Hulk #21

Busy week this week. Green Arrow has gone rogue, New Krypton is falling under the assault of Brainiac, Namorita is alive again (sort of) and Spider Man is given a taste of godhood even greater than when he wore the mantle of Captain Universe. Oh, and Namorita is not the only one, Thanos is back.

Let me take this point-by-point. Although the slaying of Prometheus by Green Arrow in the wake of Justice League: Cry For Justice is a logical progression of the story, haven’t we been here before? Green Arrow considered dangerous and on the run from his comrades?

It’s not new to have a hero on the run, pursued by former allies and the forces of the law (although the law has yet to get involved in Oliver’s pursuit, maybe the League want to police themselves). It is a little newer for said hero to actually be guilty of whatever they have been accused of I suppose, but not tremendously so. What a disappointing consequence to what was actually an excellent series. Now we also have Red Arrow/ Speedy I (erm, II if you add in the pre Crisis On Infinite Earths continuity) crippled, and obviously going to receive some form of cyborg arm in the near future. (It would be nice to see Roy gain some form of mystical healing instead, and send him into the weird area of the DCU. After all, with his chequered past, his interaction with Checkmate and other agencies and a new hook for readers, I can see the potential for a hit series with the right writer).

Meanwhile, the second (or third) Speedy is poised to take a moral descent herself, with an arrow pointing at the Electrocutioner’s head.

I still think we have been here before. This is not what I pay my bucks for people!

In contrast, the Last Stand Of New Krypton is wrapping up many of the plotlines hovering in the background of the DCU for the past few years, from the machinations to war by both General Zod and General Sam Lane, to just what the Legion Espionage Squad is doing embedded in the beginning of the twenty-first century, to just what Luthor has been doing since his escape. This is sheer spandex drama at it’s finest.

The most comparable event to this is the Fall Of The Hulks, which we are seeing unfold before our eyes in a most chaotic fashion. I highly recommend that, but don’t expect it to make sense just yet, every reveal just causes more questions, never mind figuring out where this crossover sits in relation to the other big events like Siege.

Ooo, Siege. I’m not saying a word, except I really enjoyed #3, and #4 looks incredibly promising. Not the ending I was expected, but that is good. It’s too early to issue a spoiler on that one. Or on Green Lantern Corps #47, but that also had a nice twist I was not expecting (although in retrospect that was more my bad memory than a dramatic twist).

Now the lead up to Realm Of Kings continued in Nova #35 and Guardians of the Galaxy #24. The conclusion of the Sphinx storyline in Nova was okay I suppose, but then I am often disappointed with Sphinx stories in the last decade or so. Anath Na-Mut is a character that has so much potential, but he is frequently reduced to a two-dimensional villain, as he is eventually here. The resurrection of Namorita we could see a mile off, I only hope that this is some nasty effect of the Fault, and she is actually some soul eating beastie. I used to like Namorita, but this rebirth simply feels cheap.

The Guardians issue is far more promising, as the cocoon on Sacrosanct is opened to reveal Thanos as the newest Avatar of Death. One question here, what is Oblivion doing, selecting the Avatar of Death? Isn’t that Death’s job? Doesn’t Oblivion have avatars of his own?

My final recommendation is Spider-Man and the Secret Wars #4, a fascinating if disjointed tale, set just as Doom claimed the power of the Beyonder. It doesn’t really add a great deal to the continuity, it’s simply a fun romp.

Nemesis The Impostors #1

Nemesis – The Impostors #1 was released this week by DC, and I am pleased to say that it contains the same level of crazy that was found in Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape. There remains the same mechanism of staccato storytelling, jumping from scene to scene, forward and backward in time until you manage to piece together just what is occurring. Maybe.

I personally adore this style, where the writer makes you work to decipher the story. Coupled with the enforced empathy that enables you to share in Nemesis’ disorientation, this is a highly satisfying read. This has to be my pick of the week.

One other series that began this week is Marvel’s Girls #1. Although I have really grown to like the revived format of the 8-page story, especially in the pages of Nation X, this was an abject failure for me. Maybe I didn’t get it, but it seemed more to be an issue of ‘What The…’ than a focus on….. In fact I’m not sure quite what is was to be focussing on, but it didn’t hit the spot.

Realm Of Kings: Son Of Hulk #2 is a slower issue, but it remains an interesting story. Hiro-Kala struggles with a newly discovered precognitive awareness, Princess Mari is struggling with another of Arcturus Rann’s depression, and Axeman Bones’ daughter struggles to understand what exactly is going on.

I know how she feels, I’ve been reading Hiro-Kala since he appeared, and even I find it hard to predict what exactly he will do next, or discern what his motivations are for what he does do. That is part of the appeal of this character, whatever his plans are, I expect they will be big. He has not earned the named World-Breaker for nothing, and I don’t expect the homeworld of Jarella to last very long.

Blackest Night #7 The End draws nigh!

Blackest Night is fast drawing to a close (Praise the Light!), and now the Guardians greatest secret is out. Life in the universe originated not on Oa (or rather Maltus, but let’s just ignore that slight continuity error), but on Earth. This is the secret the Guardians swore to keep.

On Earth? Come again?!?

Ignoring the cosmological arguments against this, considering that it was ten billion years ago that Krona’s experiment shattered the universe, erm, then didn’t anymore until Alex Luthor’s tower kicked in and then it did again, and the earth itself is only 4.54 billion years old, this still strikes me as ridiculous.

This is a fictional universe, so one could say that the Guardians altered the evidence to make Earth appear that it is a lot younger than it actually is. I suppose this also allows a period of history where the Homo Magi walked the earth and gives a home to all of the old fantasy titles if they don’t already have a realm to be placed in, which almost makes me want Conan to be part of the DCU rather than the Marvel universe.

Conan is currently licensed by Dark Horse, but then Kulan Gath is still part of Marvel and he started life as a Conan character, and it seems that Marvel are happy to use the Micronauts again, so I assume that the Hyborian Era is still part of Marvel History.

Anyway, I digress. What began for me as a spectacular crossover seems to have descended into a number of clichés and unoriginal plot devices. Having the Light Entity resident on Earth could have been explained through any number of reasons, such as due to it now being the centre of the Multiverse after the events of the various Crises, rather than saying that humanity, or at the planet is older than the Guardians themselves. Not only does this turn decades of DC cosmic continuity on its head, but it seems vastly egocentric, and leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

That is also not to mention the redistribution of rings throughout the Earth-based characters, forming the ‘New Guardians’. I just want to look at these.

Red – Mera. Now this one sort of makes sense, Mera has always had a rough deal and it figures that she would be angry about all that she has suffered. However she has always comported herself with a most noble bearing, and the wearing of the Red Ring seems to be the equivalent of slumming it. Also the Red Ring may well be the way that the writers kill her off considering that it has replaced her heart, and that would be a great waste. Still, if Guy Gardner can survive it, I suppose Mera can.

Orange – Lex Luthor. Cheesy. Very very cheesy. Still, I must shamefully admit it is pretty cool at the same time.

Yellow – Scarecrow. Okay, so fear is his shtick. That’s about as far is it goes, he is neither being used to the best advantage, nor is he necessarily the most appropriate character for this role, where a more minor character could have had a greater spotlight. Wasteful, if you ask me. Plus how much do Sinestro and Scarecrow really have in common? It strikes me they would knock heads nearly as much as Larfleeze and Luthor, as one is order and the other chaos.

Green, well, do I really need to go here?

Blue – Barry Allen. As a symbol of hope, yes, I get it. If the ring is using him to spread hope, that makes sense. If the Ring has chosen him due to his personality, then no, I don’t see that. One thing that has proven to be the foundation of the Flashes is love, as embodied with Joan Garrick, Iris West and Linda Park. Surely the Sapphire Ring would have been a better choice? Plus, I think combining the Flash costume with the Star Sapphire armour would look far more impressive than the current choice. Blue Flash doesn’t do it for me anymore than Wonder-Sapphire.

Indigo – Atom. Indigo represents compassion. So Ray Palmers history of slaughtered loves and betrayal through love and then constantly running away from his problems makes him a suitable candidate for the Indigo light? I rather feel that someone was making up the numbers here without a great deal of thought.

Violet – Princess Diana, the Wonder Woman. Now in concept, this one sort of works for me, and her mini-series was well put together. Still, her Star Sapphire costume mixed with her traditional armour looks abysmal, making this combination cheesy.

These new Guardians seem to be opportunities that have been missed. More minor characters could have been given the opportunity to bear the rings and grab the limelight. Since DC are absorbing the Milestone and Red Circle characters, wouldn’t it have made good business sense to have seen these somewhere in the action? If the Superman titles have managed to include obscure references to them, then I am positive that the major universe-wide crossover could have given them at least a tacit glance, if only to introduce them to new readers.

Dharma contemplates his er, blind spot

And now, the story that you all have been waiting for. Well, that I have been waiting for anyway.

If you have been reading my column regularly, then you will remember how overjoyed I was that the Shadow Cabinet guest-starred in the Justice League of America last year, and I have been similarly enthralled by Static’s membership of the Teen Titans. However, learning that Dharma had ‘folded’ his world into the DCU, or New Earth, was a bittersweet pill. As glad as I was to see these characters again, I wanted to know how this has occurred, thus I was left feeling a little cheated.

No more however. With last weeks Milestone Forever #1, it looks like we will finally get to see the details of how this happened. More specifically, how this happened on the Milestone/Earth Dakota side of the fence, not Infinite/Final Crisis after-effects in the DCU.  I can’t believe that it has been seventeen years since the beginning of Milestone, and I hope their return to the big leagues remains strong for many years to come.

Milestone was a tidy little line, where you could read as many or as few titles as you liked, and always feel that you received a full story. Except maybe the pre-Zero Hour crossover Worlds Apart where the Superman titles encountered Earth Dakota, which remains one of my favourite crossovers. One of it’s selling points at the time was that just like the world itself, the characters came from a highly multicultural stock. It was never the ‘black’ comics company, but it highlighted a greater diversity than the other major publishers of the time.

To me that was slightly irrelevant, which I would like to think was the point the writers were aiming for. These were good solid characters, believable and flawed, entertaining and ones that you could not help but accept into your heart. Except maybe Holocaust, but then we were all supposed to dislike him.

