The New DCU: Sept. 21, 2011, A Simulblog

Another week, another bunch of new #1s in the new DCU.

We here at Fat-Train, Optimistic Chad at Political Jesus, Justin Tiemeyer at Cavemen Go, and even Arthur the Lesser at Arthur the Lesser are here to let you know what we think about the change and the new books that are a result of that change.

My post about the end of flashpoint and Justice League #1 can be found here with links to the other blogs on the same subject...

My post about the first full week of new number 1s can be found here with links to the other blogs on the same subject...

And my post about the second full week of new number 1s can be found here with links to the other blogs on the same subject...

And now, week 3...

REMEMBER, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!

Justin's post on week 3 can be found here...

Chad's post on week 3 can be found here...

and Arthur's semiconnected take on the Simulblog week 3 can be found here.... (although he might totally write more, check back soon)

Let the Simulblog continue....

Last week was very disappointing, but while I didn't completely love everything that came out this week, there was certainly a lot more to like this week as opposed to last.

First, however, (so we can end strongly) lets start with the books that I probably won't be taking another look at.

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1

Now, the fact that I'm leaving this book behind isn't because I hated it, I was actually a little intrigued by it.  The problem was, I have never really read much of or followed the Legion, and there was so much happening in this book and so many characters thrown at me all at once who I knew absolutely nothing about, I just couldn't keep up.

I'm sure that for someone who is a long time reader of the Legion books, this won't be much of a problem, but if the goal was to allow others an easy jumping on point, I think that the writer failed here.

Very similarly to my feelings on Legion of the Lost last week, I have no idea what the main point is, what the heroes are supposed to be accomplishing, what kind of threat they are facing, or any of those basics.  Sometimes it is okay to be unsure of those things, but usually you are unsure because the protagonists are also completely unsure about those things.  In this case, they were completely caught up on all of that, but I, as a new reader, had no freaking idea.

Having to play catch-up on so many characters and story-lines isn't what I signed up for, so I'm leaving this one behind.

CATWOMAN #1

So, a lot of people are probably going to talk about the sex scene at the end of the book.

Sure, it was a little shocking that they went there, but to be honest, it didn't bother me all that much.

There is something about Selena that has always gotten to Bruce, and the fact that she uses her sexuality in such a way to get what she wants would make it pretty hard for Bruce to resist, let's be honest.

After all, it isn't like Batman is the picture of perfect morals or anything.  I mean, sure, he doesn't kill his enemies, but does that mean he isn't going to engage in premarital sex?  I don't see why it should, and after all, we know that he already has.

Damian (the current Robin) is his son by Talia Al Ghul (also not quite a hero, apparently Bruce has a weakness for the bad girls).

So, that honestly didn't really bother me.

And it definitely isn't the reason that I won't be buying Catwoman #2.

No, the reason that I'm probably done with Catwoman is that I just don't care to read about her escapades on a monthly basis.  If she shows up in a Batman book I'm reading, that's great.

The question of what Batman thinks of his dalliances with a cat burglar, a perpetrator of crime in his precious Gotham City, that is something that I wouldn't mind reading more about, but what Catwoman thinks about it?

Honestly.  I don't really care.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1

Personally, I'm a fan of Jason Todd.  Despite the ridiculous way that he came back to life in the original universe (and perhaps in this one too, although I hope not) I find his story compelling, but not as the lead character amongst other troubled characters.

If Red Hood were to make an appearance in Batman, sign me up, but on his own (or on his own plus 2 other anti-heroes, in this case Starfire and Roy Harper/Arsenal, formally Red Arrow, formally Speedy) it doesn't really interest me that much.

Plus, I'm not a fan of the indiscriminate killing they do in order to free Roy from prison, especially considering that both Red Hood and Arsenal were brought up by heroes who refuse to kill (Batman and Green Arrow).

As for Starfire, while the book tries to make her a liberated female with a liberated view on sex and sexuality, the fact that nearly every scene that she is in includes a male objectifying her or viewing her in a strictly sexual sense lessens that claim some (a lot).

I have no problem with women being sexual and even flaunting that sexuality, but Starfire is written in such a way where that sexuality is more of a male-fantasy sexuality than it is a liberating reality, and that is disappointing.

Overall, this was probably the worst of the issues released this week to me.

