DC Universe Online: "Fight for the Light"

Sony Online Entertainment has been updating DC Universe Online with character-based and seasonal missions since it was first launched in January. (See our extensive review here.) These updates have been fun but left very little impact on the game’s online world. That’s set to change this Summer with the release of “Fight for the Light,” a $10 DLC pack that answers many a fan’s desperate desire: to play as a Green Lantern.

Green Lantern Hal Jordan has always been part of DCUO, but players have never had access to his power set, having to settle for battling alongside this NPC in a few level-grinding missions. “Fight for the Light” is the first downloadable content pack that adds a brand new power set to the game: Light. In this way, using and maxing out Light powers, as well as customizing costumes, will allow players to (more or less) join up with the Green Lantern Corps.

DC Universe Online: "Fight for the Light"

“Fight for the Light” also introduces three brand new locations to the game along with major new story-driven missions to go with them.

• Deep inside S.T.A.R. Labs, overall game villain Brainiac is trying to get his hands on technology that will let him control Green Lantern power rings. A devastating attack forces the Corps to forge a tentative truce with the Sinestro Corps in order to stop Brainiac.
• In Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast City, DCUO players will face off against the Red Lantern Corps, while battling their way across the city all the way to a final showdown at Ferris Aircraft.
• Lastly, players will travel to the distant planet Oa, home base to the Green Lantern Corps, and join up with Guy Gardner to stop a prison break in-progress. Sinestro’s to blame, as he continues his never-ending campaign to destroy the Lanterns; while setting free the Corps’ most dangerous enemies, he hopes to find the evil Lyssa Drak and release her.

Sound like fun? The Green Lantern download pack will sell for $9.99, and be available for PlayStation 3 and PC.

DC Universe Online: "Fight for the Light"

DC Universe Online: "Fight for the Light"

DC Universe Online: "Fight for the Light"

We’re big fans of “LEGO artist” Nathan Sawaya here at ForeverGeek. He makes stuff out of LEGO that blows our minds. His latest work captures two popular superheroes in flight.

Sawaya created this piece for The Los Angeles Times‘ Hero Complex Film Festival. He found his inspiration when he saw that Superman director Richard Donner was on the festival’s special guest list. He threw in Green Lantern just for the fun of it. Both creations appear to reach about three feet tall from foot to fist. How awesome is Superman’s cape, with its billowing curls!

Check out more pics at Sawaya’s website.

Ha! Care Bear Corps! Love the name.

Anyway, I digress. I picked up Shinku #1 yesterday, a new title from Image Comics, mainly on the strength of Ron’s name. He’s one of those writers that if pressed to name my favourites, he does not immediately spring to mind, but when I look at his bibliography, I find I have thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of his work. From Witchblade and Broken Trinity to DC Vs Marvel and Emerald Twilight, Mr Marz never ceases to entertain.

So, on opening Shinku, I was expecting maybe a ninja title, maybe a samurai title, sort of along the lines of Shi. In the first few pages, my expectations changed towards some form of spy/industrial espionage storyline. So it came as a surprise when after the introduction character, a young man called Davis is seduced by a woman in a Tokyo nightclub, pulled out into the back alley to make out; and another woman rides up on a motorcycle and decapitates her, following up with a ‘Come with me if you want to live!”

Okay, that’s not word for word, but the reason it is a cliché line is because it is a good line.

Like I said, I did not expect the nightclub girl to be a vampire. Why, she had barely got her fangs out.

Now, there’s a lot that is formulaic in this first issue, but you can also call these iconic themes. A western man, alone in Tokyo, drawn into a world he does not understand provides the justification for exposition and for reader identification.

Said exposition could have been lifted from the recent X-Men Vs Vampires, the story of a clan war between a human family and one turned to vampires. Nevertheless, it sets an interesting scene, one with more potential than we often get in a Vampirella story (and you know she’s my favourite), so I am eagerly anticipating the second issue. I like these characters, but for the moment, I couldn’t tell you quite why.

In conclusion, give Shinku a go. After all, we have come to expect high standards from the man who has penned seventy issues of Witchblade, and first issues cannot avoid certain clichés and plot constructs if they are going to craft a three-dimensional seeming world.