It was interesting to see all the familiar faces again, but presented in a manner that also introduced many of them to new readers, yet I cannot help but think that the issue is only enhanced by familiarity with the characters, else certain scenes may seem a little blasé, such as Rocket destroying Flashback’s crack pipes. (Actually, even having followed Blood Syndicate from start to finish, I still find the scene a little blasé, but there’s a limit to how much can be fit into an issue.)

For continuity cops there appears to be glaring error however. We see Holocaust burn himself away to a skeleton, but supposedly after this, he appears in one of last years issues of The Brave And The Bold. I detect another rewriting of the universe.

But then again, that’s the point of the series. I highly recommend this, and I look forward to bigger and brighter things for the Milestone crew.

Now all I am waiting for is the Blood Syndicate/Mighty Crusaders crossover. Oh, the Crusaders haven’t happened yet? They will.

Action Comics #886

I’ve mentioned before how much I am enjoying the current direction of the Superman titles, especially Action Comics, and this weeks offering of #886 is no exception. In fact for a continuity cop for myself, this issue has raised the bar somewhat.

The main story featuring Chris (Lor-Zod) and Thara as the latest incarnations of Nightwing and Flamebird, is a telling of the Kryptonian creation myth and the tale of love and betrayal of the original divine duo. It a beautiful tale, full of the standard mythic archetypes and nicely illustrated. Okay, it’s not Alex Ross, but it suits.

What has really fired me up is the back-up story featuring Captain Atom. He seemed to have rather easily deflected criticism and retribution from the other heroes regarding his time as Monarch, and now with the assistance of the Shadowpact, he aims to take on Mirabai. The land here he and Natasha were trapped in, the kingdom of Mirabai has been revealed to be Sorcerers’ World.

Prior to the Final Crisis, erm, Infinite Crisis, erm possibly even Zero Hour back in 1995, Sorcerers’ World in the thirtieth century was what the Gemworld would one day become. This new view of the DC mulitiverse now states Gemworld is but one path to the Sorcerers’ World. I wonder if the old silver age tale of the offshoot of humanity, the Homo Magi remains in continuity? I do believe that there has been some mention of them in the past couple of years.

What I really liked about this is how the writer obviously knows his continuity, not only mentioning Myrra the home of Nightmaster, and the Land of Nightshades; also the Green of the Swamp Thing, the Grey of Matango, the Red of Animal Man (the Vertigo series at least) and even the Jejune realm of Vext!

It was nice to see the tip of the hat to those Vertigo series that featured characters that have returned to the all-ages DCU, as one thing I have been a little frustrated with was the total absence of reference to the old Animal Man series. After all, shouldn’t young Maxine Baker be practically a god nowadays?

That very feature, of retro-continuity and revamp is the only thing that detracts from the first story in this issue. How long will it remain in continuity this time? The DC Multiverse seems to reboot itself every ten years or so. I would hate to think that all this current crop of stories will be wiped away the next time a writer turns their attention to Krypton. The continuity originally lasted say thirty years, taking the pre-Crisis Silver Age as the longest lived example. Lets have the continuity remain in place for at least another thirty years this time.

Else what was the point in the title FINAL Crisis?

Secret Six #17

Reading through today’s shipping list, I noticed DC’s Secret Six #18 coming out, one of a relatively few Blackest Night crossovers this week, and I realised I hadn’t read the previous issue. And so I went and did exactly that.

I’m not sure how it slipped my mind, we have all the Suicide Squad ingredients as we saw in the issue of the same name released recently, Amanda Waller pulling the strings, Belle Reve as a battleground, the Bronze Tiger being as warm and cuddly as ever (oh how I have missed that), and former members raising from the dead.

With the Suicide Squad, that’s a fair number, and not in a nice X-Men way either. Oh wait, scratch that…………

I am sorely hoping the Secret Six do fall under the control of Amanda Waller, because as major player in the DCU she needs a regular home, and let’s face it, we all want to know what she is up to.

For instance, what is her position on the whole General Sam Lane thing? He still remains to be brought to justice, I had rather thought that the World Of New Krypton would bring that particular plotline to a close, but obviously not. I don’t know about you, but I’m actually starting to like General Zod!

Still, there’s no way that Lane can pull off everything he has done so far without Waller knowing about it, surely? Unless I missed an issue that shows she is on the payroll already. I suppose that would make ssense, but something tells me that Amanda wouldn’t go that far. (Oh boy I hope I can back that up, please be nice to me writers!)

So, Suicide Squad and Secret Six have reawakened my enjoyment of Blackest Night, although I have to say, I do miss the weekly-issued crossover event. You know, the one that’s over quickly? Still, there is a glimmer of dawn on the horizon.

Still, as for my hopes for Waller, well, I think the Secret Six will remain free. After all, that is the whole dynamic of the team, and they are a good bunch of characters.

So, let’s give Waller a home people. Or bring back the Suicide Squad for good.

Oh, and recommendations? How can we refuse Adventure Comics #7, and the adventures of Black Lantern Superboy Prime?

Later addition.  Oh.  It’s Conner.  Gutted. I’m still waiting for Prime’s redemption here!

Are the Martians coming?

So, despite the fact that the real Captain America has been wandering around the Marvel Universe for a couple of months now, this week has finally seen the conclusion of the Captain America Reborn mini, and it had everything that we could ask for. Wrap-around cover, the Red Skull possessing a giant robot body, an army of baby M.O.D.O.K.s….

I mean, who can argue with an army of baby M.O.D.O.K.s?

Right, fan-boy gushing aside, there was little in this series that grabbed me. After about the second or third issue the story was predictable, and so all I was waiting for was the series to conclude. And is it me, or was it very very late?

I’ve come to expect from a story at least a few elements of what is featured on the cover. Now I appreciate this would have been a big story had it shipped on a reasonable schedule and the cover is highly symbolic, but I would have preferred a cover that didn’t feature practically everybody.

There were a few nice touches, such as Sin being hideously disfigured like her father. (Euwwww, that is not a thing to call a nice touch!)

Even more enticing was the vision of the War Of The Worlds type scenario, with giant tripods walking through the ruins of New York. Only these tripods look more like something that would come out of the Fault.

Maybe my hopes for the Realm Of Kings storyline reaching earth will come true after all.

Ever since I read the original Guardians Of The Galaxy, or maybe even dating back to the ancient days of Amazing Adventures, I have always wanted to read a skilfully executed version of the Martians invading the Marvel earth. Unfortunately the GOTG never provided that, the best I can think of is actually the Wisdom mini-series, but that invasion was cut short. (And of course, the Martians first strike in that series was where it should be, London.)

Does this one panel make up for a rather lacklustre series? No, but it does whet my appetite for what comes next.

I read somewhere that Batman is also bouncing through time. Well considering he was killed in a space-time well caused by Darkseid’s descent and should really have been resurrected alongside the rest of the universe by Superman’s use of the Miracle Machine at the culmination of Final Crisis, I suppose that makes sense. More sense than a chronal bullet in an assassination attempt. Let’s hope the return of the Bat is a little more spectacular than Cap’s.

Dark Avengers #13 featuring the Sentry (and nothing to do with Siege whatsoever)

As I write this, I am a little under halfway through the weeks’ comics, and if you are one of those people that have to wait for Saturday to pick up your orders, then do I have a list of recommendations for you! This is a good week.

Although I am embarrassed to admit it, I have been following the Power Girl title since it’s inception. She is a character I like, and I love the dimensional twistiness that is her background. I was hoping for more of the same as seen in the first four issues of JSA Classified, and instead I found stories reminiscent of the JLI.

Having said that, the latest issue was a hoot. Featuring what I think is the third iteration of Vartox (because there was a post-crisis version that was slave to Brainiac if I recall correctly), Power Girl has been subjected to a rather macho chauvinist courtship as Vartox’ entire civilisation has been rendered sterile. Vartox is not prepared for Power Girl’s erm, complexity, a word rarely used about Kara so you can see what level he is operating on.

There are moments in here that made me laugh out loud! Power Girl’s put downs are somewhat expected, but funny nonetheless, and the best part of the story?

The Pregno-ray.

You heard it here first. Do not miss the unveiling of the Pregno-ray. Technology this amazing has not been seen since the invention of the Snuggie!

On a more serious note I highly recommend you pick up Dark Avengers #13, here we take a break from Siege and find out the true origin of the Sentry, and find out the story of his marriage to Lindy. Then again, I think this boy is about to prove himself a hero finally. Well, half of him anyway. Lindy reveals all, and it is nice to see the Sentry fleshed out so much, in a manner that makes a great deal of sense. I do not want to give away any spoilers, but I can reveal it is suggested that Bob Reynolds conspired to have himself forgotten in the first place.

My final Marvel recommendation is Dark Wolverine #82. I was not that interested in Daken when he first appeared, but events in this issue make it appear that the Wolverine knock-off is going to be more important in the fall of Norman Osbourne than I ever would have imagined.

Jack Kirby and his Marvel creations

TechDirt (surprisingly, it’s not the first place I expect to find my comics news) was the blog that alerted me to the fact that the heirs of Jack Kirby intended to reclaim the copyrights of various Marvel characters, such as the Hulk, Iron Man and the Avengers, among others (but not Spiderman as written in the article). Mike Masnick does a grand job of looking at the legal aspect of this case, and the hypocrisy inherent in Marvels argument. Centring around a point of law called the termination right of copyright, the Kirby estate is trying an approach similar to that used by the heirs of one of the creators of Superman to reclaim some rights. The argument hinges basically on whether Jack Kirby was a ‘worker bee’ in a work-for-hire situation, or as the heirs points out, Kirby worked from home as a freelancer with neither contract nor employment agreement.

Now Marvel is not known for treating its creators well (unless your name is Stan Lee), else we would never have seen the birth of Image comics. But similar to the Superboy case, I have mixed feelings.

If anyone should stand to profit from the esteemed Jack Kirby’s work, then surely it should be Mr Kirby himself. I would ask just what precisely his descendents have done to deserve any form of remuneration? I do not know what their circumstances are, and if I were to discover one of them had a severe medical issue and was struggling to meet the expenses associated with that, my opinion would no doubt change. Otherwise, it’s too little, too late.