CAPTAIN ATOM #1

Many of the books I am moving on from suffer from the same problem, there isn't enough in the first issue to make me care about the character or what happens to them.

Whereas Animal Man certainly changed that opinion through the amazing writing in the book and Mister Terrific had good characterization and interesting mystery plus an incomplete and engaging backstory, many of the other books that didn't have any pull on me before didn't do anything in the first issue to change my feelings towards the characters.  This is again the case here.

While the issue is interesting, and I'm mildly curious how Captain Atom has a) gained his new ability and b) how he will ultimately reconstitute himself, I figure I can just look it up if I really feel the need to know.  And if I don't, it probably won't bother me that much, because there really just wasn't enough in the issue to make me care overly much.

 DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1: DEADMAN

While the idea of DC Presents is something I fully support, and a lot of the characters that are actually part of the new 52 would probably work better in this sort of rotating format rather than actually having to carry their own book, I think I will wait until the next character gets a shot at carrying DC Presents.

Look, the concept is a pretty cool one, a character who is dead/a ghost but is called into bodies that need his help, which he provides to make up for the selfish past he had when he was alive and the hope of a brighter future for himself.

But never having read or kept up with Deadman in the past, I would kind of like to know what exactly is meant by giving his help.

In this issue we get a rundown of many of the people he has inhabited as well as the difficulties they were facing, but got no clue as to how exactly Deadman (aka Boston Brand) was helping them.

What exactly does he do?

It appears that he is able to take over the bodies that he inhabits (a la Sam Bennett in Quantum Leap), but what is he supposed to do once he takes over these bodies?  Who is to say that the people he inhibits won't go right back to being who they were prior to the "intervention"?

I would have liked to see some of these questions addressed, but instead we get a mystery about the person (thing?) (goddess?) that set Brand on this quest to help others, and it just wasn't enough to keep me from wondering about the questions I just raised or to keep me reading.

I do, however, look forward to seeing who the DCU will present next.




Moving on to the books that at the very least warrant a longer look.

WONDER WOMAN #1

I am a pretty big fan of the character, but I have never been an extremely big fan of her comic book.  I love her in relation to (and in action with) the other heroes of the DC, specifically as a member of the Justice League.  But on her own, I prefer her in the televised realm as opposed to the comic book one.

I was really hoping that having a new jumping on point might change that, and it still might, but I didn't fall immediately in love as I have with some of the other new books in the DCU.

I can't put my finger on exactly why I didn't either.

I think it was how rushed the story felt.  I was a little put off by that.

There was a lot I really liked about the book as well.  The alien-like design of the gods was pretty cool.

I'm down almost anytime that centaurs are around.

As for the overall storyline, Diana has to protect the unborn child of Zeus, I'm not sure what I think.  It is a bit of a cliched storyline, but if handled correctly it could turn out okay.

All in all, I liked the book for the most part, but not as much as I hoped I would (and honestly expected to).

Either way, I'm definitely willing to give it time to fully hook me.

BIRDS OF PREY #1

Black Canary is a great character, and this book just kind of works for me.

As opposed to some of the other team up books (such as the Legion books and Demon Knights particularly) Birds of Prey doesn't force every character into the book in a large rush.

In fact, we get very little about the characters that will make up this team and what exactly their purpose is.

But that's for the most part okay.

We get enough about the two members currently in play as Birds of Prey, and considering most people will already have some idea about Canary it is more about Starling that we might want to be filled in, and we don't really get anything about her at all, which is one reason I want to know more.

There is enough information to keep you feeling like you're aware of what you need to be, but enough you're unsure about to want to know more.

One thing I think we've learned this month is that that isn't the easiest tightrope to walk (any inadvertent circus puns are unintentional... at least until we get to Knightwing), but Birds of Prey does it pretty well.

While it isn't a clear homerun for me, the book is good and I'm definitely ready and willing to keep up with it a little longer.




Speaking of books that are clear homeruns, this week had its fair share of those....

SUPERGIRL #1

An origin story of sorts, a definite beginning to the characters story on earth at any rate, Supergirl just feels right.

There is action and there is mystery.  The character, despite being almost immediately thrust into a fight she doesn't anticipate or really even want, is incredibly well drawn out through the use of inner monologue. 

The art is among the best this week, in my opinion, and the writing is terrific as well.

