The Green

Before I saw the resulting comments on the Internet I watched The Green Lantern Trailer on TV.  My gut reaction was one of anticipation.  The one hero that this overweight kid had always seen as the one accessible to them was there on the screen.  See the thing about the Green Lanterns has always been for me the fact that anyone of any shape, size, color, and alien race can become a Lantern.  Now the once impossible special effects were coming to a movie theatre near me.  I was looking forward to the movie.

One the Internet it seems comicbook fans have decided that the trailer, "Looks good, but..."  Can we not just once be glad that we have the Green Lantern Movie and just wait until we tear it apart?  I could moan that the two times Blake Lively was on the trailer she sounded wooden and looked like she had no emotion.  Yet, there is the visual buffet of Killowog, Sinestro, and a host of other Lanterns.  The look of Oa was cool.  Here we have something that was thought forever out of reach in terms of being able to replicate the powers and we already are griping.  Jonah Hex stunk.  I can say that after watching it.  I reserve judgment to say that if Green Lantern stinks.  Until then I am just going to enjoy the fact that a favorite group of characters will see widespread exposure.

BDS

Bruce Wayne The Road Home: Batgirl #1

            While reading this story that is a part of the larger Return of Bruce Wayne story I had an odd thought.  Was Bryan Q. miller trying to make a statement?  The Fangirl cry for a Stephanie Brown case memorial in the Batcave was the rallying point of a much larger concern with the treatment of female characters.  Stephanie was the first female Robin.  She ends up tortured and then murdered.  Yes, they retroactively brought her back and covered the whole mess up in a comicbook cliché way.  The bosses and creators from that period have sarcastically mentioned and very crudely talked about those wasting energy over the Death of Stephanie.  It has been a poorly executed meeting of corporate company and the fans that buy the product.  I just wonder if Miller is telling us he gets it and his Batgirl will treat Stephanie as a character to be respected.  That has been the tone in the series so far and it certainly is a strong tone here in this one-shot.

            Stephanie Brown as Batgirl has been a wonderful story to see unfold.  I have been reading the regular series since the beginning.  Batgirl is one of my enjoyable reads.  I make sure I savor it.  Sometimes I read it first and others I leave it to the end of the pile when I have slowed down my devouring of the stack of books.  It is one that I would hold on to if I had to start purging the pull list at the local shop.  From her costume to the witty thoughts and dialogue she has I just love this character.  She is very much like the kids I work with, slightly scattered, but so good hearted.  Each issue of her book has been a slow build of how the characters that knew her as Spoiler are seeing the growth of this amazing young crime fighter.

            She does something in this issue I have seen Black Canary do and that is slap Bruce.  It was just a well written scene.  Stephanie responds with shock at herself as she realizes she just slapped Batman.  It was deserved though.  Bruce has always treated her so hard and with an edge he never had with any of the others.  I even feel he treated Huntress better.  To see Stephanie stand her ground against him is wonderful.  It also is why I wonder if Miller is signaling something to Steph’s fanbase.  A promise maybe that as long as he is in control the girl will be the hero we love and treated as a true part of the Batfamily and the DCU.

I know I have rambled for a bit.  The thing I guess I will leave you with is that this book and the next Issue of Batgirl, number 15 are great jumping on points for a reader to try Batgirl out.  Stephanie is worth a read for a true fan of comicbook stories.  So try out Batgirl #15 and this book as well.

BDS

Wonder Woman #604

            Do you get that I am liking the story of Wonder Woman right now?  I am not happy she is separated from the rest of the DCU, but JMS is crafting a good tale.  This is the issue we get some action.  Not really any answers.  It has one awesome battle sequence.  Just page to page fiery action.  Diana faces her mother’s attacker.  She faces the “big bad” that we have seen so far.

            She gains one of her weapons in this issue and one of her lost abilities.  I really do not want to say a whole lot about the story because it would give so much away.  I am really liking the story.  As I have stated I see it not being a status quo.  When JMS ends his story the reality of Wonder Woman will return to the warrior we know.  It is still a weird way to treat a character that has been touted as part of a DCU Trinity.  