Researching, it is still not clear what actually occurred with regards the Siegel/Superboy/DC case. However, some of the rulings that came out as the case progressed show what a morass the whole copyright issue truly is. Here’s an example from August last year:

The court ruled, for the most part, that the Siegels successfully recaptured most of the works at issue, including those first two weeks of daily Superman strips, as well as key sections of early Action Comics and Superman comics. This means the Siegels, repped by Warners’ nemesis Marc Toberoff, now control depictions of Superman’s origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as an infant, the launching of the baby Superman into space and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash.

But Warners/DC still owns other elements, including Superman’s ability to fly, the term “kryptonite,” the villain Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, and some of Superman’s powers.

Now as seen by the recent Adventure Comics series, DC is once more happy with using the name Superboy, and many have wondered if there is some form of agreement reached behind the scenes. Jeff Trexler on Newsarama wrote last year stated that maybe DC might have figured that it’s better to share money from successful characters than to kill them off or end their adolescence prematurely.

I cannot find any real evidence of this, but then somehow I cannot see Marvel being as forgiving. Then again, if it was not for what has become a very successful movie franchise (about time too!), would this even have been an issue?

After the Crisis On Infinite Earths, DC had the option to not include Superboy as he was officially no longer in the continuity. Now Marvel do not have that option, these are far higher profile characters. As a reader, I want to know that the creators are fairly reimbursed for their work, but what I really want are quality stories, featuring characters that I know and love. Anything that can detract from that I would rise up and protest.

However, I would like to see this resolved reasonably amicably, but Marvel have their bottom line to protect and ill fight tooth and nail to dismiss this. The first volley has already been shot across the boughs with Marvel going to court to insist that Kirby has no right to the characters. Then again, “it is believed the Kirby copyright terminations would become effective beginning in 2014 but it is unclear to which property that date refers.”

So sit back and grab the popcorn, because this could get very interesting indeed.

My recommendations for this week, REBELS #12, and if last weeks excellent Blackest Night crossover issues like Suicide Squad and Weird Western Tales were anything to go by, Power Of Shazam #48.

New Mutants #9, it's not what it appears.

Well, now we have it, the explanation of who the current Magik/Illyana is, and we discover the 2.0 version we now see comes without added Illyana. She is simply the Dark Chylde, resurrected and abandoned by Belasco, and claims she has no soul, only the body and mind of the deceased sister of Colossus.

Which begs the question, why did she even return to the X-Men fold? This is put to her by Emma Frost, and somehow I would have thought this confrontation would be more dramatic, yet it is almost as if they are simply sharing a nice cup of tea together. Even stranger, that a young girl would have the upper hand over the former headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy. Yet when asked about her absence after she left San Francisco, Illyana reveals that she had been searching for years for her Blood Stones (fragments of her soul conjured by Belasco) and when she had returned to the team, she had travelled back in time. The smile on her face as she offered Emma a peek into her mind seemed so mischievous, and as Emma discovered that it would have been by her own hand that Legion would finally have been defeated and slain, but only after he had destroyed most of the X-Men, this demonic creation comes up smelling of roses.

While Emma is left shaken to her core. Oh, Kitty would have been so proud.

The other comics to read this week – Siege: Embedded #1, and to my surprise, Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2.

Siege has finally kicked off, for which I am glad, because if I saw one more promo of it, then I would have been tempted to burn the lot of them. In the main story, even the President has finally realised that Norman is ‘out of control’. However, in the pages of Siege:Embedded, we see Ben Urich and an ex-colleague discover Volstagg and follow him for the story that will hopefully topple the new Osbourn empire.

What made the issue for me was the quick Glenn Beck parody, of a TV pundit whom Osbourn decided to recruit as he was so very positive about Norman’s policies. And I quote:

‘But this is a commercial break, and I need to be preparing for the next segment. I’m going to cry on camera. It takes some level of preparation.’

Bwah-ha-ha-ha! Absolutely priceless. Marvel, you are almost forgiven by that one act for your ‘Embrace Change’ flyers during election season.

My other recommendation of Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2, gives an insight into the events of Blackest Night #6, and Diana’s battle with Mera, the former wife (and Queen) of Aquaman, and with the Black Ring itself. Of course, Diana gets some divine assistance, but it gives quite the insight into what is going on with the ‘resurrected’ characters forced to bear the ring. I didn’t like the ending of Blackest Night #6, I mean just how many people do we need wearing these rings? However, this story goes to somewhat justify that. However, I am beginning to think that this crossover is dragging on for too long, and I am relieved to see that Siege is only a mere four issues. So finally the end of the Dark Reign is in sight. Just in time for the evils of the Fault in Realm of Kings, or the Elder Gods as heralded by the Dark Chylde to arrive. Mayhap they will be one and the same (although I rather doubt it.)

Erm, am I a traitor if I root for Asgard?

JLA Avengers, long awaited, and needing a sequel!

Now the New Year is nigh upon us and the Noughties are finally drawing to a close, I got to wondering what the highlights of the past decade have been for me in the comics world.

The decade was ushered in with what remains to me to be one of the greatest JLA stories of all time: World War III by Grant Morrison, and the coming of Mageddon, a weapon left over from the time of the Old Gods. I always regretted that we never saw Morrisson’s creation of Wonderworld again, even if it had been destroyed by the beast.

Of course the geekfest of the decade has to have been the 2004 JLA Avengers, drawn by the ever talented George Perez. This gave everything that one can demand from such a team-up, good characterisation, a virtual tour of both teams massive histories, cameos by everybody who was anybody, and a lasting effect on continuity. Well, on DC’s side of the fence at least. After all, where would Kurt Busiek’s excellent Trinity have been without Krona’s Cosmic Egg?

Trinity has to have been the best of all the weekly series that came out. Both 52 and Countdown had their highlights, including the resurrection of the DC Multiverse. The latter series was not without its critics, with good reason, but nonetheless I found it a good adventure romp, even if it seemed to be a bit of a dumping ground for plotlines that had no other home. And can I ask, did anybody else find the Monarch plotline to have been ‘resolved’ in a most unsatisfactory manner?

Trinity on the other hand had structure, with every element serving a purpose. The masterful stroke here as to have the singular writer, the previous team efforts seemed more than a little unfocused. Still, I would still buy a weekly if one as on offer, and if it purported to be just a general title where the plot itself rather than characters were the star, if it was honest about its reason for being, so much the better.

I cannot look at the decade without celebrating the return of Doctor Who, both to our screens and the news stands. I have mentioned it before, but together with the Transformers re-launch (not that they ever really went away), my sense of nostalgia was enhanced with quality material.

Other re-launches did not fair so well. Where’s my regular Thundercats comic? Well, at least they gained a team-up with Superman. Something that the Masters Of The Universe managed back in the Eighties, not that their title survived either. It makes me wonder if I should make the effort to get familiar with Ben 10, after all in ten to fifteen years no doubt they will have their nostalgia titles hitting the stands.

Taking a quick over at the House Of Ideas, my highlights have to be the resurgence of the cosmic storylines, Annihilation, and Annihilation: Conquest. The Secret Invasion seemed to be the better earth-based crossover, making up for House Of M and Civil War, both of which were a little lacklustre, and seemed to more enrage than satiate the fans.

The greatest triumph of the decade has to be the vast amount of independent publishers, apart from the Big Two, although I rather think nowadays we should call them the Big Four, including Dark Horse and Image.

Avatar, Archaia, Boom (who are my personal favourite), Asylum, Th3rd World Studios, IDW the list is far from endless, but a lot healthier than this time ten years ago. Smaller companies chasing after licensed properties is a good way to get their brand recognised, and many of these companies have done exactly that while giving still more creators work and recognition. And that is the triumph of the decade.

DNAgents - long due for a return.

impressed with.

No Kid Flash title. Nor, despite previous assurances that he was not going to be squeezed out, no strip for the Wally West Flash either, it will be Barry Allen all the way.

Which is great for Barry Allen fans, but we have spent the last twenty-five years following Wally, watching him grow as a person and as a hero. I only hope he will get a home in either the Justice League, or the Titans. And as for Bart, so far he appears to be fading away into comic-book limbo, never mind the promised revelations regarding Max Mercury.

Dan’s big announcement was that of the Earth-One graphic novels, to be released at the stunning rate of (drum roll) ……

Two a year.

That’s it. Two.

Although many of us will await them eagerly, that is not a rate that ill garner lots of interest. When I encounter a new universe, I want to know as much as possible, as quickly as possible. He equates Earth One as DC’s answer to the Ultimate Universe of Marvel, but part of Ultimate Marvels success, and Marvel Adventures for that matter, is the fact that these are monthly, that they continue to provide materials for the hungry fans to enjoy, thus maintaining the interest. No doubt these novels will do well through the book store market, but then so do all the other graphic novels and trade paper-backs. Does DC really need a whole new universe where the next issue is always six months away?

In the mean-time, the All-Star projects’ fate have yet to be decided. Okay, we are still waiting for All Star Batman’s final two issues, but I don’t know about you but I adored All Star Superman, and I would love to see more. As for All-Star Wonder Woman? Again, still in hiatus.

The integration of older universes into the mainstream DCU, such as Milestone, Red Circle (Archie) and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is more than welcome. However we have seen that separate universes can work – maybe not of the characters I just mentioned, but certainly a clone of the mainstream universe with a twist. How about Superman and the Mighty Crusaders? Batman and the Shadow Cabinet? Having all the appeal of the DCU but maintaining the world prominence of the associated heroes, such as the Crusaders et al.

Speaking of spin-off universes, with the success of Supreme Power, it was a shame to see the relaunch of the New Universe in Newuniversal disappear. How about a relaunch of the Ultraverse? Who owns the Protectors nowadays?

Aside from the Ultraverse, to relaunches I would love to see would be the DNAgents, and the Elementals. If DC are adopting characters left right and centre, how about these guys?

Doctor Voodoo 03

Leading up to the Christmas break, my thoughts have turned to considering what for me have been the best events and titles of the year.

