Today sees the concluding issue of Brightest Day, and despite the return of the Swamp Thing to the main DC universe, I am finding it difficult to rouse enthusiasm for it. As much as the ending of the previous issue took me by surprise, Swampy seems somewhat out of his element here. He has never been comfortable around the capes, either as a character or for the reader. I only hope this does lead to an ongoing for the character afterwards, where he can return to his roots (excuse the pun), that of hovering on the very outskirts of the DCU. Admittedly I am judging purely on the six-page preview at Newsarama (and having read the other twenty three issues), but I think I am safe in this.

Seeing what has happened to the other characters in this series, I fail to see a way forward without a total revamp. Making the Hawks elementals of air, on top of their reincarnation curse, the damage done to them by the original Crisis and the mess that all the post Zero Hour animal avatar business; is a course that can only end poorly. In the meantime, Martian Manhunter as an elemental of the Earth? I suppose it sort of fits with his C853rd version who was formed from the sands of Mars itself, but again, tenuous and illogical. The only one that vaguely makes sense is Firestorm; yet didn’t we establish that the true elemental was Professor Stein, and not Ronnie? The Elemental of Earth is also the incarnation of the Big Bang? Sounds like a poor choice of the White Lantern and the writer to me.

Another title that is risking losing its identity is the current Justice League of America, written by James Robinson. Aside from a promising start, the title seems too action-packed, and we are losing sight of the actual characters themselves, except of course Congorilla and Starman Mikaal Tomas.

This is not the main League. No Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman; no Martian Manhunter (too busy being dead and playing sandcastles), not even Booster Gold! This is the second generation, Dick Grayson, Donna Troy and Supergirl.

I for one expect to see more personal moments of Dick and Donna, not only coming to terms with their larger role, but just aspects of their life. Dick may have other titles to fall back on, but Donna doesn’t. Nor Jade, nor Jesse Quick, truly engaging and likable characters when we get chance to see their personalities, and their personal lives.

Donna’s previous title has turned into the Arsenal/Speedy/Red Arrow junkie spotlight peppered with villains; so she has no home to go back to. She could really blossom here, but I find that after several issues of fight scene, I really don’t care what happens. A lifelong Titans fan, I want to care; and I feel robbed.

This month, we also see the start of Spider Man: Identity Wars, where alongside Hulk and Deadpool, he travels to a world where he is loved and a success. What? Where would we be without Peter’s whining? Hopefully, I will eat my words on this, but I fail to see the hook.

With all the alternate reality stories out there – Age of X coming to an end, Flashpoint kicking off; I want my mainstream reality to be something I value. JLA makes me hope for more alternate realities! It’s not even cancelled for Flashpoint, while good titles such as R.E.B.E.L.S have bit the dust.

A word to the writers out there – after several major crossover events, it would be nice to settle down for a while, have a few less ultra-cosmic shiny colours and a little more substance. A balance between the two has been maintained in the Avengers recently; and if I had to choose between the two? Quiet personal moments over cosmic threats any day. At least for a while.

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.