What might really sink the DCnU?

I read the DCU Blog.  I avoid the comic newsites and do not really read the gossipy Blogs out there, I just don't have the time or energy.  My reading of DC's Blog has started me thinking about what might cause the new DC Comics to sink.  Many believe it will be continuity or the changing of characters in a way that deviates from the core way we have always seen them.  Favorites have been disappeared or altered in drastic ways.  That could hurt.

Those things and the things like that will annoy a fanboy or fangirl, but those are the hardcore consumers who will buy regardless.  What has crossed my mind is a trend that is being released everyday by DC.  Around issues # 7 and forward there will be changing of writers and other creative teams.  This can be a killer to anyone that might have been drawn in to try the DCnU.  Change in writers are a fact of life, but recently we see less and less of long runs that can build a loyal consumer and more of a musical chairs type writer picking.

Voodoo would be a great example to use.  I just saw that Ron Marz will be leaving sometime next year.  I picked this book up mainly on his writing of it.  It was not the stripper character or the sexy covers.  I have followed Marz as he wrote an amazing transformative run on Witchblade.  His Samurai Heaven and Earth series was outstanding.  Voodoo was no less great as it has begun.  Yet, soon an unknown quantity will take over.  He may be awesome, I hope so, but it means I will have to decide quickly whether I can afford the book.

That is what it might come down to, money.  I cannot sustain a tryout on a book I just tried out.  Having a writer stay on a book for at least one year is not too much to expect.  Family issues are understandable, but just not producing or an editorial decision because all of a sudden a large crossover needs someone new is not acceptable.  One book at $2.99 is just a part of a bunch of comics at this three dollar price compounds.  Soon you have $27 a week and take home 9 books from one company.  The wall will get hit and when it comes to constant change in writers there comes an easy way to walk away from the product.  It is not a reason to continue buying a book, it is a compelling time to cut that title and save some bucks.

I see this as the possible way the DCnU falls flat.  It would be sad if that happens as there has been people enjoying and excited about the characters of the DCnU.

BDS

A Little Behind

I have been doing much Holiday work currently, but it has kept me from the Blog.  Yes, I missed Flashback Friday.  Missed Mantra Monday.  Yet, I did get The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo read.  Received a bunch of discounted books from www.tfaw.com today.  So it is a see saw.  I am just a weird and busy elf.

BDS

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I know, I was probably the only geekily inclined person that had not read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.  I did know about the well done movie in Sweden, the setting for this tale.  The movie hits here one week from tomorrow.  I thought about the book and on Monday, I bought a copy at SAM's and finished it this morning about ten 'til 2.  It was a good read.

There is a warning.  This is a graphic depiction of how women are sexually abused and treated.  It does not shy from the dark corners it peers into and that gives it an intellectual aspect that allows for the language and themes.  It is not a book for children.  This is a book that does not flaunt its academic levels, but is straight-forward smart book that will not suffer those looking for an easy read.  The only negative is the massive amount of family members one must keep up with in the mystery that is being studied.  There is so many that at times you might get dizzy.

Crimes of the secondary villain will strike a chord with those fed up with greedy corporations that have destroyed economies the world over.  One might even wonder if the author who has passed away might have a similar ability as his title character.  It is eerie how the crimes in the financial world now are the ones we read about.  I hope that it comes over as strong in the film.

A strange thing was in this mornings paper, an advanced review for the movie.  A positive review in a small Southern paper that never gets the movies like this one.  I know many people fretted over the fact that the Swedish woman that had played Lisabeth Salander in the original film was not in the Hollywood one.  Apparently Rooney Mara, the American actress that has taken the role did a good job handling the role.  In fact, the entire cast, crew, and creative team was praised.  I am really looking forward to next Friday.  I hope to see the movie and have the book so fresh in my mind.

So, I proved my excellent reading skill and speed.  The fact that this book is so good helped greatly.  If you were like me and have not read the book, do so.  It will make the movie better I believe.

