Tag Archives: DC

Permanence

by Darren Burr
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Nor the Huntress we know. Or rather she is. But she isn't. I give up!

How permanent are our comic book universes? Even as I ask the question, I find myself wondering what that very word means. With DC’s recent announcement of the return of Earth 2 and the Shazam family of characters, we know the enduring characters and settings will return again and again. The recent (and thoroughly enjoyable) relaunch by Dark Horse of what’s become known as the Jim Shooter stable of characters only serves to prove the point. Dating back to short lived appearances in the Gold Key years Solar Man Of The Atom and Magnus, Robot Fighter et al have returned and again, under the labels of Valiant, Acclaim and then Read more »

Digital Delight Or Demise?

by Darren Burr
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The League - all you expect, but in a cool new way!

DC has now announced their collaboration with Amazon, releasing their stock, including an exclusive 100 graphic novels for release to users of the Kindle Fire. We are told, not to worry, these stories will be available for other Amazon customers eventually, and following that, DC are not sticking just with Amazon, but promising to look at other outlets, such as Barnes and Noble. All major outlets I notice, which is really to be expected. But where does that leave your local comics shop? Now I am personally in a quandary over this. Though I have yet to purchase a Kindle Fire, I adore my eReader. I love how it reduces Read more »

In Defence Of The Crossover?

by Darren Burr
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Greater than even Infinite Crisis' Battle For Metropolis, this issue defined the concept of super-villain team up!

Newsarama have started a discussion asking ‘do fans even know what they want’? This week, the topic has turned to that bugbear of the discussion boards (and articles such as this one); the company crossover. On such a contentious topic, I could hardly resist contributing my own point of view. One can hardly deny the efficacy of the crossover. From my own experience, Unity introduced me to the rest of the Valiant universe way back when; initially I had only read Solar. Break-Thru helped introduce me to parts of the Ultraverse that had hitherto remained unseen by me. Wildstorm Rising served a similar role, and Dark Horse’s late (and lamented Read more »

In Defence Of The Amalgam

by Darren Burr
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Dr Strangefate, one of the best Amalgam titles.

With the stunning sales figures of many of the DCnU  first issues, minds no doubt turn towards how the industry can sustain this momentum? As I have said before, I have doubts as to how many of these sales are likely to be new readers, although I imagine by far the largest segment of these extra sales will be returning readers. Unfortunately, there are no metrics available to either support or refute my assumption, so I will just have to resort back to my experience in the Nineties as a comics’ store manager, and join the ranks of self-appointed experts. One of the major comics events of the Nineties was Read more »

Today’s The Day

by Darren Burr
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Justice League #1 Wildstorm style

Well, today’s the day that the New Fifty Two (hardly the catchiest of slogans) bursts out into existence, and the first sight of it is in Justice League #1. I can’t determine whether I like it or not. Well, that’s a total lie. I do like it, I like it a lot so far, on the strength of one issue. Heck, I wasn’t that bothered about how Flashpoint ended, I just leapt straight into reading the League. It seems quite the schizophrenic experience. As a first issue, the offering Geoff Johns puts before us seems to have a lot more in common with a Wildstorm first issue than what one Read more »

Great Toy Titles

by Darren Burr
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Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior #3

Newsarama today have posted an article entitled “TRANSFORMERS & Beyond: 5 Best Marvel TOY Comics”, yet I have to take issue with their choices. To my mind, they have missed out one of the very best toy-linked titles of all time. Although no one can deny the quality of the Micronauts, ‘They come from Inner Space’; or Rom, Spaceknight, the latter of which I have sung praises about previously, there was another toy character that seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Back in 1983, The Saga Of Crystar, Crystal Warrior only lasted for eleven issues, and like most toys was based on quite a simple concept. Beings of crystal Read more »

Whatever Happened To The Reprint Market?

by Darren Burr
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Classic X-Men #15, retelling the death of the Phoenix

And no, I do not mean trade paperbacks. I mean the good old-fashioned monthly comic. Remember Marvel Tales? Or Marvel Triple Action for that matter? It was these titles that as a young reader, drew me into the rich history of the Marvel Universe, rather than just focusing on the hottest and newest events. Reliant as I was at that age on the newsstand, as the direct market was only just in its infancy, there was little other ways I could have been drawn into the urge for back issues, never mind having that desire fulfilled. Of course the concept evolved over time. Enter the Classic X-Men, reprinting stories, but Read more »

Double Dose of Hell

by Darren Burr
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Double Dose of Hell

So, today we see John Constantine returns to the world of spandex super-heroes, even as his mature readers Vertigo title delves into its traditional adult themes. Coming from the days when John was a permanent fixture of the DCU, I should welcome this, yet for some reason I have reservations. John has made his home at Vertigo, in fact he defined Vertigo alongside Swampy and the Sandman. Now thanks to that trio, the lines between Vertigo and the DCU have always been blurred, and one can ask if the ‘Mature Readers’ title actually means a great deal in today’s marketplace? However, I think it does. It meant enough for it Read more »

Highs And Lows

by Darren Burr
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Highs And Lows

Now, no one can deny it has been a big news week for comics. From the announcement that Valiant is relaunching itself, even without the properties of Solar, Turok and Magnus; to the ‘it’s not a reboot, honest’ promotions of the new DCU titles in September. Or rather the DCnU, as it will be called for about five minutes. The relaunch of the Valiant stock is one I eagerly await, as there are some really strong characters in that universe, such as the Eternal Warrior, or Rai. Yet Solar, Man Of The Atom and Magnus, Robot Fighter did rather form the spine of the universe; so it will be interesting Read more »

Tales Of Their Death May Be Greatly Exaggerated

by Darren Burr
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Tales Of Their Death May Be Greatly Exaggerated

So now we have it. DC have announced their plans for September, and yes, we can expect a universe wide reboot, with a staggering (and wallet busting) FIFTY-TWO first issues to be relased that month. That of course is not withstanding their plans for same-day digital release of comics. Now, as a reader, I find myself in a quandary here. I feel like a dog with two bones, with my loyalties torn. Let’s take these reactions step by step. So, we can expect revamped characters “reflecting today’s real world themes and events”. Well, I’ve heard this before, and although I hope this will lead to a more racially diverse major Read more »