The New DCU: Sept. 28, 2011, A Simulblog

As always, this is a Simulblog being conducted by me, Fat Train, Justin of Cavemen Go, Chad of Political Jesus, and occasionally Arthur of Arthur the Lesser.

Justin's blog on week four can be found here...

Chad's blog on week four can be found here...

My post on Justice League #1 and the end of Flashpoint can be found here (with links to the others participating in the Simulblog)

My post on Week #1 of the new #1s can be found here (with links to the others participating in the Simulblog)

My post on Week #2 of the new #1s can be found here (with links to the others participating in the Simulblog)

My post on Week #3 of the new #1s can be found here (with links to the others participating in the Simulblog)

Since this is the final week of the Simulblog (and the fact that I've been sick has made it ridiculously late; after all, this week gives us our first #2s) I have decided to refrain from doing a book by book review and instead focusing on an overview of the entirety of the number ones.

WHAT I'VE LOVED

The surprise storytelling and fantastic art that were on display in Animal Man, a book I would have not been reading at all had I not agreed to take part in this Simulblog.  Having already read number 2 which was released today, I can tell you that the story continues to surprise and the art is even better in issue number 2.  This book is, for me, the clear winner of the reboot/relaunch.

The new take on Superman, returning him to the beginning of his character in the 30s and 40s in terms of story and power (although in a modern context) along with a concentrated effort to have him be the Superman of the people, a Social Justice Superman, that we are seeing in the Grant Morrison penned Action Comics.

The story developing in Batman and in Nightwing capturing two of my favorite Gothamites in a way that none of the other issues devoted to the Bat-family seem to have been able to.  Bruce/Batman is captured perfectly in the first issue, and the story is fantastic.

Speaking of the Bat-family, Batgirl was outstanding as well, and with Gail Simone writing probably will avoid some of the problems the relaunch has had (more on that later).

WHAT I'VE LIKED

The Green Lantern Books (not counting Red Lanterns) including Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Green Lantern Guardians.  For the most part, nothing new is going on in Green Lantern or Green Lantern Corps, if you were a fan before, chances are good you will still be a fan now.  Green Lantern Guardians is going to be something a little new, and the first issue was interesting, mysterious, and quite a bit of fun as well.  I have never been a huge Kyle Rayner fan, but this book seems to be off to a good start with the character.  It was true to Kyle, but I also enjoyed it a lot more than I have often enjoyed reading about Kyle in the past.

The connections that are building up around the characters, such as Supergirl's super hearing manifesting by hearing dialogue that was taking place in other books such as Aqua-Man.  In Detective Comics #2, a character references Oliver Queen (Green Arrow)'s company in a conversation with Bruce Wayne.  I like the idea of the universe being connected and this relaunch offers an opportunity to build that universe from the beginning and for the most part, DC seems to be doing that.

WHAT I HAVEN'T LIKED

The fact that many of these reboots/relaunches have either been very pedestrian (Green Arrow) bringing none of the real excitement that a number one should have has been disappointing, as has the fact that some of these supposed reboots/relaunches clearly required prior knowledge in order to get into the series, which seems to defeat the whole purpose of starting over at number one (Legion: Lost and Legion of Superheroes).

Another thing that has bothered me is the new time-line which doesn't seem to make sense, or at the very least is impossible to keep track of.  There is a mass break out of Arkham Asylum in both Batman and in The Dark Knight and it doesn't seem like there is too much time difference between any of the four Batman titles, which seems like a bit of a waste.  I enjoy that Action Comics and Superman take place a different times, allowing us to see Superman now, as well as where he came from and how he developed.  A book like I, Vampire, which came out in the last week of the new number 1s was very interesting, but with the epic events taking place in the issue make me think that those are events that would draw at least the attention of some, if not all, of the heroes, but it isn't something that appears to be on the radar of any of the superheroes or the various teams.  The Teen Titans first issue seems to make it appear as if the team is being formed for the first time (especially since Action Comics seems to say that Superman is the first super-powered being ever) yet in Red Hood, it appears that there is still a history of the Teen Titans and that Starfire was once a member of the Teen Titans.  Then, if Superman was the first super powered being, why is Hawkman trying to get rid of the Nth Metal that has made him Hawkman, as if he's been a Superhero for some time.  Obviously Action Comics takes place some 6 years ago, so there is time for these things to develop, but not much time, and it would be helpful if the timeline were a little more clear.