*** Last night Charlie Rose had the Director David Filcher and many in the cast around his table.  It was interesting and Rooney Mara is so cute.  Anyway, not sure if it was a dry joke or real, but they mentioned that they changed the ending.  This bothered me.  I thought the book ended in a perfect way to lead into another story.  So, this is troubling.  Otherwise the cast was so cool discussing things.  I did not know my high school soap opera crush Robin Wright was in the movie.  Still will see it, but with an eye to how it ends.

BDS

Mantra Mondays: Giant Size Mantra vs. Topaz #1

I figure Malibu is getting ready to introduce Topaz as part of Ultraforce with this Giant Size issue that interrupts the regular Mantra series.  This is coming off the crossover with the Strangers just an issue before.  It is also the day and age when gimmick covers and special editions were running amok all over the landscape.  Still, this is one of the better issues of Mantra in any form up to this point in the Malibu Ultraverse.

Lukasz is beginning to dream of a woman that any reader has already realized is Eden Blake.  In true form the dullard is instantly stricken by technically his own form.  It really adds a new element to the story and plot.  We also are getting more of Lukasz the mother.  He is a crap mother.  Little Evie cries her eyes out after what he does in this book.  I really get upset at him sometimes still over his callous emotions towards the children of the woman who's body he stole.  Still, it will set up an interesting development in later issues.

We find out that the armor and the Sword of Fangs were stolen from the land of Gwendor, an all female society.  They are kinda like technologically advanced Amazons.  The big difference is that the Valley that divides the area is also a divider between Gwendor and the City of Neros, a society of men.  Once a yearly cycle they all get in the valley and have this great madness where apparently children are conceived.  Otherwise they are very suspicious of each other and have a tortured peace.

Typical comicbook fare as Mantra fights first the Nerosians, then is sent to Gwendor, challenged by Topaz for the Sword of Fangs, and then helps protect the Gwendorians as a rogue group of Nerosians attack.  So all this leads to Lukasz losing the costume I prefer to a techno armor the Gwendorians make for him (next issue of Mantra).  Then the quest for Boneyard begins.  Many cool action scenes and less whining by Lukasz makes this a fun and good read.   This is a really well done book with nice artwork by Mark Heike.  I really like the way he draws the characters throughout.

So this is the Archimage Quest part Four and the next issue of Mantra resolves somethings that have been dangling since the very first issue.  Be here for the next Mantra Mondays for all the twists and turns.

BDS

Mantra Mondays: Mantra #12

I have to ponder sometimes just if the creative team was being directed by an outside hand or if they just worked in a fast paced way?  This is an Anniversary Issue.  Mantra had survived to the one year mark.  They were wrapping up a major crossover story that involved Mantra's main foe, Boneyard, yet, the story is really flat.  Where is the passion and heart of a great story?  It is missing.

The concept is a fantastic one and it just always seems to become a different thing.  Instead of this being about a warrior taking his circumstances and becoming flexible and adaptive Lukasz just whines.  He whines constantly.  It might have been OK for the first five issues or so, but after a year this book should have evolved and become about the spirit being the best part of a person and not the gender or body.  So many times that is almost there.   In the Strangers part of this tale as Spectral discusses spirit and meaning of one's life to Mantra.  Here where Electrocute kisses Mantra and the implications are too much for Lukasz.  That moment is ruined by his incessant whining.

Still, Boneyard is faced.  Grenade is a putz.  The wives and Notch are peripheral nothings.  Demons, a breach, and Atom Bob freed is what you get.  Oh, yeah, the Sword of Fangs does bite deep into one character.  So it lasted a year, but it could have been a better trip.  I have read ahead, so it gets better.

BDS

Indigo Tribe is being revealed

The DC Blog just posted today something that I have been waiting for since I figured out that the Compassion was not true compassion.  That was later confirmed and the secret will soon be out on the Indigo Tribe and their connection to Abin Sur.  Say the Oath, it sounds cool.

Monday, December 5th, 2011

By Josh Kushins

“Tor lorek san, bor nakka mur,

Natromo faan tornek wot ur.