            I do not think she gets the respect that the male dominated DC Comics Corporation say they pay her.  It is almost as if she is tolerated because they need her as the DCU female icon.  When people that do not know comics think of female characters they do remember Wonder Woman and that she was the one who spun around.  To me she is and can be so much more.  Strong and independent women scare people.  What really scares people is the woman that can be both warrior and nurturer.  That is what Diana is in a nutshell.  If the need arises she can beat down any threat.  When someone is broken and hurting she can cradle them into safety.  Why can’t we have that Wonder Woman?

            Until that day I will support this character as much as possible.  Luckily for me I currently am enjoying the book and story in a way that secures its place on the pull list.

BDS

Brightest Day #12 & #13

            I will double up on this quick review of the Brightest Day series.  It has been good so far, slow in places.  Here in these issues we get two of the faster paced parts of the story.  In case you have been under a rock and do not know what this is about I will give you my explanation.  The end of Blackest Night saw a number of individuals brought back from the grave permanently, kinda.  See we learned that each has a task to perform to remain alive.  Boston Brand, or Deadman, is one of the people brought back and he now has a mission to find the new Guardian of Earth.  He has a White Ring as well.  The series is the tale of his mission and the tasks that the others are to undertake.

            Issue #12 is a Martian Manhunter centric story that also has Firestorm in it.  The Firestorm story has a Black Lantern return in the form of Deathstorm and a crew of Black Lanterns that we all thought gone.  It is the Martian Manhunter story that is most tragic and intriguing.  He is apparently able to return “the Green” to Mars.  The problem is that another Green Martian is there on the planet as well.  They are a former Martian Murderess that had escaped the destruction of the race of Green Martians.  She wants J’onn to be her mate.  She wants to repopulate a genetically designated race to replace the flawed one she was glad to see gone.  There is fighting.  There is a surprise resurrection.  There is a twist ending that chills the spine.  Poor J’onn is all I can say about it.

            The central characters of Issue #13 are Hawkman and Hawkwoman.  There is a great telling of their history and how the current state of them and Hawk World came to be.  All the secrets that currently were hidden are revealed.  We see some gruesome fighting as Carter Hall battles to his love.  She is facing her mother and the reason apparently for all the troubles the Hawks have faced over the centuries.  Really cool story here.

            Boston and Dove are the other part of the book.  They are looking for the new Guardian and I think they are kind of sweet on each other.  The big twist here is who might be this Guardian.  The newly returned……well that would be telling would it not?

BDS

Superman/Batman #77

            I admit that the cover drew me in.  When I saw Kara with a mushed Jack O’ Lantern on her head beside the smug Damien (Robin) I knew I had to read the book.  I really dislike the character of Damien, not as a character, as a person in the DC Universe.  He is an arrogant little jerk that has serious problems with his demeanor.  I can see him being a sociopath one day.  That said, when he interacts with other characters it provides a wonderful story and some awesome quips.  Batgirl’s run in with him was just great.  So how did the Maiden of Might fair?

            I agree with Dick, he has a crush on her.  Still, he called her alien and used her as a tool to investigate the deaths she was concerned about.  It was Supergirl who needed a detective and she sought out Batman, but Dick was with the JLA.  Next she asked about Red Robin, but Tim was apparently out as well.  She relents and tells Robin to find his own way to Metropolis and he can help.  The set up was very well conceived.  It also had a bit of an introduction of Robin by showing him facing off with Killer Croc.

            The two end up at a Halloween party in costumes no less.  They find the killer and the resulting attack places Supergirl against Robin in an interesting way.  The story is very well written and just a wonderful team up of these two DCU characters.  I also like the hood Damien has added to his Robin costume.  It makes it his style while adding something different to a classic look.  Kara is still in the midriff baring top and short skirt.  No wonder Damien has a crush.  This was a great read.