First up, WonderCon attendees last week were treated to a new look at this summer’s big budget superhero flick Green Lantern, with never-before-seen footage and lots of newly-completed visual effects. Shortly after the footage was shown to the live audience, Warner Bros. posted an “abridged” version of it online that clocks in at four minutes long. And yes, it’s totally killer.

You don’t have to be a Doctor Who fan to appreciate this genuinely epic trailer showing off some absolutely amazing moments from Season 6, which premieres in April.

Cartoon Network is rebooting Thundercats for a new generation — with all new continuity, character designs, and animation — for a debut later this year. Am I the only one who thinks this reinvention has been heavily influenced by Lord of the Rings?

J.J. Abrams is tapping into a strong sense of nostalgia for his summer tent pole Super 8. It has a Goonies-meets-Cloverfield vibe.

I’ve saved the biggest clip for last. This 14-minute video is not a trailer at all — it’s the entire first act of the premiere of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Based on the fantasy novels of George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is the story of a complex world called Westeros, where a decades-long winter is the backdrop for a power struggle between several families vying for control.

I love watching these professionally-made CG trailers and cutscenes from video games. They’re always a lot more impressive than the games they advertise, thanks to the hefty budget they have to work with. Sadly, you can’t judge a game on the quality of its pre-rendered vid, because it’s never reflective of the actual gameplay. And this one really has the deck stacked against it, being a movie tie-in game and all.

Still, as we hold our collectively geeky breath in anticipation of this summer’s Green Lantern film from director Martin Campbell and star Ryan Reynolds, it’s fun to get a look at more media inspired by its creative direction. I’m not quite sure if the trailer above is meant to use Reynolds’ likeness as Hal Jordan or not (I’m thinking not, though the cover art uses a photo of him, so I’m not sure), but this new glimpse of the alien world Oa is pretty spectacular. And check out Sinestro in action before he was booted from the Corps!

The tie-in game Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters looks to be a side story to the film, chronicling the Lanterns’ struggle against the robotic Manhunters, who rebel against their Guardian masters. The game will let players use more than a dozen ring-powered constructs to fight the Manhunters, as well as giving players the power of flight. It’s also being touted as a fully 3D title, playable on all the major consoles in 3D, for gamers with special 3D glasses.

It’s scheduled for release this Summer for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, and just announced today: it will be Warner Bros. Interactive’s debut title for Nintendo’s 3DS.

Sony Online Entertainment has spent a ton of money on DC Universe Online, and boy does it show. The massively multiplayer online universe has so much to do, you can and will spend months trying to get to it all. Of course, not everything is required of players; in fact, DCUO‘s diversity of options might just be its greatest strength. That, and the enormous playground that you’re given total freedom to explore and enjoy.

First things first. DC Universe Online presents players with the chance to create their own superhero or supervillain. You can customize almost everything about your avatar, including not just physical attributes and costumes, but down to even their fundamental styles of movement and fighting. There are hundreds of possible combinations, which is more than enough to ensure that no two players play the game exactly the same. You also select a mentor, who will be sort of your “coach” throughout the game and will influence which kind of abilities you have. Heroes can choose from Superman (meta), Batman (technology), and Wonder Woman (magic). On the flip side, respectively, villains get Lex Luthor, the Joker, or Circe.

The scenario is set up by a gorgeous CG animatic (viewable above) that reveals an Earth in ruins, torn apart by heroes and villains locked in a devastating war — which is when the evil Brainiac shows up with an invasion force. Lex Luthor, one of the few survivors, steals some of Brainiac’s technology and travels backward in time five years, where he disperses Brainiac’s “exobytes” across the Earth. This creates of thousands of new heroes and villains — aka, you and your fellow players — who can be trained to defend the planet from the impending invasion. (Yes, even the villains must fight Brainiac’s forces.)

This is the world in which you’re planted as you begin. Right off the bat, you’ll see that there are two fully realized, gargantuan cities to explore and play in: Metropolis and Gotham. These mega-cities are stunning in size and scope, with entire neighborhoods and skyscrapers dotting the sky — and everything in the cities is playable from the first minute you’re in the game. The game’s designers really let their imaginations run wild in coming up with the architecture of Metropolis and Gotham, and I enjoyed simply exploring these amazing cities.