Ter Lantern ker lo Abin Sur,

Taan lek lek nok–Formorrow Sur!”

-Oath of the Indigo Tribe

Not much is known about the mysterious Indigo Tribe; even their oath is all but impenetrable to anyone not of their numbers. But the upcoming storyline of GREEN LANTERN will explore their secrets, revealing shocking truths that will shake the foundations of the entire Lantern universe.

Wielding the light of Compassion, the reclusive Indigo Tribe will be the focus of an ongoing story which begins with GREEN LANTERN #7 – written by fan-favorite, critically acclaimed author Geoff Johns and illustrated by artists Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy.

In “The Secret of the Indigo Tribe,” the uneasy alliance of Hal Jordan and Sinestro continues, as they are taken to the Indigo homeworld to uncover the truths behind a heinous crime. But what crime could keep this unlikely duo together, driving them to investigate a corps ostensibly dedicated to the spread of goodwill throughout the galaxy? And what dark secrets will Hal and Sinestro discover out in the unknown reaches of deep space?

Flashback Friday: Micheal Turner's Fathom #0 & #1 (Three Covers)

I was digging through a box looking for something to read and pulled out Fathom.  This was suppose to be Micheal Turner's next big creation back when it debuted.  No matter what you thought of Turner, you had to admit he could draw women.  Granted, they were endowed with extremely long legs and oh so lovely curves, but in the comicbook industry that sells.  Aspen Matthews would add water and even more skin to the artwork.  Sadly, the cancer that took this talent from us also took the steam out of Fathom as a book.  Turner was not the best storyteller, but he was good at laying a foundation for his creations.  When his energy waned, so did what Fathom could have been.  There have been those that took up the creative process, but never were they able to carry on this character like Turner's other big creation, The Witchblade.

Issue#0 tells a story of Aspen and a scuba diving class that will be retold in shortened form in Issue #1.  This issue is more of a teaser than anything major to the origin.  It gave us a hint of Aspen Matthews and the outstanding visuals Turner had in store for this book.  Issue #1 gives us more of a telling of who Aspen is and what is going on in the oceans of the world.  Turner created a great conspiracy right at the start.  He had the U.S. And Japan in a tense research and military aspect.  There is a mysterious craft that can vaporize aircraft.  Then there is Aspen.  She who is an orphan and part of a group of people on a cruise ship that had been missing for ten years.

Aspen is leaving for deep waters as part of an undersea research group.  The underwater art is amazing and whether or not the science is correct, Turner portrays it with such confidence you are certain it is true.  The other side of the book, the conspiracy of a threat from the depths gets amped up with the Naval might of the U.S.A.  The aircraft and ship are wonderfully rendered.  We also get a submersible plane that plays heavily into the final pages.  It really drives to a great finish with a torpedo and lives threatened as we see the man that Aspen feels she has a connection to in a glass cylinder.  It is a good start.

This is a book where art rules, but it would be so good to see someone take this character and this world Micheal Turner created and do a new approach.  I would like to see a story of power like Ron Marz has had with his long run on Witchblade.  To see a great storyteller and a superb artist make Aspen stand tall as Micheal Turner could have done would be a great tribute to the man.

BDS

Christmas Godzilla

Just looked at my stats on Blogger's tracking stuff.  The thing is that one of this week's search phrases was comicbook bikinis.  Comicbook Bikinis?  What is that search about?  Anyway, it gave me an excuse to share Christmas Godzilla.  This is the coolest thing in lawn decoration ever.

BDS

Mantra Mondays: The Strangers #13

When this gets saved it will probably be Tuesday, but oh well.  Last Mantra we saw our Heroine kill one of Boneyard's three wives.  Instead of receiving that person's stolen Mantra costume, she didn't and Boneyard walked through a breach in the dimensions.  So why are we now looking at The Strangers comic?  Well, that is where we pick up Boneyard and his part of this Mantra story.