BDS

Rapid Remarks!

Untold Tales of Blackest Night #1                Think of this as the “Deleted Scenes” of the Blackest Night.  That is what we get here.  The book has tales that are glimpses of moments we did not get to see.  Donna Troy and the effects of the baby bite.  Some dumb Flash villains trying to become Black Lanterns.  Animal Man in the middle of his struggle with being a former dead person.  Scarecrow and his Yellow Ring, which I had hoped for more of a tale.  A tragic look at the result of the Black Rings on Ragman.  Costly, it runs $4.99.  Might be for completist only.  It will probably be collected with the trades.

Power Girl #17                       Why does Winnick have to write this?  I want to follow this character.  I really do.  I am not liking Judd Winnick on this book.  I rarely enjoy his work.  I am trying to wait out his run and see if someone else takes the writing chores soon.  If not, then I might be dropping PG in the near future.

Secret Six #27             Spawn is on the cover.  Not really, but that is what it looks like to me and apparently many of the people who saw the cover in the store.  I like Simone’s writing, but this piecemeal story telling is getting old.  Back to basics please.  Still, an Awesome Amanda Waller tale in these pages.  So that is worth the price of Admission.

Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #3                       Still great.  Has some of the best of the Lantern Corps present.  Other Lanterns here as well.  $3.99 price so you must weigh the financial side of reading this in single issues.

Green Lantern #58                The mystery of the Lantern Entities continues.  Looks like Carol will be Queen of the Zamorans.  This book has Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Atrocious, Carol Ferris, and Larfleeze.  C’mon you know you are reading this in single of trade versions.  This issue has the Blue Entity saving a child and choosing her as the vessel.  Plus Atrocious kills a bunch of murderers.  What I want to know is when are we getting the DexStarr One Shot?

Green Lantern Corps #53                  One image.  Kyle punching the crap out of Sinestro.  We see what the Weaponer did with the White Lantern Ring energy net that Boston Brand made.  It is intriguing that he can use it that way.  All action issue with cool concepts for ring energy.  This is a must read right now.  Been where the cool stories have been.

Batman Beyond #5 of 6                    You know they gave Terry McGuiness his own series right?  This issue shows us why it is a great book.  Bruce expresses his softer side.  A Dick Grayson cameo times two and the new Catwoman.  It is just a great read.

Zatanna #6                 A really good book so far.  I like the almost Fanfiction mind-control element here.  This is a nice look at the magical side of the DCU.  We get her cousin Zach here as well.  Very good read.

            This may become a regular post.  I can cover what I am reading and get just the basic thoughts out there.  What do you think?  Hey tell a friend.  I really hope to have rebuilt some recognition before I get to the Convention buys.  I want the people to get a bunch of coverage if I can.  Thanks for dropping by.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Robin + Impulse #1

Yes, I at long last got this one up.  I know it is short, but really didn't want to ruin the story.  After all, these should be just a peek at some great reads that are in back issue and discount boxes, right?  I hope to get some of the stack of books I bought Tuesday reviewed today.  There were some good reads in that pile, Wonder Woman being one of them.

            I enjoy picking up these DC Comics one shot and Fifth week books.  One I found sometime along my journey in the Comicbook Rescue Project (what I call my back issue buying) was the Robin plus Impulse story.  It begins with Robin investigating a theft from the Gotham telephone Company’s storage warehouse.  He gets punked after finding out the stolen tech was way outdated.  We then flash forward to an arranged ski trip that Tim and his classmates are treated to as a cover for Robin to do a bit of recon for Batman.  Bart Allen just happens to be there as well.  As usual Bart is impatient and we find he dislikes snow.  It is a cool bit of lighthearted fare missing in so many books today.

            Mark Waid is good at balancing lightheartedness and serious comicbook action.  Here he kicks it into high gear as Robin gets shot at while snooping.  Impulse shows up and the fun begins.  The two team up to discover a large army of baddies and the babe who punked Robin at the warehouse.  Things are fast paced which fits Impulse.  The humor is never lost as laser fire and explosions happen all around our two young heroes.