Booster Gold was a character and title I really enjoyed the first time around, and throwing Rip Hunter into the mix has only increased his appeal. Especially with the recent revelation that Booster is Rip’s father (assuming of course that Rip is not just saying that for the benefit of some unknown observer). One thing I like is that DC have finally done away with the ‘you can’t change time’ rule, leading Booster into a series of‘What If?’ environments.

The onward march of the Marvel Cosmic, with the conclusion of the War Of Kings and the beginning of the Realm Of Kings, with the added Chthonic elements is somethng I have written about already. The focus on the Starjammers (favourite characters of mine), and the new Guardians of the Galaxy has certainly kept me satisfied. Long may Dan Abnett keep churning this out.

The return of the New Mutants and especially Illyana Rasputin is another hark back to my teenage years, and I eagerly await whatever Illyana’s demonic agenda will be, because we all know she has one. She’s hardly what one would call a redeemed character.

I’m sure I may have mentioned all the zombies in the past, oh, and the X-Babies (which rather redeemed itself in its latest issue), but my award for Best New Series of the Year has to be Doctor Voodoo, Avenger Of The Supernatural. Jericho Drumm (formerly Brother Voodoo) is a character who has simply not had enough exposure, and creating the post of Houngan Supreme was a beautiful touch. The mythos of the Vodou and the Loa are a fertile field to grow stories from, and I hope we see lots more of it, but with the backdrop of the general Marvel Universe, Jericho should have plenty to keep him busy. His first battle with Nightmare, unfolding in the early issues of his title, with the added ingredient of Doctor Doom is masterfully played, and should cement his place in the Marvel mystical hierarchy.

If you haven’t read his title yet, give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed.

Adventure Comics #5

In keeping with following the major crossovers, I want to take a small interlude today to look at a character whom it seems only has a place within a major crossover. He was introduced in one, played the villain in another, and after becoming increasingly depraved has only recently glimpsed the dim light of redemption on the horizon. Even though we all know it will not last.

I am talking of course, of Superboy-Prime.

DC Comics #87 where the character first appeared was one of my earliest DC comics, right in the middle of the Crisis On Infinite Earths. I was not then aware that Earth-Prime, our home, had been visited by the JLA in the past, as it was the home of Ultraa (now there’s a character who deserves a relaunch), and was the tale of a young boy discovering that he was that, er this earth’s version of his favourite hero. In fact the back-up strip that told his origin was the better story of the two, certainly for me, not even in my teens at that point.

So part of me was horrified at what Geoff Johns did with the character. His innocence, his hope, the fact that he was the ultimate in teenage comic fan-boy self-identification was all torn away, and for me, it didn’t really make sense. Surely a Superman couldn’t sink to such depths?

Now, since that point Earth-Prime has been re-introduced to the DC Multiverse, and somehow it avoids the cheesiness of the previous visits. Having young Clarks’ parents follow his exploits by buying the comics was a masterful touch.

In the recent Adventure Comics #5, Prime is forced to face his demons by donning a Black Ring. The Ring attempts to bring him to death, but when it initially fails, he is confronted with each aspect of the emotional spectrum.

Green willpower – his demand for respect unearned. Blue compassion, his regret for what he did to Laurie, not that we have seen what he did, but let’s face it, we all assume the worst. His desire for approval creates the orange light of avarice. His own personal kryptonite, his comics collection and the heroes that it contains are the yellow fear he refuses to acknowledge. And the red rage that consumes his soul? That rage he holds for himself, for the atrocities he has commited.

Why a Black Ring should mutate into the rings of other colours is not even touched upon here. Considering that with the Black Rings, it is they that wear the body and not vice versa, this does not make a lot of sense. However, here we see Clark transforming eventually into a Red Lantern (vomiting blood and all), which I think is another clue as to just how many of the dead will be resurrected. The obvious choice being Batman.

Even if the conclusion of Final Crisis did rather intimate that Bruce was alive and well on the new Earth 51, now the alleged home of Kamandi and the reborn New Gods, not that we have seen them yet. Now there is a story I am eagerly awaiting,

I really hope that this is the first step in redeeming Superboy-Prime, although I’m not so sure about his undead girl-friend. Then again, in Outsiders, the zombie-Terra seems on the up-and-up. So far. Not that we are all waiting for that axe to fall.

However, the thought of a wholescale resurrection of everyone does not fill me with enthusiasm. One thought though – if Nekron’s reign over the dead is toppled, but the Black Rings keep working, without the need to empower themselves by eating hearts, now that might be cool. Anybody up for a Zombie-Lantern ongoing series? Or a zombie-Batman in Blackest Knight?

Titans #20

I’m going to take a welcome break from the major crossovers this week, and focus on what I was asking for, a single issue story.

Titans #20 focuses on Donna Troy, which is not before time. Donna has an unfortunate history, being subject to so many continuity revisions, or one could even say victim. Firstly the teenage side kick to Wonder Woman, then Wonder Woman was devolved to clay and sent back in time, so that she never existed. So then Wonder Girl was rescued by the Titaness Rhea and trained by the Greek Titans to be their champion. Then she became a goddess and went mad, then it was revealed she was created as a mirror image playmate for the young Princess Diana. Somewhere along the line she was also a Darkstar. However she was also sent through a myriad of lifetimes due to the Dark Angel, at the hands of John Byrne.

This was actually a good solution to her multiple histories, until the dawn of the Infinite Crisis, and we discover she was also Harbinger. And the Dark Angel as well! Paradox much? Still, this is allowable under the nature of the Crisis on Infinite Earths I suppose, not that it explains why the Dark Angel was active in the WWII era.

Somewhere along the line, these continuity issues became more important than her actual personality. Her husband and son were killed (after Robert failed to mature into the insane godling Lord Chaos), but this never really garnered the attention it required until the recent Blackest Night crossover.

This state of things has been addressed in the newest issue of Titans, where finally Donna gets the spotlight once, but this time on her personal life. Summoned to Miami for the first photography shoot for what must be years (anyone remember that she was a photographer?), she is unfortunately ambushed by the Fearsome Five, but they also help clear her head of an inordinate amount of whining, which dominate the first few pages.

To be honest, she has plenty to whine about after the events of this last decade (publishing-wise, that must be at least, what, three months comics-time?), but it is neither attractive nor in her character. As no doubt the writer intended, you can see her rebuild herself page by page, and for this fan, that is most welcome.

I have only two reservations about the issue. She turns up to the shoot looking so very Diana Prince-like in a pair of Palinesque glasses. She does not need to do this, she never used to, and it just looks wrong! In fact, my mind boggles at the comparison. I mean, Sarah Palin and Donna Troy? Euwww!

Also the cover does not entice you into the issue, I almost left it to read later, but then the Titans have always had the pull for me.

I finished the issue feeling quite warm inside. Pleased for her. Not that I think of the characters as real people, oh no, not me! I also have friends who are real you know! Then again, the Titans have been a part of my life for so very long I carry unending affection for them, and it’s about time Donna got a break.

This was almost nostalgic, having a comic’s events cheer me up, rather than make me think ‘Well, there goes another character down the pan’. Not all stories have to be dark, and I hope to see a few more happy endings in the future.

X-Necrosha The Gathering One-Shot

Now this is a week where I wish the major companies had sorted out their digital offerings, as my bank manager would balk at this weeks delivery.

Nation X starts this week, as part of the X-Necrosha crossover, joined by X-Necrosha: Gathering One Shot. And the regular issue of Deadpool.

Realm Of Kings is being a little more gentle, with only the second issue of Imperial Guard.

Zombie Watch is also busy this week, with Blackest Night crossovers in Adventure Comics #5, Booster Gold #27, Doom Patrol #5 and REBELS #11.

Ouch.

Of course, this is not counting the various Dark Reign themed tie-ins. Now don’t get me wrong, on a story level I am loving these, and it is only natural that to Big Two compete with respective crossovers of their own. But three crossovers, just at one company? That’s too much.

Now as fans we have admired the connections between titles for years. It was that very web of associations that attracted me to comics in the first place, but boy, do I miss the era of single issue stories. It’s tempting to defect totally to the Marvel Adventures line.

I remember in the mid-nineties when I ran my own shop the cost of paper spiralled some 300% in an unbelievably short period of time. Environmental considerations aside, this is an expensive hobby.

I’ve often thought that the very ‘shape’ of comics (like that of the study of history or politics) mirrors the form of the internet. In this new age of technology, surely those of us who wish to dispense with paper, or even just make room for an expanding family, deserve an alternative. Especially one that doesn’t break the bank, or criminalise someone. The comic companies have not yet followed the example of the RIAA or the MPAA with regards file-sharing, but it is only a matter of time. They need to realise that this would be a very profitable market. After all, we do we buy the comics?

We’re hooked, that’s why. Now if they offered digital product there’s lower production costs, no printing companies to pay, and nigh on infinite product.

Which would make it so much simpler to follow these huge crossovers.

Image United First page - Prophecies of doom

If you haven’t picked up Image United #1 already, today is your second chance. (Although if you go for the Collectors Edition, it has a $10 price tag!) Now when I first heard about this project, with different artists collaborating to draw their own characters, panel to panel, I thought it was interesting, but I also thought it would be a nightmare to co-ordinate, possibly a cacophony on the eye, and in the early tradition of Image comics, unlikely to ship on time.

Well, fortunately I was wrong. The first issue is merely a set up issue, but that not withstanding, it works. Starting with a most apocalyptic introduction sequence, other than villains attacking various cities for no apparent reason, there is no hint of what the protagonists will face. Still, I have high hopes for this series, and I hope it meets the standard set by the vastly under-rated Shattered Image mini from a few years ago. It’s a shame Image have waited this long to create another all-star series.

Todays shipping list has plenty to keep us occupied, the big events keep rolling out. The Zombie Watch will notice the Flash and Wonder Woman Blackest Night minis. Considering the climax of Blackest Night last week, I wonder what we are going to see, will they be wearing the Black Rings as the issue opens?

In the mean time, we also see the beginning of SIEGE in Siege:Cabal, as Norman Osbourne sets his sights on Asgard. There’s not much left of the Cabal now, Namor and Emma Frost have defected (back) to the X-Men, Loki cannot be trusted and Doom no doubt has his own agenda.