The Strangers are just getting back from some major adventure where a member called Yrial back and Member Bob has found a new artificial magic when the authorities have asked for help.  A plane is heading in with a hostage situation.  We find out that the Ultra that did the hijacking was Boneyard.  He is his gross self as we await the excitement.


Just when Boneyard is chastising The Strangers for allowing demons to enter his realm by their actions in the saving of Yrial, Mantra appears.  Big battle and the abduction of Bob.  The wives are there, but really not used.  Later Notch and the Boneyard Warriors show up with the wives to fight a bit.  It is an OK story, but kinda flat and moves in a jerky fashion.


There is a great bit of philosophical discussion of gender and how we decide and accept who we are as a person.  The entire talk was way ahead of its time.  Currently we have this discussion in our society.  It is still a volatile issue, but back when this was written, it was very do not write about such things.  For that alone this is a very interesting comicbook.  Needless to say, it will dive directly into the next issue of Mantra.


Price of this comic was $3.50 and of an extra size.  Back then it was a rare price and an event type book.  The flip-side contained what was called ULTRAVESE PREMIERE.  There was a short Ladykiller tale that is continued and an excellent small PRIME tale that really is about a discarded PRIME husk.  A small and elderly funeral home owner has found and used his craft to extend the shell of Prime.  He wears it and takes on the gangs making life in his neighborhood horrible.  It is one of those nice little stories that just makes for cool reading.


Well, it is just a few minutes after midnight, so this is a Mantra Tuesday I guess.


BDS

Hope to have these things this week Posted

I have the next Mantra Mondays ready to write and the images are saved.  I did have some older DCnU books ready for posting, but last night I left the USB thingies at the office.  I read Terry Goodkind's newest novel The Omen Machine this past week and will be posting about it before returning the book to the Library.

I am trying to balance many things and really want to thank those that check my Blog for updates.  I hope to get a better record going, it is just one of those things where I must always put the paying jobs and the needed things first.

BDS

Where was Mantra Monday?

I am still attempting to get my posting mojo back.  Honestly, today was a simple case of misplacing the next comic to be part of Mantra Mondays.  It is Strangers #13.  I got it mixed in with some of the DCnU titles and could not find it until I sorted all that out.  Add that the books I bought at my local shop's comic show mixed in and one can see what happened.  I hope to get back this Friday and next Monday with the regular stuff and make a decision on the tie between She-Hulk and Spider-Woman.

The issue of Strangers comes after we saw Mantra kill on of the wives of first Archimage and now Boneyard.  This death allowed Boneyard to access Earth and now he is here in the Malibu Universe.  Mantra has lost her original cape, armor and mask to the wives.  They were who it all was created for.  Now we have a crossover.  I was determined to stay in sequence since I acquired the issues along the path this summer.

Stay with me readers, I hope to be back on track soon.

BDS

I am a Print Addict

I love prints.  I have many of the 11 x 17in that I have purchased.  I like these small ones though because I can scan them to share.  They also are easier to find frames for them when getting them protected and hang-able.

This Aquaman was from this year's Hickory ComicCon.  I love it.  The use of the Orange for the setting or rising sun.  The playfulness of the print is something else that drew me in.  Just a cool look.

It was a two for one price on the Aquaman print and the one that had to go home with it was this Phantom Print.  I love the character and this pirate ship piece was just a perfect fit for my collection.

The Hickory ComicCon event was where this Wonder Woman print was purchased.  I liked the simple look and the way the background is used.

Which lead to this year purchasing a Power Girl print by the same artist.  This is a really nice look for the lesser known character for mainstream people.

I bought a Harley Quinn print by this artist along with a Hulk print for a gift when at HeroesCon.  I saw this print of Mysterio by the same artist that I just had to get it.  This is a really neat drawing of a classic Spider-Man character.  I love pieces like this one.

BDS

Mantra Monday: Mantra #3

Since I am getting back into the swing of Mantra Mondays I decided to fill in the missing issue from this series look at the Mantra comic.  I picked this issue up this summer and just wanted to be a bit complete as we go forward.  So prepare to backtrack as we return to the early days of Lukasz becoming a woman.  He is the whiner of old and very mean to Eden's kids.