There are missions awaiting you everywhere (accessed via the handy heads-up display), which almost always involve NPC enemies to dispatch. (Unless you’re playing on a PvP server, which is obviously a far more dangerous kind of play.) The differences between the two cities are day and night — literally. It’s always daytime in Metropolis, sunny, art deco, and optimistic. Gotham exists in perpetual night, all gloom and industrial machinery. There are some buildings in both cities that are inaccessible because they’ve been “bottled” by Brainiac, or essentially claimed.

Death for players is never a possibility. The worst that will happen is that you’re “knocked out,” which results in a few seconds of downtime while you regenerate. You’re returned to your starting point, or a nearby waypoint, forcing you to backtrack your steps to your enemies — during which they usually have time to do some healing. But that’s it: you’re not penalized by losing cash, inventory items, or power-ups.

To get around the cities, you’ll use one of three modes that you selected during your character’s customization: flying, speed-running, or tech-running. The latter two use speed or technology to allow you to run up the sides of buildings, and tech players can glide down from heights. But there’s really no substitute for flying. It’s smooth, intuitive, and really instills a sense of power. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why anyone bothers with the other two modes.

Both heroes and villains get their own safe houses and central headquarters, where they can go to interact with other players, buy cool exclusives, and take on specialty missions. But be warned that all of the exclusives you’ll be offered here can only be bought after you reach Level 30, and then only after you’ve completed a whole new slew of level grinding on specialty missions that significantly raise your renown with the item’s manufacturer.

One of the biggest draws of the game for me was the ability to choose what I wanted to do at any given time. There’s leveling to be done by fighting NPCs, and the requisite exploration and treasure-hunting missions, but you’re never required to do anything. This leaves you free to select an activity that suits whatever mood you’re in.

As for those levels, there’s a good variety of missions that mix things up in fun and satisfying ways. And every mission ends with you getting the chance to team up with one of DC’s known heroes or villains to fight against one of their established enemies. DCUO‘s developers wisely made extra sure that fighting beside these treasured comic book characters is just as awesome as it deserves to be. Each of these main characters is voiced by a mainstream actor — most of whom will be familiar to genre fans. Firefly and Chuck‘s Adam Baldwin makes a great Superman, while Mark Hamill takes on his familiar role of the Joker. Michelle Forbes (Battlestar Galactica‘s Admiral Cain and True Blood‘s Maryann) chews through her words as the villainous Circe, and Star Trek: The Next Generation star and geek guru Wil Wheaton appears as Robin. You’ll also hear from Dwight Schultz (TNG‘s Barclay and The A-Team‘s original Murdock) as both The Flash and Martian Manhunter, Buffy‘s Spike, James Marsters, as Lex Luthor. Firefly‘s Gina Torres effects an odd, almost-British accent for Wonder Woman.

Aside from generic leveling, there are raids, PvP arenas, loot vaults you can buy entrance to, and story-driven co-op missions that take place outside of the two main cities in cool settings like Smallville, Chemo-blasted Bludhaven, Area 51, a base on the moon, Arkham Asylum, and more. There are daily contests, races, Legends matches where you play against other players in the guise of major DC heroes, duo missions, bounties to collect, player leagues to join, feats to accomplish, and so much more. Frankly there’s more to do than I have room to list in this review. In short: you’ll never get bored playing DC Universe Online. It’s impossible.

Level grinding maxes out at Level 30, though I imagine that cap will be raised by a future update. My one and only complaint about the game is the drastic leap in difficulty that occurs when you finally reach Level 30. While leveling up, the game presents you with missions that complement your current power set, but once you reach the maximum level, enemies suddenly become radically harder to take down. So hard that it’s simply impractical to complete any further missions without teaming up with other players. Gamers who prefer to go it alone will find virtually nothing left to do once they reach Level 30.

For many players, this won’t be a problem. A lot of gamers join MMOs for the social aspects. Personally, I’ve never had a good experience playing alongside others in MMOs, and DCUO is no exception. On one occasion, I waited in a queue for hours to get into a dungeon (aka an “Alert Zone”). I don’t typically enjoy dungeons, but this one sounded cool — the level was set in the Batcave. But it was at least two hours before I finally gained access to the dungeon, and when I did, the seven other players, who were standing around the entry point doing nothing, immediately asked me to leave. It turns out they were all real-life friends who wanted to play through the dungeon together, and their eighth friend was having trouble with his Internet connection, which kept dropping him out of the game. The game had put me in the Batcave in his place, which prevented him from returning.