Also, Fall Of The Hulks. Now I haven’t been writing about it, but I have really enjoyed the Hulk titles recently, and I like the new additions to the Hulk family, in the shape of the Red Hulk and Red She-Hulk, and especially the new Savage She-Hulk, daughter of Hulk and Thundra. I’m that should be the All-New Savage She-Hulk, but I think that title has been used already. That’s not discounting Skaar and Hiro-Kala, both Sons-Of-Hulk, but they have been around a bit longer. So far every guess I have had as to the Red Hulks identity has been wrong, so much so I’ve given up thinking about it. The only guess I have left is Major Talbot, but he’s died twice already I think.

It may not be the most ideal jumping on point, but the opening pages as previewed on Newsarama have certainly piqued my appetite. I’ve wondered in the past what would occur if the greatest villainous minds were to actually work together, and to see them raid the vaults of the Eternals homeland of Olympia made me smile.

Are we suffering from Big Event overload however? Image United seems to avoid all of the pitfalls, being self-contained. And is it possible DC have taken the hint? They have waited for the first wave of crossover mini-series to conclude before launching this second wave, and I know there are many wallets across the nations that are grateful to this.

Which brings me to another topic, that I will explore further on Friday. Is there a better way to do this? I adore these big crossovers (can you tell?), but my bank manager must dread them. Skimming through the solicitations to see just how much I would have to spend to keep up with the SIEGE storyline made steam erupt from my calculator.

In his monthly interview with Newsarama, Dan Didio asked the regulars to that site what they thought of digital comics. Some people hated the idea of them, others wanted ones they could download, rental models were put forward (baring in mind all the mistakes that Marvel have done already with their online subscription service), and still others wanted to wait for the appropriate technology to come out.

My preference is a downloadable comic, that I can pay a lot less for that the print version, which would enable me to follow all of these events. There are still ones that I would physically buy, and many fans are so wedded to the print version that they would never give them up. Myself, I live in a small place, there are only so many comics I can fit in the house, so digital would be ideal, taking up no space at all. But I would be wedded to my laptop, because as much as I love my new e-reader, comics don’t work on it. The screen is too small, the fact it is black and white does not bother me too much, I grew up with British b&w reprints, but the small screen is a real obstacle. Squinting to read the small print is no better than tired eyes from my laptop’s backlit screen.

So, I open the floor. What would you like to see in a digital model for comics distribution? I don’t want to hear from the naysayers, this is a discussion for those of us that want good digital product. What about DRM? Ensuring the creators get paid so that they keep producing for us?

DC sounds like it still has an open mind on the issue, unlike the other Main Player. So, what do we want to tell them?

Guardians of the Galaxy #20

Guardians of the Galaxy #20 this week hinted at what I hoped to see the direction that Realm Of Kings is going in, and it looks like we shall receive the best of both worlds. Primarily focused on character development, the issue shows hints that the Magus is not as dead as the Guardians would like to see (which can only be a good, erm, I mean bad thing), and the Lovecraftian menace from the universe the other sidfe of the Fault makes its presence felt on Knowhere.

I don’t think I have mentioned just how much I adore the idea of Knowhere, the head of a decapitated Celestial containing the Continuum Cortex, the organ with which the former Celestial remained in telepathic contact with his brethren across time and the Multiverse. It is sort of a mix between the Nexus Of All Realities and the DCU’s Vanishing Point. It floats near the ‘end of the universe’ and all different species from all different points in space and time come to Knowhere to study and observe the end of the universe from the closest accessible structure.

With this, and the recent addition of the Infinite Avengers Mansion, the scope of the Marvel Heroes seems to have vastly increased. This is a welcome relief from the darkness of what’s going on on Earth currently, I have even found myself turning to Deadpool for some light relief. Still I cannot criticise the Dark Reign at all, it is spotlighting characters that otherwise would have languished in obscurity (such as Ghost in the Thunderbolts) and is making me hungry to see the overthrow of Norman Osbourn. However it is nice to take a break from it.

Looking at the other side of the fence, Blackest Night #5 picks up the pace of DC’s crossover event, with an ending that rather took me by surprise, although I rather think we can see how Bruce Wayne will be returning from the dead. I dearly hope I am wrong here, I would like to see him remain dead for a good few years yet. After all, we know he will return, that’s a when more than an if.

If anything should bring Batman back, it should be Darkseid. After all, whoever is slain by Darkseid’s Omega beams can be resurrected by the very same. Then again, the Dark God is dead, although we have not seen anything of the new Kamandi’s world where the New Gods are apparently reborn. If New Genesis is there, Darkseid cannot be that far behind.

However, the recent Outsiders crossover with Blackest Night has made me wonder. Just how much does Nekron control his zombies? The behaviour of the Black Ring bearing terra has made me wonder. She turns up all repentant and upset, not driven by the urge to consume hearts and emotional power from the team, but asking for their help! Is she merely preparing her food so that when she finally feasts, the betrayal is that much stronger? Terra is a mistress of manipulation, but that just seems way too obvious for me. Then again, the younger readers will not necessarily have seen that side of her personality, maybe the writers think we need a refresher course?

Brave and the Bold #29

J Michael Straczynski has done it again. Every time he slips from my attention, he comes out with another superb story.

I wasn’t even born when Brother Power the Geek #1 first hit the stands, my first exposure was in the pages of the original Who’s Who in the DC Universe, just as I was learning my way around the DCU. I found the idea of him, well, quirky to say the least. Kitsch. A symptom of the post-Werner (Seduction Of The Innocent) sillyness that swept the comics industry. Endearing maybe if you read it as a child, a very young child, but not for a young teenager in the Eighties. Happy days. I was so sure of my maturity, a good sign that I possessed very little of it.

So when I finally encountered the animated mannequin; given life by lightning and the gift of “wet and bloodied ‘hip threads’” hung upon it by a pair of hippies squatting in a tailors shop; it was at the capable hands of Neil Gaiman, in Swamp Thing Annual #5, way back in the early nineties. Gaiman turned him into a form of elemental, returning to earth after being fired into space by Govenor Ronald Reagan. Yet another being created by the Earth to defend itself, Power was now a doll elemental, connecting with human simulacra such as dolls, dummies, statues, etc. He could be called a toy elemental, or even a trash elemental. I remember a scene where Brother Power was leading a herd of lost socks, in fact that has alway stuck in my mind.  I never looked at laundry in the same way again. He returned in another Vertigo one shot, and then was never seen again.

And after a very long wait, he returns this week in Brave And The Bold #29, teaming with Batman. One may think that this is an unusual pairing, but it is not the first time they have encountered each other.

The highlight of the issue for me is more the contradiction between the two personalities, rather than between the two eras of today and the sixties. Still, Brother Power is based upon an idealised version of the sixties hippy culture, and the flashbacks are quite illuminating. The story walks a fine line between kitsch and relevance, if tending to the preachy a little.

However, this is what I enjoy about the current DC. Unlike the eighties they no longer throw the baby with the bathwater. After all, there was a reason why they didn’t go out of business in the kitsch years, and the preponderance of super boys, girls, cats and monkeys has a certain charm when handled right.

So I will be looking for a herd of crime-fighting socks in the future! I hope it’s not too long.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #19

I was going to title today’s column ‘Pointless Comics Books’ after reading the finale of The Last Days Of Animal Man. I said before how much I like Buddy Baker, but after reading all six issues, I feel cheated. Gerry Conway, pleasant as his writing is, is no Grant Morrison, so the appearance of the yellow aliens (who I would like to see more of) did nothing to satisfy me, or give me a reason why I have bought the entire series.

However, Blackest Night has continued apace, enough for me to forgive DC. In the conclusion of Blackest Night Titans, we have seen it’s not just the assembled corps of the emotional spectrum that can conquer the Black Rings, but also Dove (formerly of Hawk and Dove, erm, twice) has access to a power that is equally as devastating to the Black Corps. This is not without precedent either, after her role in the downfall of Extant back in JSA a few years ago.

What has really blown me away however is the latest Guardians Of The Galaxy, and the culmination of the Adam Warlock/Magus storyline. Despite the previous issue seeming a little tenuous, the conclusion more than justified the arc with a big story. One surviving Time Keeper; Kang leading an army of Starhawks (with a cute little aside between him and Mantis); a Cosmic Cube and Phyla Vell / Martyr (yes, it’s a silly name) receiving her comeuppance.

Looks like I was right the first time when I observed the Magus will not be featuring in the Realm Of Kings storyline. I should be disappointed, but after this issue, I’m not. We all know that Adam Warlock will be reborn, and thus so will the threat of the Magus, but that is in the future.

I also like how it is left open that Phyla-Vell may have got everything horribly wrong. The Champion of Life has been defined as the Magus (as he opposed Thanos in his own timeline) as well as Warlock. Maybe she killed the wrong guy. Still, it’s all moot now.

Siege #1 cover, released in January

In January, Osbourne launches the Siege Of Asgard, with a central series and numerous tie-ins, the seeds of which have apparently already been laid. I think I need to go read my Thor issues. I rather hope that this will be more poignant that the Dark Reign:The List issues, which so far have been little more than amusing stories of Normans failure.

It’s nice to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, but that light won’t be dawning until at least April, as Siege is a four issue series. However, today’s release of Dark Reign: The List Avengers is included in the Road To Siege Hardcover, so I think that this will be one not to miss.

With the upcoming Necrosha, and Nation X, and the already commencing Realm Of Kings, it looks like the age of the uber-story is here for the duration. Great for continuity freaks like myself, but not so easy on the wallet. I hope once the dust settles from the Dark Reign, Marvel will allow each series freedom to pursue their own plotlines, but the solicitations don’t yet seem to reveal the threat posed by Adam Magus, the new, evil form of Adam Warlock. If they are paying homage to the original timeline of Jim Starlin’s Warlock, then I feel that may yet be waiting in the wings.

So in comparison, Blackest Night is certainly cheaper, but certainly not lower quality. And January’s solicitations have revealed what I knew! Nekron is the big, big bad. The only release this week is Blackest Night:Superman #3, I only hope this series in it’s final issue manages to be as relevant as the excellent Blackest Night: Batman.