So Issue #2 had Lukasz taking little Evie and Gus to the movies.  The collector Strauss had sent these weird Repo Men after the Mask that Lukasz had stolen and now wears as Mantra.  So that is where the action picks up.  Mantra in her first real public battle.  She is now that smooth as Lukasz is still trying to be "the man" as he fights.  When he embraces Eden's natural magical abilities he Becomes powerful.  Soon the Repo Men are burning carcasses and Mantra is heading to talk with Strauss, leaving the kids behind.

Much of the book fills in some of my missing impression of Lukasz.  he uses Eden's womanly curves when it suits him and advances his quest to uncover the traitor in an attempt to get his maleness back.  This leads him to find two of Archimage's warriors that also survived.  They are in a blind black man and a dog.  The problem is that now a predetermined message and test has been awakened to put Lukasz through his paces as a magical woman.  Kismet is born and causes trouble for the warrior.

Who is Kismet?  Well, Archimage had this magic set up to create a being to test Lukasz.  Kismet formed after Eden and the kids walked past this Hippie type store, so she formed as a flower child with a wicked magical ability.  Kismet decides she wants to live, it was kind of cool so she wants Eden's body.  In the end she kills Hamath and Yaron, the warriors that had survived the betrayal of Archimage.  Seeing death, Mantra convinces Kismet to rethink the entire being alive thing.

One important thing this issue is the interaction with the kids.  Lukasz is really hateful towards Evie.  Gus takes it as just more of his growing resentment of his mother, but Evie is a smart little girl.  She is seeing the person behind the eyes and realizing that it is not Eden.  The way the kids act is very convincing and I want to stress that fact.  It is one of those parts that the creators are seen as really trying to do right by there characters.


So another Mantra Monday is in the books, and we fill in the missing issue.  If all goes well, we will get back to where we left off by adding the crossover issue with the Strangers.


BDS

Aquaman #2

            How long has Aquaman been the butt of all the comicbook world's jokes?  Even those who are not readers and fans of comics make fun of him.  Maybe it was because of the cartoon version on the Super Friends or his own animated series that we have such a silly opinion of him.  When I heard that Geoff Johns would be doing the writing chores for the new series for the DCnU 52 I was excited.  Could Johns do for Aquaman what he had done for the Green Lantern franchise?  Well, issue #1 was a great start for a character that is constantly put down.  It even had Aquaman making comments about the silly stuff we always hear about him.  I was happy with that issue and was eager to meet the new adversaries that Arthur Curry would be facing.

            This issue is all about the creepy beings from the Trench.  The are odd looking and speak telepathically.  They seem single-minded in pursuit of food.  I did figure out that the leader has some kind of paralyzing agent he sprays on a victim.  Guess who gets sprayed at the end of the book?  These creatures are very violent.  They kill and eat.  Yet, they are not playing them as evil.  So far they seem like any sea life that would encounter humanity an see us as food.  Aquaman has his hands full.

            Mera is really a scene stealer.  She is a mixture of regal authority and child-like innocence.  You forget she can hold her own sometimes, but Johns wrote a few scenes here to remind us how awesome she can be.  Her water manipulative powers are shown in stark contrast in this issue.  She makes a gorgeous mermaid to go with her sarcasm in talking with a law enforcement agent.  Later she is cutting the creatures from the Trench in pieces as she fights for her life.

            This is a title you should be reading.  It has been well worth the $2.99 price.  I get to the end and am sad because I want the story to continue.  This is one book that is not a disappointment.

BDS

Voodoo #2

Mature Reader Warning

            Wildstorm was folded into the DCnU as a full participant of Earth Prime and the old WildC.A.T.S. Character of Voodoo received her own title.  Makes sense as DCnU is all about the sexual side of women with these relaunches.  Maybe this is the MAXIMization of comics.  Anyway, this title is definitely not for the kiddies.  In fact I would suggest no younger than 17 or 18.  It is like the difference between Public Broadcasting and HBO or Showtime in terms of content and what we are seeing and reading.  That said, it is a well written drama.