I understand the desire for friends to enjoy some virtual playtime together, and I know how difficult it can be to arrange such a thing in cyberspace, but the experience still left a sour taste in my mouth. Anytime I tried playing alongside others, there was never any communication among my “team,” and every player was pretty much just in it for themselves, refusing to work together.

Admittedly, these issues had very little to do with the design of the game, so Sony Online can’t be faulted. These were just my personal experiences, and could have just as easily happened (and usually does) in any other MMO.

I had my share of lockups over the course of a month of playtime. But given the complexity of constructing an MMO and keeping it running, my downtime was remarkably small — particularly when compared to other MMOs. Sony has definitely invested plenty of time into testing and stabilizing the game. I played the PlayStation 3 version, and DCUO was easily the best reason I’ve found yet for buying that console. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get past that, it’s an absolute thrill to play. It’s simply the best MMO I’ve ever played.

Even though I’m not playing DC Universe Online anymore, I don’t regret one minute of the time I invested in it, and often find myself missing it, even now, weeks later. If that’s not the mark of a great game, I don’t know what is.

Now I am not what one would call a die-hard Batman fan. For me, he is far more enjoyable in team setting, with the Justice League or the Outsiders. His ‘Network’ has a reach that touches nearly every Earth-bound corner of the DC Universe. However, Batman’s fate through the Final Crisis and the Return Of Bruce Wayne was hardly the Dark Knights standard territory, except maybe in the pages of the Brave And The Bold and of course the aforementioned JLA.

Still, such an experience can hardly leave a man unchanged, even one as obsessive and pragmatic as this one.

In Batman The Return we see the start of those changes, and some feel a little more familiar than others.  A thousand G. I. Robots on order? Echoes of The Kingdom anybody? They keep creeping in, Magog vs Captain Atom in Justice League Generation Lost, the creation of the Emerald City in the recent JLA/JSA crossover. Who would have thought that one Elseworlds novel would have had such an influence?

Return is rather a strong word as well. Bruce Wayne was already on ‘The Road Home’ while he was still bouncing ‘Returning’ through time. Scheduling this so that it came out in chronological order would have been a nightmare, and now it’s all over I rather admire DC for throwing any attempt to the winds and telling each section of the story almost simultaneously.

So, Batman The Return sets up a nice new villain deep in the shadows by the original name of Leviathan. Batman Inc however gives full range to Grant Morrisons inventiveness and hopefully his encyclopedic knowledge of comics history will come into play. This is enough for me to jump back in to the Bat-titles, waters I have not played in since the days of Contagion.

World’s a-changing. Hop on to enjoy the new dynasty. For as long as this one lasts at least.

At last, the first Green Lantern trailer is right here. Plus, I’ve grabbed 55 high-res screenshots from it. Gander in awe at the effects, the heroics, and the glipses of Oa.

Green Lantern is being called “the Star Wars of the DC Comics universe,” and the trailer makes it easy to see why. I know a lot of fans aren’t entirely sold on the slightly creepy/organic look of Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern costume (neither am I), but Reynolds does a great job of filling Hal Jordan’s shoes believably.

Director Martin Campbell is untested when it comes to superheroes and science fiction, but he’s got plenty of street cred when it comes to smart action films (Casino Royale, The Mask of Zorro). We’ll see how it all comes together next Summer, but for now, this trailer is something we can subject to intense observation over and over.

Update: New video embedded after the first disappeared from YouTube. You can also watch the super-high-res Quicktime version over at Apple.com.

If you’re a roller coaster fan you’ll want to head to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2011, that’s when the park will open two awesome new comic book based rollercoasters.

The first coaster, called “Superman: Escape From Krypton” is the world’s first 100MPH roller coaster and it goes backwards! The rollercoaster offers standard tracks with loops, dips and rises, then it shoots riders up a crazy backwards lift to the top of the coaster and then back down at break neck speeds that will have even the toughest of hearts racing.

The next coaster is “Green Lantern” and aside from separating riders with some crazy ninja stars, the coaster goes up and over tracks, twists and turns at will and leaves riders feeling 100% disoriented after just a few seconds on the coaster.

