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Isn’t it funny how the relaunch and revamp of a character is good, yet constant cover versions of music are considered bad?

Of course, the music industry and the comics industry are two very different beasts. Comics are not limited as much as the music industry is, the ‘big labels’ of comics demand new and innovative creations, of both original characters and re-interpretations of (probably second-string) characters. Then again, if it ain’t broke….

The Red Circle characters have returned, in what are quite impressive first issues. I can’t wait to see what they do with the Fly. Rocket Raccoon is back, and I think I have mentioned the X-Babies and Planet Terry make an appearance in a couple of months. Dynamite’s Project Super-Powers has continued the tradition of showcasing the Golden Age heroes established in Fem-Force and Terra Obscura, and even Marvel has picked up the ball and run with it, with Avengers/Invaders, the 70th Anniversary Specials and now The Torch and the Marvel Project.

It is a shame we have not seen anymore of New Universal, or even the more traditional versions of the New Universe as seen in the Untold Tales specials of a couple of years ago. Anyone remember that the original New Universe Earth is floating in space in the mainstream Marvel Universe, courtesy of the Starblast event of the nineties? Surely the energies of the Fault and Adam Magus may well be able to crack open the force-field placed around the planet by the Living Tribunal?

I think even the Blackest Night crossover will follow in this tradition. People say we have seen the Big Bad, but I don’t think so. My money is on Nekron, trapped as ever in the Land Of The Unliving, between the realms of life and death. After all, wasn’t it a plot point in Infinite Crisis that the doorway to death now swung open both ways? I don’t feel that that was fully resolved, you’re telling me that Raven and Kid Eternity between them sorted that one? I have several thousand Black Ring wielding zombies that would disagree with you there. Forcefully.

So, there is one more revamp I would love to see before the year is out, and again, I would use the Fault as a deus ex machina to bring it back. I miss the Ultraverse, and I want to see it again, even if it is the post-God Wheel version. What happened to the beings trying to create war between the two realities as seen in Ultraforce/Spider-Man? Inquiring minds want to know.

So, my recommendations from last week? The Shield #1, that started me thinking of all of this. It shows a lot of promise, and has decided to confront the similarity in origin with Magog almost immediately. Though why there is a gorilla on the cover eludes me, unless the secret (unrevealed within the pages) villain is of course Grodd. Which would make sense.

Todays shipping? I am most looking forward to Blackest Night #3 of course, REBELS #8 (even if my being screams “Sacrilege!” when they reveal the true Starro is not a starfish), Marvel Zombies Return #3 and the conclusion of Boom’s Unthinkable.