            Ron Marz is coming off his history making run on Witchblade.  He displayed an amazing ability to do the sexy style the Micheal Turner began, while also having smart and intelligent dialogue.  If he can strike that balance here on Voodoo, then the title could be a sleeper hit for the DCnU line.  It is a niche title for sure.  There will also be much discussed online in the months to come I believe.  Marz will be walking a line and we will see how close DC Comics lets him go.  This could be Fallen Angel the sequel. 

            So in the first issue we get the stripper scene.  This issue it is the post sex scene.  There is a real sense of the weird as our main character is a shape-shifter.  She also is a killer.  Maybe even an alien.  It all culminates with one humiliated Special Agent as I guess Major Force shows up and inflicts property damage. She may need blood to change into another person.  Still watching that aspect.  It is clear this will be a chase title as hunters are gathering.

            A character Marz is very familiar with is teased for next issue.  Kyle Rayner is pictured.  Could be a neat issue in terms of that pairing if that really is Major Force.

BDS

Flashback Friday: The Avengers #195

I was feeling kind of down the other day and just decided to go to the local Antique Mall.  I knew that there was suppose to be a new vendor with comicbooks and decided to check it out.  I found this little gem of a book.  After checking my list I confirmed I did not have the issue and decided to buy it.  I am a sucker for Ant-Man, Wasp, and Yellow Jacket in books.  It was a nice little slice of a bigger adventure.

The Wasp had been the only Avenger to not turn her back after a deranged man that came seeking help was taken by his health care officials.  She followed and had apparently been captured.  The Avengers spend the comic standing in the snow while Yellow Jacket and Ant-Man (Scott Lang) sneak in to see what happened to Janet.  They find her and aid in her release.  They kick butt and it leads to being captured again.  The best part comes next.  While making a bid to escape, the leader of the baddies decides to handle Janet by himself.  He tries to choke the "hapless" female and gets an uppercut to the jaw by our wonderful Wasp.  Later she takes out a guard by entering his ear and whistling.  It is just a outstanding comic for seeing The Wasp in action.

The end is something that will ensure my seeking issue #196.  The person behind the entire operation is the Taskmaster.  It is a great cliffhanger.  This is one of the best line-ups for the Avengers.  There was Captain America, Beast, Wonder-Man, Jocasta, Ms. Marvel, Iron Man, The Vision, and of course Yellow Jacket and the Wonderful Wasp.  It is a powerful assemblage.  I really dislike that The Wasp got left out of the Avengers movie.  She is a founding member and should be there.  That is what happens when we have to rely on the popular masses to get our movies in the theatres.  I wish Marvel would take the route DC Comics has and give us some top notch animated movies based on current and older story lines.

BDS

A Well Said Comment On Loyalty and the LCBS

This is one of my favorite Bloogers that I follow.  She has an article at Newsarama about something many of us have dealt with, the loss of a Local Comic Book Shop.  Go and read it please:  http://www.newsarama.com/comics/hey-thats-my-cape-goodbye-comic-shop-111102.html

BDS

Trunk or Treat

OK, so this first pic is hard to see.  One of my kids took pics for me and this is one he snapped of the back of my car.  I had him using my small Vivitar and it does not do as well as the light disappears.  We had a BIG evening.  Between 500 and 600 kids came through by my best guess.  We started at 6:30 PM and by 7:15 my 415 items had vanished.  We had candy issues but solved them thanks to the nearby Dollar General.  Sometimes meeting at a movie theatre and using the empty parking lot in that shopping center pays off.  It was a great night.


13 or 15 vehicles were there.  It is hard for me to keep track as the kids came and some of my folks arrived just in time because of work schedules.  I can say that Darth Vader had a resurgence as a popular costume.  There were less Power Rangers and the most Batmans I have seen.  I did have a fellow Green Lantern, it was John Stewart.  Optimus Prime was a leader in costume count.  I made three young ladies happy because I knew they were from Monster High.  It really is and was a fun night.