            I will say little else because I do not want to spoil the ending.  It has some mystery as well as an awesome Impulse nail biting ending.  These are cool books to seek out and why I chose to use this title as a Flashback Friday offering.

BDS

Bat Family History, Stephanie Brown Style

 This was posted on the DCU Blog the other day and I wanted to post it to make sure it was seen.  I was lazy until Rich Lovatt saved me the time in gathering it up easily.  I really think this is a funny retelling of the Bat Family history.  Stephanie Brown has been my one bright spot in my buying and reading this year.  Issue #15 is probably a good jumping on point if you want to see what all the fuss is about.  This history is a follow up to Stephanie feeling Wendy needs to know the background on what she is stepping into as Proxy.  Wonderful tease here in these panels.

BDS

The Colorado Kid & Haven

            I have been watching the TV Show Haven on my Hulu account.  Haven is one of the SyFy channel’s crop of shows that started this past summer.  It revolves around a seaside community in New England that is a place of quiet living and strange occurrences.  It is not the “troubles” or awesome Agent Audrey Parker that I write about this post, but the small book by Stephen King that inspired the show.  The book is a short and very focused on the characters that reveal the story that is not a story.

The Colorado Kid is not what I expected.  I figured maybe the characters in the show would appear in the younger days of their life and be involved in a mystery that has been mentioned as a way to intrigue Audrey’s past to the viewer.  Instead it is a stand alone and apart tale of a young girl who is learning the journalism ropes from a couple of fellas that clearly are the inspiration for the show Haven’s resident small town paper men.  It is they that decide to explain to Stephanie about why they did not share the tale of The Colorado Kid with a big time reporter from The Boston Globe.

            What is revealed is a story of a dead man that has no resolution.  There are facts and questions that come from his being found, yet it is not a story.  The facts surrounding the events could be told in any fashion.  For as the men tell us there is no beginning, middle, and end like we would like.  Just questions and some speculation.  I had a college English professor that I figure would have hated this book.  He was a nasty sort that always wanted the tidy wrapped up packages for his literature.  The Colorado Kid provides us with no tidy package and teaches us that some tales do not deserve to be shared so a forced ending can be written.

Agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose)

            The TV Show Haven can be seen clearly in the tale.  It is the tiny island that we see here.  It is filled with the easy going folk that are mention.  Even the way Stephanie describes how she is slowly accepted as a member of the community fits with how we watch Audrey slowly become a trusted member of the town of Haven.  Sometimes the seed of an idea can bear fruit.  Stephen King discusses the seed that created The Colorado Kid and from that fruit a seed was taken to grow an intriguing TV Show.  Many compared the show to Warehouse 13, which I believe is wrong.  If anything, The Gates is closer.  I feel that Haven is named that for a reason.  Like that ABC show with a gated community for “monsters” Haven seems to be a place where people cursed or afflicted with “troubles” find a life.

            It will be intriguing to see how the latest revealed about Audrey Parker fits into the Show's continuing mythology.

BDS

Green Arrow Images

Images I had running as a Slide Show during the Trunk-Or-Treat.

Oh Well

 

I got behind because of work and just feeling a bit like no one was reading so I put it on the back burner.  I am pondering when to go to the shop.  Might be tomorrow or wait until Tuesday when I have to go that way for another reason.  Sorry about the Flashback Fridays.  I have a book, well, many books to use, just haven't written anything.  I will try and see if anyone has a pic of me in my Trunk-Or-Treat costume this year.  I was Green Arrow.  Not too happy with it.  I had hoped to put a pick of the Iron Man pumpkin a man at church craved for me, but he looks a bit off.  He fell because of some reason and the mouth frankly looks like a blow up doll's.  Anyway.  I do hope to get some reviews of books from HeroesCon up soon.  One is a Christmas release and it is really neat.

BDS