WHAT I'VE HATED

Quite simply, I've hated the objectification of women that seems so prevalent throughout many of these books and the fact that diversity is still not really been fully addressed.  After all, have you realized that everyone of the members of the Justice League have their own book except for Cyborg, the one non-white member of the team?  That's a little troubling, but the objectification of women has been far, far more embarrassing.

The primary example of this has quite clearly been the portrayal of Starfire in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

The idea of an expansive ideal of womanhood, something beyond the typical or patriarchy driven vision of what womanhood should look like or represent, can be vast and express itself in many different ways; however there is still some question of who gets to envision or portray those new and expansive ideals.  Written by a male, Kory, called Starfire, is portrayed throughout Red Hood and the Outlaws as an object.  Her costume, like many of the costumes of female characters in comic books, is very revealing, but the writer and artist (both men) put her into an even more revealing bikini, and have a teenage male snap a picture with his cell-phone as she comes out of the water.  He then puts that picture up on the internet for others to ogle.   

It is revealed early in the book that she is in a sexual relationship with Jason Todd, the Red Hood, and then she offers to have sex with Arsenal, Roy Harper.  When he protests that she is sexually involved with Jason, she tells him that sex is not for love, but for enjoyment.  This conversation is the only time we are given anything from her perspective.  The author maintains that she is a sexually liberated female, and any uproar over her sexual identity is misplaced, after all, people don’t fret as much about male characters who have multiple sex partners or a liberated view on sex and sexuality.


While that might be true, I don’t think that the uproar is due to the attitude that Starfire has towards sex.  The problem is the fact that throughout the book her character is the subject of objectification, and the desire to have meaningless sex with both of the main male characters in the book comes off across more as a teenage male fantasy of what a sexually liberated woman would be like as opposed to a fully developed female character who happens to have a more loose view of sex and sexuality.



Many of the women that work at DC have acknowledged that they were troubled by the portrayal before the release of the issue and asked the writer to tone it down or use the fact that the character used to be a sex slave on another planet to explain why she might be acting in this manner, but the writer refused, claiming that focusing on her past would only be treating her as a victim, seeming to ignore the fact that by portraying her solely as an object for male fantasies was victimizing the character as well.

This is only one of the most blatant examples.  DC likes to point at Batwoman and claim diversity because of the fact that she is a lesbian, but in the first issue, she spends most of it in some form of undress with another woman (not in a sexual way).  Again, it seems more of a teenage fantasy of what lesbians should do rather than really dealing with issues that a lesbian superhero might face.

Voodoo, released in week 4, is about a bi-sexual stripper who literally becomes a monster that kills as she gets naked, and then takes the form of the man she killed, seeming to make a statement that women are inconstant and monstrous, and have worth only due to their bodies.


It is not that a stripper/alien can't be a strong character, just that the way these characters are being written are as objects, not characters.


If it were just one or two books, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it is in a multitude of them, and each week as well.


As for Week 4...


NO QUESTION KEEPERS


Flash


Aquaman


Green Lantern: New Guardians


DEFINITELY WORTH A LONGER LOOK


Superman


Savage Hawkman


Teen Titans


Justice League Dark


MIGHT KEEP READING THEM


The Dark Knight


I, Vampire


All Star Western


NOs


Blackhawks


Fury of Firestorm


Voodoo



Until Next Time, feel free to comment on any of these thoughts or bring up anything else the entirety of the new number ones might have brought to the forefront of your own consciousness.

The New DCU: Aug 31, 2011, A Simulblog

So DC went and rebooted their universe.  You've probably heard about it (been hearing about it) as it has been pretty widely discussed.

We here at Fat-Train, along with our friends Justin Tiemeyer of Cavemen Go and Optimistic Chad of Political Jesus, are going to walk you through the first month of the new DCU.  There will be spoilers, there will be snark, and there might even be a few surprises.

Justin's article can be read here

Chad's article can be read here


First off, let me briefly talk about Flashpoint, the series that set up the reboot.

When I first heard about the decision to erase decades of continuity and reboot the DC Universe, I, like I suspect many of you, was upset.

Then I began reading Flashpoint, and the story was fun and intriguing, and I found myself buying in almost despite myself.

After finishing Flashpoint, I was more at ease with the decision, especially upon learning that many of the intricate story-lines set up and played out over the last couple of years in Batman and the Green Lantern books would remain relevant in the new continuum.

However, the way that Flashpoint ended kind of (okay, okay, really) disappointed me.

For one thing, it felt extremely rushed.