My other recommendation for today? Zenescope’s Escape From Wonderland #2. If you haven’t picked any of this series up so far, you have missed a treat. The Wonderland they portray is even more twisted than in the original novels, and if you like your classic stories with a twist, this is the one for you.

Action Comics #882

It’s been a good week this week.

I plugged REBELS in my last column, so I will say little more that pick up #9, where we learn what R.E.B.E.L.S stood for the first time round, Adam Strange, Captain Comet and Kanjar Ro join the fight, and the Omega Men travel to one of Starros home galaxies.

What really caught my attention was Action Comics #882. While the hunt for Supergirl, Chris and Thara heats up after they have been framed by General Sam Lane (always been such a lovable guy) and his agents Reactron and Metallo, it is the back up strip starring Captain Atom that has started to reveal its secrets. Trapped in a world of magic, a former enchanted slave of Mirabai The Forlorn, an ally of Lane’s, and it looks maybe responsible for his time as Monarch during Countdown. I had rather thought there was a lot more to Monarchs tale than had been revealed so far. Just being put in armour did not seem enough to send him so completely over the edge.

Now this is just a guess, but I assume she is tied in with the Lords of Chaos and Order if they still exist, considering Monarchs first incarnation was Hank Hall, carrying the powers of both Order and Chaos within him after the first death of Dawn granger – Dove.

Of course this is before he absorbed the powers of Waverider, became Extant, who was merely a pawn of the yellow fear demon Parallax possessing Hal Jordan. An unwitting agent of Parallax, Extant was also responsible for the creation of the Team Titans timeline, the Time Trappers interference in creating the second Terra, Mirage and Deathwing not withstanding.

Extant met his end in an arc of the JSA in a little universe he had created himself. Then again, Hank Hall has just returned as a Black Lantern, so depending on what the fates of these undead Lanterns will be, there may be more to add there. After all, is Hawkman dead again?

So Mirabai was responsible for Monarch II, erm make that III. In fact it’s IV, considering prior to Infinite Crisis in the pages of Extreme Justice, it was revealed that Monarch was the original Captain Nathaniel Adam (only in Action Comics it’s now Allen), and that Captain Atom was only the alien metal imprinted with Adam’s, erm, Allen’s personality and memories.

That’s what I like about Captain Atom/Monarch. He’s always been such a straightforward, simple character.

Considering this is being written by James Robinson, I am hoping that many of these plot threads will be touched upon, after all it is not like Mr Robinson to ignore the slightest detail, you only have to look at Justice League: Cry For Justice to know that.. And lets face it, there’s a minefield full of them here.

Oh, and if you want to know who the Black Beetle is, pick up Booster Gold #25. I hope this one is a lie. Oh, and for the most hilarious Thor/Hercules fight ever, read the Incredible Hercules #136

REBELS Annual 1, the Warlord Starro

I’ve always liked Starro as a villain.

There’s something about a giant mind controlling starfish that you just can’t hold a candle to. My first exposure to him was during my first exposure to the entire DCU, during the CRISIS On Infinite Earths. What a jumping on point eh?

In my early teenage years, I picked up #9 of CRISIS, as Brainiac gathered his army of villains without number to take over three of the five remaining earths. This was my first exposure to that lovable tyrant. In Brainiacs satellite Starro lumbered in the background, appearing again later in the massive battle on Earth-S. That was all I knew, but my curiosity was piqued.

My second exposure was in a back issue of Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew. In no way could this be described as impressive, but I immediately loved the series and held them close to my heart ever since. The pathetic and endless puns amused me, small things for small minds I suppose. I very relieved in the climax of Final Crisis as the Zoo Crew were returned to humanoid form – can we have another series please?

Anyway, this appearance really didn’t do Starro any justice, but he rose in my estimation when he managed to con Justice League Europe into assisting one of his invasion attempts. That was my first glimpse of how all-encompassing he promised to be.

Where he really rose to prominence however was (of course) in the capable hands of Grant Morrison in the pages of JLA, where even the Sandman Lord Morpheus himself was forced to get involved. Cold, inhuman, hungry, unstoppable, Grant portrayed Starro in a manner that I don’t think anyway using a giant starfish had accomplished before. This made the appetite of Starro as voracious and implacable as the Borg of Star Trek.

So it was with some dismay that I read in recent issues of REBELS that there is a humanoid warlord in control of the Starros. The Dominion has fallen, and the Gil’Dishpan (who when I first saw them were called Dispan. Dishpan? DISHPAN?!? What the hell sort of name is that? Oooh, watch out, the evil Dishpan is coming for you! Sounds more like a nemesis for Betty and Veronica). Then out of the mists comes this warlord guy.

Fortunately, as revealed in last weeks REBELS Annual, it is not as simple as that, and Starros inhumanity has been preserved.. This warlord is like a cross between Marvel’s Overmind and the Spirit Of Vengeance, the final survivor of a telepathic race so filled with the hate of his entire race for the conqueror Starro that he dominated the group mind. Even so, he is driven for Starros hunger to be everything.

If you haven’t been picking up REBELS, here is space drama to rival the War Of Kings. Oh, and Vril Dox is as manipulative as ever, if maybe a little humbled. If you were a fan of the original L.E.G.I.O.N./R.E.B.E.L.S series, you can’t miss this. Space Opera is doing really well in comics currently, and as readers, we are all the better for it. Keep it coming.

X-Babies #1 Cover

It’s here! It’s finally here!

X-Babies #1 hit the stands yesterday, and I couldn’t get to my comic store fast enough. On a general level, I loved it, except……

These are not the X-Babies that I know. Where was Ricochet Rita? Where was Wolvie and Stormy? Or Baby Bishop? Just how many troupes of X-Babies are there wandering around the Multiverse? This is not the set who met Excalibur, or the group that met the X-Men! I feel cheated! And what about the Mity ‘Vengers? Are we ever going to see those little critters again?

Still, all of my questions vanished with the long awaited (by me at least) return of Planet Terry at the end of the issue. That Mojo has been deposed (again), this time by a programmer who wishes to create educational shows (education? From my TV? Who would want that?) is certainly a departure from the revolt of the Spined Ones, or the rise to power of the rival Mojo II.

In Exiles it was implied that there is only one Mojoworld, and one Mojo. Still, that continuity is a mess, and only one Mojo, but at least thousands of divergent Longshots? Mmmm, that makes sense.

This weeks offerings are a mixed bag. Jim Starlin’s Strange Adventures mini comes to a conclusion, of sorts. A continuation of a plot line that began in Hardcore Station, we see Synnar’s quest for omnipotence, depending on six heroes, the Aberrant Six; Comet (formerly Captain); Eye, a character who hasn’t been explored enough; Adam Strange; The Weird, Starman Prince Gavyn and Bizarro (replacing Hawkman after his untimely demise at the hands of a Black Lantern).

This was not what I call a conclusion, and although it promised to be other earlier, it seems like a re-run of Thanos’ quest for power but in the DCU. The only good thing to come out of this series is that the Weird returned to Earth. Starman under goes a transformation at Synnar’s hands that seems pointless. A waste of a good character if this is to remain permanent, I hope it is soon rectified. We had to wait a long time to see the return of Synnar, but I rather hope that this plotline does not drag on for another few years.

My highlight has to have been Superman:World Of New Krypton #8. After facing an attack by the Thanagarians, which has yet to be fully explained, an old face reappears at the end of this issue angry about the Kryptonians stealing the moon of Callisto to provide their artificial world with a moon. Welcome back to centre stage Jemm, Son Of Saturn!

Considering that the Kryptonians grew their planet, why on earth shouldn’t they have the ability to grow a moon? It seems like the Solar System is getting to be a very populated place, and it is nice to see the Saturnians again, and Jemm healthy and in control of himself.

Now, I wonder if we will see the return of the blue-skinned Venusians that Hal Jordan assisted early in his career? In fact I lose track of just how many different Venusian races there were in the Golden and Silver Ages, now that must have been one busy planet!

Other recommendations? Justice League Cry For Justice #4 – Do not miss this!

Justice League Of America 80 Page Giant #1

And the award for Most Bizarre Relationship goes to:-

Cheetah and Snapper Carr, mascot of the Justice League!

JLA 80pg giant #1 (I’m sure it should be #4) was released last week, in a story that was reminiscent of the high points of the Silver Age and a traditional Gardner-Fox Justice League story. Epoch the Lord Of Time casts the team (obviously before the latest schism in membership) across the ages, allowing such stars as Cinnamon, the Black Pirate, the Shining Knight and the Crimson Avenger to team up with the League, plus a wonderful little short featuring The Bride (who I’m convinced is a fairly new character). I have no doubt said before how much I love seeing the characters that once filled the comics of the Golden and Silver Ages still receiving attention, and this one issue does not let us down.

However, it was the framing sequence that made it for me. Snapper Carr, the luckless mascot of the League, who during Final Crisis:Resist was a saviour for Mr Terrific and the remains of Checkmate until his, erm, urges got the better of him; seems to be letting those urges lead him astray once more. He never was known for his sense of character.

Or it seems his sense of location. The issue begins with Snapper meeting Barbara Minerva after he calls her, in the old JLA mountain base. Perfect venue, wouldn’t you say?

Now I have always liked George Perez’ reinterpretation of the Cheetah. Despite later stories trivialising her, Minerva was always a complex character, mercenary but not heartless, held in bondage to the fertility god Urzkataga (who always reminded me of the aspidistra Great Uncle of an old show called the Adventure Game, in his part-time role as a drug dealer and pimp), focussed on her goals but apart from when driven mad by her god, lacking the maniacal qualities of many super villains that spring to mind. However, relationships with super-villains never tend to work out, just look at Speedy/Red Arrow Roy Harper and the assassin Cheshire, but still, I hope this one plays out for years. It will all go wrong, even without Snappers bad luck and judgement. However, would we like to see a young Snapper-Cat?  Hopefully it won’t go that far, but then, she does serve a fertility god.

Then again, I thought he was the jealous type.  I mean, how can Snapper compete with a potted plant?