I know many people focus on the nastier and dark side to the time of year.  Christians forget or just do not know that we co-opted the time of year as a way to "steal" the celebrations for our own back in Ye Olden Times.  So much myth and legend have and were mixed to push the pagan Harvest celebrations away and implement the celebration of the Saints that now it can be a hard way for a Church to be involved.  The thing is, the kids we had were not about pagan folklore.  They were about the joy of getting treats and seeing the decorations.  It is a fine line sometimes, but this event has always been and always will be a way to reach out and show our local community that we as a church are a part of them.  It also provides a safe area for fun.


Last is Alf as my Larfleeze, Orange Lantern for those not in the know.  I wanted to make a Dex-Starr, but just didn't work out.  I did make a Blue Lantern costume for one of my Youth.  He still has my Blue Ring.  He better have it or I will be out of luck finding a new one.  Hope your Halloween was awesome.


Maybe I can get a post about books up soon.  Thanks for being patient.


BDS

Well That is Over......

I give up.  It was a nice idea to attempt to write a stand alone comment on every one of the DCnU 52.  I just couldn't keep up.  Having two weeks worth in one group just was too much when trying to work and do stuff not Blog related.  Now it is just too long from the release to keep pushing.  I do have a busy week this week, but I hope to get some of the regular features back up.  Keep in mind I have sewing to do as well.  My Trunk Or Treat props still need work.

BDS

Mr. Terrific #1

            Why did they neuter Mister Terrific?  He had really been built up in the DCU, especially in the Checkmate series.  Now he is a characiture of many characters of color.  Angry Black Man meets Black Panther wannabe comes to mind.  He just is not who I thought he would be.  That costume is as bad as Superman's new one.  Just not much good to say.  I was exited about his getting this spotlight.  I guess they should have used a stronger wattage of light bulbs.

BDS

Captain Atom #1

            This will not take long.  Zero interest in this title.  I just do not care.  Maybe someone liked this title, but I am not one of them.  It seems bland to me.  Dude with big powers is connected to a group that tells him about powers which also has powers going wonky.  Either seen it before and this never lived up to the level of all the other versions, or it was just a boring bit of comicbook fare.

            I think we have a contender for first cancellation.  I haven't been this rough since the Clone Saga that would never end in the Spider-Man titles.

BDS

Supergirl #1

            A new reader might read this and love the simplistic flow.  I have seen many redesigns of Supergirl since I lost Linda Danvers way back when.  I am weary of these constant new Maids of Might I guess.  I wanted to collect this title.  It is a character I love.  At the end of the day I just dropped it from my pull list.  Maybe I will pick a trade up of the title.  For now it is not a book for an old reader.  Plus, I had a strong connection to the character and once again I felt less thrill about her title.

BDS

Suicide Squad #1

            Not impressed.  Not a fan of Amanda Waller.  I miss the Secret Six.  This is a poor replacement.  It will appeal to those that like reading violence for violence sake.  I dropped it from the pull list.  I like Harley Quin, Deadshot can be interesting, and King Shark was great in Secret Six.  Here they were not so much and felt like characters I didn't want to read.

            So I will not be following this Villain team.  It will be a title I have passed on easily.  The story was competent, but left me wanting something different.  Just didn't make me care about anything they were offering.  Was that Savant from the Old Birds of Prey?  Made him kind of weak if it was him.  This is a book I am leaving on the shelf.

BDS

Red Lanterns #1

            This book is for those that LOVE the current continuity of the Green Lantern Corps.  Plus it has a connection in part to the movie.  I concur with other Bloggers that Atrocious has been sanitized in how he looks.  I guess the thought was if he looked more “human” it would make him easier to care about.