And while I can appreciate that Flash's decision to save his mother could butterfly effect through those closest to him (namely the Justice League) and change things dramatically, I still don't buy that Aquaman and Wonder Woman would get so wrapped up in their own enmity that they would destroy the world in the process.  Oh, boo-hoo, the political marriage between Wonder Woman and Aqua-Man didn't work out and Wonder Woman killed Aqua-Man's wife in (she claims) self defense (although he doesn't buy it).  Still doesn't seem like enough to destroy the world they both have sacrificed so much to protect.

Still, Flashpoint (despite its weaknesses) made me somewhat warm to the idea of the reboot, and yesterday I read Justice League #1.

Overall, I'm intrigued and looking forward to the future of at least this book.

Set five years in the past, JL1 looks to set up the Justice League from the beginning.  In the first book we get a hint at a future threat that will likely end up requiring the team up (Darkseid), we got a new world order that could certainly provide some interesting stories (Superheroes are not yet thought of as heroes, but treated by the Air Force as a shoot first, ask questions later type threat), and we get to see the first interactions of three of the big names in DC, Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman (although to be fair, Supes's part in the process is brief).

We start with Batman in action, while also trying to avoid an angry Air Force, against some shape-shifting alien being.  The fact that an alien being is in Gotham brings in the guardian of this sector, Green Lantern (aka Hal Jordan).  Neither of them know too much about the other.

Green Lantern gets to show of some of his imagination and ability while Batman is the Batman, leading Hal to try and workout exactly what Batman's super powers are.

cracked me up

After destroying the alien threat they decide to go question the other alien they know about, that dangerous alien being in Metropolis.

Hal Jordan decides that as the alien expert on the planet he should deal with the alien super being alone, but Superman doesn't have too much trouble taking care of Jordan (who goes in a little too sure of himself and completely unaware of what he is about to be facing off against, I'll be interested to see how Chad feels about the amount of cockiness that Green Lantern is showing here early on).

That sets up our cliffhanger, and if you're rebooting, let's be honest, you have to get to this sooner rather than later...

Superman vs Batman.

Overall, it was a great start to introducing the team, and I certainly want to keep reading.

But I do have a few qualms.

The photo that leads off my blog entry is one of the most common photos I've seen regarding the new Justice League, and the lack of diversity it provides is a little disturbing.  When rebooting, take advantage of the opportunity to add some diversity to your heroes.

The full version of the cover is a little better, since it includes Cyborg (Victor Stone) in the lower right hand corner.

The variant cover, on the other hand,

is almost embarrassingly lacking in diversity.  And why does Wonder Woman have to look so seductive while all the men get to look all angry and brooding?

It is really disappointing.

While Batman Incorporated isn't going to be a book in the new 52, Batwing is.  Batwing is an African Batman for Africa.  Surely some will point to this when the diversity issue is raised.

That's all fine and good, but the continent of Africa is quite large, and the population is incredibly numerous.  Despite those facts, there is only one Batman for the entire continent of Africa while the city of Gotham has Batman, Batgirl, Robin, the Birds of Prey, and probably some help from Nightwing as well?  Seems some more diversity could really have occurred here.

And there has got to be some other non-white superheroes that can be in the original Justice League beyond just Cyborg.

I really feel an important opportunity was missed here.

As much as I abhor the Ultimate Universe in Marvel, I am pretty impressed that their new Spider-Man is half Mexican and half black.

I'm not saying DC should have replaced Super-Man with a black man, but they could have at least let him have a few multi-cultural teammates.

Ultimately, I'm in on the reboots, but I may swear off DC forever if they end up rebooting the reboot and go back to the status quo as if nothing ever happened.

If you're going to do something like this... STICK WITH IT.  Then I'll be more likely to stick by you.

Until Next Time, I look forward to seeing what you think, join Justin, Chad, and I for the discussion, and we'll do it again next week when more of the new 52 arrive in stores.

Best of My Buddies - Part One, Green Lantern Corp and Creative Cosplay

You may have noticed that I am not posting as much of late.

Part of that is because I am insanely busy...

And part of that is because I am a little lazy on top of the busy.

For instance, I meant in the last couple of weeks to post reviews on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (liked it) and Captain America: The First Avenger (absolutely loved it). 

However, neither of those posts or any of the other possible posts I was planning occurred.

Since I still want to maintain a presence on the World Wide Web (as it is sometimes called), I thought to myself, "Self... we need to come up with a way to post things that won't take us much time to put together, thereby posting something and maintaining a presence, yet not getting in the way of the business or laziness that otherwise occupy our time."  Seeing as I made a good point, I quickly agreed and tried to think of something to post.