I don’t want to spoil the story, or reveal just how Snapper remains as luckless as ever, but when Minerva asks him towards the end if he wouldn’t rather be a super-villain considering that he seems so good at it made me laugh out loud.

It’s a while since a comic made me do that. Now the dark and gritty fad seems to have been relegated to where it belongs and today’s creators feel free to draw on the better parts of each decade, I find I am now enjoying nearly every comic I read, rather than it being hard work. Long may the quality, and humour, continue.

Blackest Night - Titans #2 A mothers love

Zombie Watch returns today with full effect!

By far the greatest of the Blackest Night crossover series so far is Blackest Night: Titans. I said this after reading the first issue, and now the second issue has hit the stands, that claim has only been reinforced.

Now my judgement might be biased, I have been following the Titans in all their incarnations for over twenty years. That fact however qualifies me to say that this is a good Titans story. It has been said elsewhere in Blackest Night that the hosts for the

Black Rings were chosen for their emotional impact, and this issue has it in spades. This was what I felt was missing from the Superman tie-in series, but then team books are more disposed to emotional interaction, especially if you have been following the characters for a long time. Basically, this mini is not to be missed by Titans fans.

I started reading the Titans at the time of the Judas Contract, where Terra, (Tara Markov, Geo-Force’s younger sister) infiltrated the Titans at the behest of Deathstroke, captured Changeling’s heart and then proceeded to betray them all.

Of course then there was the Terra who was a member of the Team Titans, and not a creation from an alternate timeline due to the machinations of Monarch/Hank Hall/Extant in the lead up to Zero Hour (and no, I’m not going to try and explain that one here!). She was not the original Tara, but an innocent girl genetically sculpted by a virus to become a duplicate of her. She was later killed by Black Adam in World War III

But now, we see the original back, again after Gar’s heart, accompanied by Lilith, also known as Omen, who makes some very good points about the Titans history, if a little skewed in perspective. Still, one has to admit, the Titans have left a trail of bodies behind them over the years.

The highlight for me however has to be the return of Donna’s late husband and son, Terry and Robert. That was one comics death that really hit me, I had watched the romance blossom between Donna and Terry over the years, and despite the fact it first seemed like the wish-fulfillment of a middle aged man (did I read you wrong Mr Wolfman?), the relationship grew, exhibiting a depth that caused me to become very fond of Terry. When Terry and Robert were cast aside by the writers, in a meaningless car accident, I confess, I was actually upset. It seemed like such a waste, and served only to emphasise how little connection Donna had with the life around her, after numerous continuity re-writes that were nothing to do with her per-se, but she fell victim to them. Wonder Woman rescued her from a burning building. Then she never existed, so it was the Titan Rhea. Then it wasn’t. Then she was a shard of Donna’s soul housed in a mystic doppelganger.

It took John Byrne in the pages of Wonder Woman to make it all make sense. Thanks to the evil Dark Angel, all of Donna’s histories are true, as she was sent ricocheting through time to live a life of misery and loss again and again and again.

So now, Donna is given a connection back to her old life. Her first instinct is to give her baby a hug, after all he will never grow up to be the megalomaniacal Lord Chaos now.

But of course, her baby is hungry, and wants to feed.

Brave and the Bold #27 Cover

My heart-strings were well and truly pulled last night as I read the start of this weeks crop, and surprising enough not by a black ringed zombie trying to eat it.

However, on the matter of the Blackest Night, the latest instalment really picked up the pace. Finally out of the set-up phase, the story begins to move along at a fast pace, as the heroes begin to realise the gravity of the situation, we finally meet the Indigo Tribe and Ronnie Raymond returns! Sort of.

I like Ronnie, and as much as I truly enjoyed John Ostranders run on Firestorm all those years ago, I always felt that Ronnie got a raw deal. And let’s face it, his short run in Extreme Justice really did not help a great deal.

So now we see the history of the universe as told by the Indigo Tribes perspective. The zombies are not the invaders, we are? Wow. Good point, but wow nonetheless. Way to go to make one feel safe.

Meanwhile in that other multiverse, the weekly Marvel Zombies Return has finally put forward a good issue. #3 brings together some of the threads we have seen so far, as we now know at least three (and thus probably all) of the zombies are on the same earth, christened Earth-Z. Spider-Man whines some more as he saves the native Kitty Pryde from the zombie Wolverine. Hearts abound, but again mainly as appetizers.

What really warmed my heart this week was the Brave And The Bold #27, starring Batman and, wait for it, DIAL H FOR HERO!

Robby Reed and his grandfather visit Gotham, and then the H-Dial is stolen. There’s a nice not-quite plot twist at the end, and despite the conclusion dripping in sentimentality,the whole story had a feel of the stories of the seventies, with a slight nineties style realism. It is not revealed which Batman is in the story (although by his words, it’s pretty obviously Grayson I think), but that is irrelevant, this is a story that focuses on Robby Reed, one another and the theme of redemption.

I have followed the H-Dial bearers since I discovered DC. I was too young to read Robby’s original adventures, by the time I discovered the H-Dial, Robby has split into the opposing beings of the Wizard and the Master, the H-Dial had spawned smaller dials carried by Chris King and Vicki Grant. I saw the tragic fates that befell that pair in the pagesof the new Titans, the new bearer of the Dial in Superboy And The Ravers (which is vastly under-rated, and I highly recommend that series, it’s a fun romp), and then the more serious H.E.R.O series. That’s not to forget Lori in the Reboot Legion titles, carrying the Dial into the thirtieth century.

Still, it’s nice to see the Dial back in the hands of its original owner, and I hope we are to see a lot more of Robby Reed. Is it time for a solo series? Or even a back up strip somewhere? Please?

Marvel Apes: Prime Eight #1 Cover

I’m regressing again this week.

Last week was a big week for the Marvel Zombies, but I have to confess, the Marvel Zombies Return #1 was somewhat of a disappointment. It didn’t grab me like the previous stories had done, in fact it seemed more like a sterile intellectual exercise, more a lower grade “What If?” than a story that will keep me coming back for more.

The best zombie action was in my humble opinion in the Apeverse, with the Marvel Apes Prime Eight Special. A selection of Marvel Zombies, close to the original grouping but pretty obviously from yet another alternate arrive on this world, while the grand-daughter of Nick Furry (sic) comes back in time to ensure her timelines continued existence.

It was a long time before I would look at Marvel Apes, the concept seemed too much like another Peter Porker the Spectacular Spider-Ham to me. However, upon reading the later issues (I’m still hunting down the original series), I was hooked. The addition of the natural ‘survival of the fittest’ philosophy where the strongest monkeys raise to the top of their society took the series beyond just a cartoon version of the mainstream heroes. Not very far beyond admittedly, but far enough to engage me.

I have just developed a love of the Apeverse, and I do not want to see it fall prey to the zombies already, but there looks to be a very slow infection there. Prime Eight barely even touched on the story of the monkey Speedball, the Gibbon and their friends, but in no way did this detract from the issue.

Staying on the topic of zombies, after a very quiet week last week, today sees the release of Blackest Night:Batman #2, and Green Lantern Corps #40. If you haven’t jumped on yet, with the second printing of Blackest Night:Batman #1, now is an ideal time to grab both issues. I was sold on the Blackest Night, but the Batman tie-in has reawakened my love of all things Gotham.

Another catch-up this week is the trade release of the War That Time Forgot. An excellent series, that if you remember the days of the old war, historical or sci-fi titles of the sixties and seventies, is one not to be missed. It was a treat to see characters that have not been seen for a long time get an airing again. It looks like Merryman stuck in Limbo is losing friends hand over fist.

On that note, isn’t it time for a new Inferior Five series? Or at least Angel and the Ape?

Hangman #1 Cover

I must be regressing.

I mean, what is happening to my comic tastes? Despite my initial reluctance, I found myself really enjoying the Marvel Apes event, and now Marvel have done it to me again, with the culmination of Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers series. I feel like I’m having a second childhood. Again.

I so want to see more of these characters together. I mean, they beat Thanos! That’s big leagues. If only I could remember where Ms Lion came from. I think he, she. Whatever, is something to do with Spider-Man. No matter, Ms Lion adds the perfect comic relief to the title, and to see the return of Speedballs cat is awesome.

However, when talking in terms of returning to my childhood, it is DC that has really stimulated me this last week. I have been awaiting the return of the Red Circle characters since I heard about it, and the three specials released so far did not disappoint.

In story order, we have the Hangman #1, Inferno #1 and then The Web #1, with the first and the last being good origin stories for the lead characters, while Inferno’s tale has yet to be told. I only remember Inferno form the short-lived (but quality) !mpact Comics relaunch from the nineties, but the other two both give a feel true to the characters dating all the way back to their first appearances.

Little care is given to the identity of the being who curses/grants the Hangman his powers, but there’s time indeed for all that. With the Web, we see a PR campaign that could rival that of Booster Gold, except the Web seems to learn his lessons a lot quicker. These issues seem to have been written with a great love for the characters (which I share), and so I am looking forward to the appearances of the Shield, the Comet and especially the Fly. Come back Fly-Girl, all is forgiven.

If you haven’t picked up the Red Circle issues yet, I highly recommend them, and I hope these heroes will come to the prominence in the DCU that they deserve. It is sure getting crowded in there though.

Dark Reign: The Hood #4

Not a lot released this week on the Big Two’s events. Blackest Night – Superman #1, the conclusion of the Dark Reign: Mr Negative mini and the penultimate issue of Dark Reign: The Hood.

I have to comment that the first two really didn’t grab me a lot. In Blackest Night – Superman we see the resurrection of various characters, Zor-El as I had hoped for, and a pair that really surprised me, the original Earth-2 Superman Kal-L and his wife Lois. Now there was a couple that I had hoped were truly laid to rest. I wasn’t happy with how they were used in Infinite Crisis, and even less so now. However, I suppose this did raise the feeling of moral outrage that accompanies the horror of the main series.

Other than that, very little appeared to happen in the issue, but then it was just another set-up issue. We could have spent a little more time on New Krypton, but then I suppose other than Zor-El, very few people have died there yet. It will be nice to see Alura realise that what is in the interests of Earth may easily be in the interests of New Krypton as well.