            Which brings up an important issue of the title.  We are being asked to care about some horrific characters.  How can a new reader look at Bleedz and understand her?  They do not know she was once a beautiful princess with gorgeous wings.  They do not know how a member of the Sinestro Corps took her and ripped her feathers off her wings and then took her body for his own perverse pleasure.  That is where her rage comes from.  She became a Red lantern through this path.  Same for Dex-Starr of Earth, they do not understand why a small cat is a powerful red Lantern.

            This is for those in the know and it is very hard to become a book new readers can access.  That will be its weakness.  I read it and saw a powerful story of an alien questioning his place in the Universe now that his original quest fro vengeance had ended.  It is the rebirth of Atrocious and the defining of the Red Lantern Corps.  Plus revenge seem en vogue this year, ABC has a new TV Show all about Revenge.

BDS

Legion of Super-Heroes #1

            I almost placed this book on the pull list.  If I have a few extra bucks I might buy it off the shelf.  It is common to revamp and restart the Legion over and over ad naseum.  I liked how they crafted this new look.  I also have this feeling that this title will be crucial to clues that hang around the purple cloaked woman.  Glorith might have a connection to this little “Where's Waldo?” person that has appeared in almost every DCnU comicbook.

            Otherwise this is what one would expect.  It is not something new, but something familiar that is welcome to many in this uncertain DCnU continuity.  The mystery that has been put forward is excellent.  Just what one needs from a Legion book.  I liked it, but the reason it did not make it is simple.  I am not one of the legion of fans of Legion of Super-Heroes.  Simple as that, plus this might be an awesome read as a trade.

BDS

Birds of Prey #1

            Well, Black Canary is familiar.  I like the story, but missed Huntress and the old style and group.  Starling seems like a melding of characters to keep elements from the old series.  It seems that the Birds of Prey (BoP) will be more Gotham and Underworld focused.  I feel like I am rambling.

            There is not really much to comment on in many ways.  There was a stale feel to this book.  I have noticed that the books I had more connection to from the Old DCU tend to leave me a bit empty, like I want more.  Maybe I feel that when you ditch the comics that were working for a gimmick to make short term gains, that the story should be AWESOME.  BoP wasn't.

            Black Canary was like herself.  This new Starling is like Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, and every kicck-butt female in the DCU.  We are to accept her without knowing about her.  I am not liking her too much so far.  Her character is OK, but I just have seen this before and those characters were built up before I got this “type” thrown up for my reading.

            Basically, my former loyalty to the old book has this one on the pull list.  I like Black Canary as well.  It is also one that is on the chopping block.  It needs to perform or it will be cut.  I have limited funds to buy comics and that amount is shrinking each week.  I can't just buy for the sake of supporting an all female book.  I can't keep a book because I hope beyond hope it will get better. 

BDS

Ressurection Man #1

            I knew just enough about Mitch Shelley to think this book might be something to watch.  The original creators are behind his return, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.  We get the character from the eyes of the people who started his journey.  I knew that his power was to resurrect after death.  Each time he returns he has a new super ability.  These can be awesome like super strength, or less impressive like super smell.  Originally it was like he was wandering and happened upon the places he needed to be, like finding Linda Danvers, Peter David's Supergirl.  Just writing that makes me hope she might show up.

            The why of Linda Danvers appearing comes from the apparent adversaries that Mitch is facing.  Angelic and demonic beings are after him.  The clue we get is that Mitch's soul is so shiny it is blinding to these beings.  What we see of the Angelic forces are not the fluffy angels of popular culture.  These are more a warrior looking angel like the true descriptions from religious texts, with a dose of technological twist.  What I am gathering as the demonic group have yet to transform.  Their monstrous ways are displayed in the torture of people that might have information on Mitch Shelley.

            Resurrection Man was one of the interesting reads from the two week pile I picked up.  It is a comicbook that has a way to stay different as we get a variety of super powers.  This man on the run doing good is a standard of storytelling that when done correctly is very satisfying.  It is one I am going to attempt to follow.  I had it pegged from the start and reading the first issue kept it on the list.

BDS