Here’s a video demonstrating the awesomeness of both rollercoasters:

What do you think about this new kind of awesomeness? I can’t wait to hear how pathetically I can scream while riding these two heart stoppers.

One point that IGN suggested was

Or perhaps this could be an opportunity to explain the franchise’s multiple continuities not unlike what J.J. Abrams did with Star Trek.

This makes a lot of sense, and unlike the Marvel franchise of movies which seem to be coming thick and fast, this is relatively early enough (yeah, I know it’s been over twenty years, but I’m talking more quantity than time) in the DC movieverse to introduce the concept of the multiverse. Hollywood has never really been bound by such trivial issues as continuity when it comes to the super-heroes movie, but this move would really give them free reign over future projects, with no doubt new actors, and the potential to totally re-imagine our favorites in ways we hadn’t seen before.

Then just think, as the technology advances, in thirty years time or so, when the digitalisation of actors such as what was done in the Crow after the untimely death of Brandon Lee becomes far more affordable, we can finally see that Crisis On Infinite Earths movie that we, erm, I have dreamed of. Starring all of the original actors. Sort of.

(Dare I give a plug for a Marvel Vs DC movie as well? Dare I?)

It has always surprised me that we have never seen more of the digital actor, but as I recall it remains tremendously expensive. However in the production of The Crow, it was too expensive for the studio not to consider and do this.

Marvel then would have a tricky situation. How could they also introduce the same concept without being accused of blatant plagiarism? Simple.

It’s time for a X-Men – Days of Future Past movie, as soon as possible, culminating in Rachel Summers’ arrival in the present. And so the story continues……..

I may well be drawing my pension by the time these ideas ever see daylight, but it gives me something to live for.

The new Green Lantern costume has been revealed on the cover of Entertainment Weekly and in my opinion Hal Jordan (played by Ryan Reynolds) has never looked better.

The suit was created using CGI and it gives off an “alien” type feel with glowing accents that brings the costume into the 21st century.

I also really like the glowing eyes and ring on the costume. My biggest fear was that the costume would stray to far from the original, instead it manages to stay true to form while adding a bit of eye candy.

It’s still hard to determine how the lines will look on film, but the form fitting suit doesn’t suck and for right now that’s enough for me.

What do you think about the new Green Lantern costume?

Off the top of my head, I can name four reasons.

1. He was forced to go to a mixer courtesy of Raj’s Green Lantern lantern. He went further than acquiring the lantern – he actually went to the mixer carrying the lantern with him in case his ring needed to be recharged1
2. He was bribed to go out with a girl for the second time, again courtesy of Raj – this time he gave up his Hulk gloves. I really need not say more, do I? By the way, these first two reasons are from the same episode (The Psychic Vortex).
3. He has a Cylon toaster. Considering that I am in a BSG mode right now, this really ought to be number one on my list. And yes, there really are Cylon toasters out there.
4. He is smarter than everyone else; he knows it; and he will not hesitate to point it out. Isn’t this trait of his just charming? In other people, it would probably be irritating, but when Sheldon does his thing, you just can’t help but smile and shake your head.

I found a similar list – same concept, different reasons – at TechRepublic about why Dr. Sheldon Cooper is TV’s biggest geek. You might want to check it out.

Parting question for Sheldon fans: what makes him the best geek on TV for you?

As the United Kingdom is swept by election fever, I managed to get a few minutes to read those comics that naturally rise to the to the top of the pile.

Brightest Day is the aftermath series of the Blackest Night, focusing in on a small number of the resurrected characters that returned in the culmination of the latest crossover, and I have to confess, I like the selection Tomasi has used.

Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Deadman, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and Firestorm have all been big names in their time (and rather remain so), even if in Boston Brand’s case I am looking back into the early Eighties.

Deadman in and of himself is not enough to carry an ongoing series, especially not one that is biweekly and following the the footsteps of 52, Countdown and the most excellent Trinity.

Trinity rose the bar for these series so high, I think it was most wise of DC to make this bi-weekly, rather than weekly. In an excellent interview with Newsarama, Tomasi discusses the hectic schedule, but as a reader I am glad there is just the two writers, Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi, rather than the team of four we saw in 52.  Johns and Tomasi have a good working relationship already, and in this not-quite-first issue, that ease of communication is clearly apparent.