The Mr Negative mini was okay, but it had the feeling of a back up strip. It was nice to see Betty Brant in the foreground, as I have said before I do not often read Spider-Man, so most of this series was lost on me I think.

The gem for me has to be Dark Reign: The Hood, where we see Parker Robbins basically keeping his minions happy while also concentrating on the welfare of his family. The White Fang sub-plot moves along as the Fang in her civilian guise meets Mrs Robbins, and did I mention Satana is back? YAY!

Another thought before I go, I’m worried about the Justice League. Previously when we have had a League fall apart storyline, it has always led to dire times, not just for the league but for the readers as well. Despite the quality of Justice League: Cry For Justice (which I am really enjoying, I mean Starman Mikaal? Congorilla? What’s not to like?), I hope the main League resolves its issues promptly. The current storyline is okay, but not as great as the previous Star-Breaker/Milestone epic, but even as the writers attempt to turn the Royal Flush Gang into a credible threat, I don’t want okay from the League, I want Great! With a Capital G.

So it looks like out of this weeks comics that I have read so far, once more I will ‘Make Mine Marvel’, but only by default. Looks like I need to turn to the Indies for some inspiration.

Blackest Night #2 Cover

Recruiting today! Excellent new cosmic corps with prospects. Wanted, candidates who can give their hearts to the job. Essential requirements: Dead.

Blackest Night really picks up this week with the release of the second issue and Blackest Night – Batman #1. Both of which rock, and as I thought, all of my doubts have been vanquished. I refuse to give any spoilers here, suffice to say that all of my previous questions have been answered with one of the newest Black Ring bearers – Boston Brand, the Deadman.

The horror aspect of the story is played nicely against the form of Tempest the former Aqua Lad, and Mera, and we also get to see how the magical community perceives the threat of the Black Rings. Briefly. Dolphin shows us just how the rings repair their hosts. Meanwhile, we see the fate of Hawkman and it really sinks home – how many more will fall?

I would certainly add a parental advisory to this title. This is not for the youngsters.

Blackest Night – Batman continues some of the story of Deadman, and for a non-Batman reader like myself, grants a little insight into Damien’s personality and the new status quo (for as long as it lasts) in the Gothamverse.

Another treat this week is Adventure Comics #1, showing Superboy back in Smallville as promised, but the final page of his story has a wonderful twist, giving us another glimpse in Conner’s tortured mind. Yes I think he’s tortured, even at the best of times, wouldn’t you be? He hasn’t even had time to react to the knowledge he is half Superman, half Lex Luthor.

The Legion Of Super-Heroes back up story is promising, but I have one point to make. In a roll-call panel, they mix up Night Girl and Shadow Lass! My purist shock and outrage aside, with the enormous cast of characters in the Legion, this is unforgivable, and confusing (or at least it will be) to new readers.

That aside, we learn how the Legion Espionage Squads mission in the past is not yet over. I will contain my outrage and follow the story eagerly!

get a raw deal.

If you have been reading The Last Days Of The Animal Man, you will already know that Buddy’s life has once more taken a turn for the worst.

Fortunately, #3 has revealed to me (maybe I missed it before) that this series is actually set fifteen years in the future. We also see a progression of the relationship between him and Starfire, (fast moving there Buddy), and the deterioration (again) of his relationship with his wife Ellen.

So far with this series? As nice as it is to see Buddy have his own title again, I’m withholding judgement. Power Girl suddenly a scientist? Maxine with no powers? And the League Of Titans? I so hope this turns out to be Doctor Destiny or some other reality warping force at work.

Still, it has its moments. The art is crisp, and Buddy facing the way his life has affected his family over the years are nice touches. So, I do recommend this, if only to bump up sales so we can see an Animal Man series set in the present. No more alternate realities, potential futures or imaginary stories, but putting Buddy back in the centre of the DCU like Fifty Two and Countdown To Adventure promised. Get him into the Justice League already, and prove that he deserves the limelight.

Plus now Sue Dibny has passed, wouldn’t Ellen Baker make a good replacement?

After reading the latest issue of Green Lantern, the first Blackest Night crossover, I think my admittedly minor fears regarding this summers crossover are put to rest. We see the Flash and Hal Jordan confronted by the Martian Manhunter, now a Black Lantern, and there was no sign of J’onn simply wanting to eat their brains. In fact, he sounded like himself. Admittedly a dead and angry version of himself, but his personality shone through, reminiscent of his latest mini series, where we really saw the aspect of his anger.

The clue I want to look for is what goes on with the Elongated Man and Sue Dibny. They were doing the Deadman thing, possessing various married couples to assist the Outsiders in their missions (at least I assume it was them), yet we see their corpses as Black Lanterns. What I want to know is do the Black Rings co-opt the spirits of their bearers, or simply the bodies and the personality traces left in the brain? I hope Ralph and Sue will give me the answer.

My other recommendation for today is the Superman family of titles, especially including the World Of New Krypton. This is a one of the best returns of Krypton I have read, combining all of the elements of the various Superman origins over the years. The bright colours of the sixties, the sterility of the Byrne version, and the recent militaristic incarnation, all combined as the various Guilds.

The new President of Krypton, Allura, is hurting after the assassination of her husband, Zor-El. Lucy Lane appears to have been drawn into the battle, gained Kryptonian powers, and died. Talk about throwing the family into chaos. We all know that General Zod is a villain, but could it be that Sam Lane is worse?

What I would like to see is if Zor-El is worthy of the Black Rings attention. Now that would confuse the mix even further. More to the point, it would be illogical if Zor-El didn’t rise.

In the face of the dead rising; that will come for Superman, for they have promised; I wonder just how long it is that Zod will remain apparently on the side of the angels. It could be for a very long time indeed.

`Of course I’m talking about the final chapter of Final Crisis: Legion Of Three Worlds. And without gushing and revealing umpteen spoilers, all I can say is it was brilliant.

I have always loved the Legion, and to see Grant Morrison write a Legion story, with George Perez art no less, is enough to give this fanboy an earth-shaking geekgasm. That’s not even to mention the fact it is a team up between the 1980’s Earth One Legion, the Reboot Earth 247 Legion and the Threeboot Legion. (Just wait until you find out where they come from!)

Of course, we’re assuming it’s the Earth One Legion, but seeing how the mechanics have worked so far, I don’t think we can be so sure. Still, it’s a Legion each for the Super-Family, one for Superman, one for the Conner Kent Superboy, and one for Supergirl.

The series so far has been one massive slugfest, but this final issue more than makes up for it as the battle reaches its climax, and secrets are revealed. The nature of the Time Trapper is theorised upon in a way that makes lots of sense, an awesome change of direction for the White Witch and a glimpse of other Legions as well, including my favorite, the Five Years Later Legion. I know they got a raw deal in the reviews, but I always liked them, even the duplicate Batch SW6 Legion storyline, which after this issue, has the potential of making even more sense. Seeing the clean lines of the clean cut Legion is great, but I would hate to think that the Five Years Later Legion was simply forgotten and swept under the carpet. I’m sure I can’t be the only one.

Plus Earth Prime. Wanderers. Dawny and Wildstar finally professing their love for each other (I think I can reveal that one, but I really daren’t say anything else, almost anything I could comment on would be a spoiler). The destiny of Gates. How I’ve missed that little bug.

If you’ve ever been a Legion fan, then you HAVE to pick up this issue, if not the entire series. It’s too good to wait for the trade, and it has me really excited about the upcoming Adventure Comics series, coming August the 12th. I just hope it has plenty of Legion as well as Superboy, as some places have mentioned 8-10 pages.

Although in the style of the older stories, I’m sorry, 8-10 pages is just not enough. Three stories of that length, all Legion, now that would be fine but just one? C’mon, the Legion is far bigger than that. Nevertheless, it has to be said……….

LONG LIVE THE LEGION!

Although it is a phrase you may have heard many times before, there has never been a better time to be a superhero comics fan. The current output of quality material doesn’t show any signs of abating, and even the dreaded crossover event has begun the long trek to redeem itself.

Recession? What recession?

This week, the long awaited Blackest Night begins, as before the War Of Light has even really kicked off in the DC Universe between the Green Lantern Corps and their other-hued counterparts, the dead shall rise.

The boards are ablaze with all the possible pros and cons of this newest crossover, but if the recent Sinestro Corps War is anything to go by, then we are assured an exciting ride, even if everything seems a little convoluted at the minute. My own personal theory is that the Blackest Night will prove to be the birth and baptism by fire of the new Corps that have formed, and they shall be sticking around for many years to come, this may only be the first act in the War Of Light.

Despite the touted horror elements, if this turns into nothing but a zombie-fest (especially in the crossovers), then it will be an abject failure. I don’t think this will be another Marvel Zombies however, the writing on the Green Lantern Corps, and to a lesser extent the Green Lantern title itself has shown itself.

That is not to criticise Marvel Zombies, but we have seen that idea already. However, if you haven’t picked up the current series of Marvel Zombies, it is well worth a look, as the direction has totally changed. The Zombies (well, one of them) have finally reached the prime Marvel Universe, but thanks to A.R.M.O.R (the Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operation Response agency), the earth is forewarned, and characters that have not seen the light of day in a good while (pun intended) have been drafted to contain the outbreak. Daimon Hellstrom the Son Of Satan, Morbius the Living Vampire and my old favourite Jennifer Kale, to name a few. She never did get the attention she deserved IMHO.

Back to the plot. There are a number of projected I am pumped about, and this is one of them. The crossover are being touted as stand-alone minis, and the one I am really looking forward to is the Blackest Night: Titans.

Given the Titans history, this has the potential to be either really really good, or abysmal. I am hoping for the former. The good news is these crossover minis are not mandatory for following the story, just a matter of personal taste; unlike the minis that accompanied the Secret Invasion event. I think we can rely on Johns et al to provide characterisation and action in equal helpings in each issue, rather than relegating action to one and characterisation to another. After all, with an event touted to be as big as this, I can’t imagine a character who wouldn’t be affected, and I don’t just mean an epidemic of Peter Parkers Parents syndrome.

Hopefully, the Blackest Night may prove that after nearly twenty five years or more of the company-wide crossover, it may have finally grown up. We can hope.