who do you think it is?

My money's on Shrinking Violet, based on Starman's "itsy bitsy" comment. Then again, that "C-sharp" comment keeps sticking out to me. I know it's attributed to Dawnstar, but could it be a reference to Tyroc?

Actually, no, it's probably Vi. What a strange team. Thoughts?