Luckily, at around the same time, two of my friends (both in real life and online) both posted some interesting things that I feel are worth highlighting.

So, I present to you the newest feature on Fat Train, BEST OF MY BUDDIES

Good stuff from online postings of friends of mine that I will share also with you, my readers.

First, a tweet from my buddy Chad (@OptimisticChad on Twitter)

OptimisticChad Optimistic Chad

6 minutes of the new Green Lantern cartoon. Bliss. youtu.be/bCrIVjDh0Sg

 

 

I have to say, I'm pretty excited about the new series based on the Green Lantern Corps.  While overall reaction to the film from critics has seemed negative, I was actually very pleased with the film.  Perhaps because I'm a huge fan of the character (and the other Lanterns portrayed so well in the film).

These 6 plus minutes shown at Comic Con give a fair representation of what the series is going to be, and I, for one, can't wait.

The second thing I want to highlight is also from Comic Con, and it is a post (what appears to be the first in a series) on some of the costumes that stood out at this years Comic Con by my good friend Justin Tiemeyer of CavemenGo.

So go give that post a read, and remember that I'm still here, even if not as present as I was earlier this year.

Until Next Time, the return of series 6 (season 32) of Doctor Who is August 27, also known as one short month away, and I will (despite my business and laziness) continue to post my thoughts and reflections of those episodes shortly after they air!

Thursday Night Madness

It is common knowledge the love I have for one Justin Tiemeyer of Cavemen Go, but sometimes I have to respectfully disagree with his opinions.

This is one of those times.

Currently, Justin is working on trying to discover the best show that aired on the over populated Thursday night.

Pretty fun little idea, right?

Sure.  The problem, however, comes from the fact that there are two clear choices for the funniest shows to air on Thursday this last season

AND NEITHER OF THEM ARE INCLUDED IN JUSTIN'S BRACKET!!!!!!!

(Breathe, breathe, it will be okay, Josh Man)

Okay, sorry about that.  I'm better now, I swear.

Anyway, as I was saying... well, let's take a look at his bracket, shall we?

As you can see, the only shows in contention are Big Bang Theory, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, The Office, and 30 Rock.

His seeding system is based on ratings, which is severely unfair to It's Always Sunny, considering that FX doesn't get near the same number of homes as do the network shows.  I'm not sure how to fix this issue, other than perhaps using some sort of rating system such as on IMDb or tv.com.

But that isn't my main issue.

The funniest show on NBC (and Thursday night, if not television in general right now) is without question Parks and Recreation.

While the show took a little time in its shortened first season to find a foothold, it has quickly become by far the most consistently funny
comedy currently on television.

With the same awkward type of humor that Seinfeld and Ricky Gervais pioneered (and for which The Office is currently known), Parks and Rec also builds far superior stories and humor out of the strong characters, which it refuses to sacrifice for an easy joke (unlike The Office and far more regularly 30 Rock).  There is the outrageous situational humor that you find on The Office, 30 Rock, and It's Always Sunny for that matter, but the characters are  far more real and therefore the situations are that much more hilarious.  And, as I said, it is at a consistent high level unlike any other show on the night.  Since hitting its stride very early in season 2 (and considering that Season 1 was only 6 episodes long, that as far into its run as it sounds), there has not been a single episode of Parks and Rec that wasn't fantastic.  The same cannot be said for any of the shows in Justin's bracket.

On FX, all the attention is given to It's Always Sunny, and it deserves that attention, but the last couple of years, it has actually been outshone by the show that it is paired with, The League.

While you might get a little more enjoyment out of the show if you are an avid Fantasy Football fanatic, the show is hilarious even if you can't tell the difference between a corner back and a half back.  Again, it is the characters that make The League so hilarious.

If you do play Fantasy Football, you will recognize all of the different types of characters on the show in how they obsess over their lineup and dish out their trash talk, but if you don't you will still recognize your friends (or acquaintances, because like It's Always Sunny and the show that clearly inspired it and this, Seinfeld, as recognizable as these characters are, you don't really want to be that close to them as to call them friends) in the banter and situations that they get themselves involved in.

So, while I recognize the intent for what Justin is attempting to accomplish with his little bracket, when he's leaving out the two funniest shows of the night, I'm not sure that I can officially condone his findings.

If on the other hand you are wanting to discover what the 3rd best show on Thursday night is, then by all means, check out the tournament in progress at Cavemen Go.

Until Next Time, for my money, I'll place it on the shows that featured Lil' Sebastian and introduced us to the genius of the Bathroom Cubby.