Firestorm is another character who maybe could not carry his own title, but has a core fan following and a prominent place in the DCU, and went through such dramatic changes in the Blackest Night that we cannot let him languish in Limbo. The fusion between Ronnie (who has never had it easy) and Jason Rusch who had to watch zombie Ronnie slaughter his girlfriend has ramped up the level of tension within the Firestorm matrix beyond anything we have seen before.

I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Aquaman can still control the denizens of the sea.  Dead ones that is. And that is only one symptom it appears, of being a recovered zombie Black Lantern.

Oh, and Hawkman with a Star Sapphire? It makes sense given his love for Shayera, but still seems a bit weird. I rather expect him to team up next with Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake. Katar Hol certainly banishes any cuddly fluffiness that could be associated with a stone powered by love!

I’m tempted to say recovering rather than recovered. One day at a time folks, one day at a time.

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.

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?

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!

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.

Well, Blackest Night #1 is out on the shelves, and as set up issues go, it was okay. As I feared however, it looks like the Blackest Night is going to swamp the War Of Light storyline in Green Lantern unless that carries on after this crossover is finished, which I doubt. It does run the risk so far of just being a zombie story I think, but I will refrain from criticism until we are at least three issues in.

Speaking of super-zombies however, the Super-Zombies title from Dynamite has sucked me in. A whole new universe of characters, politics and intrigue established from the get-go, and in four issues I have already begun to care about the characters. This has risen to the top of my must-read list, and if you haven’t seen it already, I advise picking the issues up and giving them a chance. Yes you will be confused as to who everyone is to start with, I still am and need to re-read it to check who’s who. However, I started reading the DC Universe with Crisis On Infinite Earths, and you can imagine how much back-reading I had to do to find out who everyone was there. My only regret is that with Super-Zombies, that back material is not available to dip into.

What has me really pumped however is how the return of the Milestone universe is rolling on, this week in The Brave And The Bold #25, starring Hardware and Blue Beetle. Hardware is his usual sociable self and we see the return of his age old adversaries The System. Oh yeah, and the new Blue Beetle was in it as well.

I adored the confrontation recently between the JLA and the Shadow Cabinet, culminating in Justice League Of America #34, where we learnt just how it is that the Milestone Earth is now part of the DCU. The mysterious Dharma used the power of Rift Fred Benson (from Worlds Collide) to merge his universe with the DCU.

(Erm, from pre Zero Hour to the New Multiverse, did he misfire and shoot past the post-Zero Hour earth? Hell of a pattern that, knit one, drop one, knit one. “Ma, I lost a universe, have you seen it anywhere?)

Anyway, for a geek like me that means for once, all the previously titles still stand in continuity. There was some really good stuff in the old Milestone, and I was very disappointed to see it go.

Now, we’ve seen Holocaust, but I can’t wait to see what’s left of the rest of the Blood Syndicate and what they are up to nowadays.

Of course nostalgia seems all the rage at the minute. Anyone else dig that updated sixties-vibe in Superman World Of New Krypton? And how about the latest revamp of the Red Circle characters? !mpact comics was a bit of a flop, although it too had some good stories. However, I am just old enough to remember some of the actual Red Circle comics themselves. The Crusaders, The Fly and Fly-Girl. Villains like the Brain-Emperor and Eterno.

I am pumped about these, and I look forward to seeing the latter four characters again. The legacy of The Fly with the legacy of Shazam – now that would be an interesting mix.

Oh and have you seen Octobers solicitations? The X-Babies are coming back, but get this, WITH PLANET TERRY! I was too old to read Planet Terry the first time round but that didn’t stop me then, and it won’t stop me now.

Recycling in the music industry is bad. But here in the comic world? It’s good to see all of these old friends again.

As long as they are not zombies.

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.

One of the hotly anticipated events would of course be Blackest Night. This is the third part of the trilogy that has been preceded by Green Lantern: Rebirth (Hal Jordan’s return!), and the Sinestro Corps War. Blackest Night revolves around the so called Blackest Night prophecy that will result in an all out war between the two corps and five new ones that will appear, which could end up destroying the universe.

Just to whet your appetite, here’s the cover for issue Number 1 of Blackest Night. I can’t wait for this!