Another thing I loved about this book is the subtle connections to the rest of the DCU.  When Supergirl is overwhelmed by her developing Super Hearing, the dialogue that she hears is clearly from other books, including the first line that Starling has in Birds of Prey and what I'm sure will be a line of dialogue in Aquaman next week.

It does however bring up the question about timing in these books, by which I mean I wish that where each of these books are taking place on the timeline was a little more clear.

However, that is probably a thought best served for its own post, perhaps after this month of number 1s is behind us.

Considering the sexist portrayal of women that has been apparent in some of these books, I really enjoyed the portrayal of Supergirl here, especially considering how often she has been shown as nothing more than a petulant overpowered teenager.  While she will be quite powerful (since she is Kryptonian), she also clearly has a brain, and the focus of the issue on her striving to figure out where she is and how she got there even in the midst of the fight highlighted that nicely.

I look forward to seeing what happens next and why she has suddenly appeared.

I also liked the Zod reference!

BLUE BEETLE #1

Like Supergirl, this is an origin story as well.  It sets up the past of the Scarab which gives the Blue Beetle his powers (although Ted Kord usually didn't use it), hints at some future trouble for Blue Beetle and the Green Lanterns, and introduces the main character and his friends/family/possible enemy as well as showing us how the new Blue Beetle becomes the Blue Beetle, and as such it worked really well for me.

I love that Jaime becomes connected to the Scarab by trying to save the life of his friend.  An act of heroism leading to the power that he will soon have is a good way to start, especially considering the past that the Scarab has.

In past continuity of the Scarab and the Blue Beetles, the Scarab was malfunctioning allowing there to be more individuality in the wearer; the fact that the Green Lantern got a hit on the Scarab before it careened down towards earth probably means that is still the case.  What wasn't clear was who has had the Scarab in the past and what happened to them.  The people after the Scarab make clear that it has been used by others and that the fates were not kind to those users.  That could certainly describe what fate had in store for Dan Garrett and Ted Kord.  I certainly hope that the past Blue Beetles (particularly Ted Kord) somehow play into the story of Jaime as he comes to terms with his new found abilities.

Overall, extremely well written introduction resulting in a book that I am pretty excited about.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1

Nothing much new here, but then there doesn't really need to be.

We get something killing Green Lanters (and in a quite brutal and attention grabbing way) and we get an introduction to the two main Lanterns that will lead this team, (the annoying, yet in a love to hate 'im type way) Guy Gardner and (my personal favorite Lantern, sorry Chad) John Stewart.  In other words, we get everything we need.  It works quite well.

Considering that this title was one of the best selling prior to the relaunch, there isn't a big change or any huge surprises, and yet the book does a great job if you are happening to just now join the Green Lantern bandwagon (and if you are, welcome, there is room, we'll scoot).

I loved the way that we were introduced to the main characters, Guy gets annoyed with all the attention that comes from being a GL (while still inviting all the attention), and John refuses to budge on his morals and also makes it quite clear that John Stewart and Green Lantern 2814.3 are indistinguishable from one another.

You don't fix what isn't broken, and Green Lantern Corps looks to be just as good as it ever was here in the relaunch.

 BATMAN #1 and KNIGHTWING #1

I'm putting these two together because I feel it will be easiest to talk about them all in one take.

First, I'm glad that there is finally a title centered around Batman that is worthy of his name (as I wasn't really impressed with either Detective Comics or Batman and Robin).  This book was fantastic.

As was Knightwing #1, fresh off of his run as the Dark Knight.

Both work with a similar storyline, there is something killing that is very connected to Dick Grayson (aka Knightwing, formally Batman, formally Robin).

In Knightwing, a mercenary/hitman is out for Grayson's blood, telling Knightwing that Grayson "is the fiercest killer in all of Gotham... and he doesn't even know it!"

Meanwhile, in Batman, a horribly gruesome murder interrupts a fundraiser for Gotham's future thrown by Bruce Wayne.  At the murder scene is a message found by Batman (actually acting like a master detective, unlike in Detective Comics) that foretells the death of Bruce Wayne, and the murderer?

According to DNA results, none other than Dick Grayson.

These two storylines are clearly connected, and the storyline is automatically one of my favorite of the new run of DC comics.

I loved the way Knightwing's past was handled through current story telling, and I loved the fact that Batman got to face off against a bunch of Batman's rogue gallery at the beginning of his book while also doing a masterful job in describing the complexities of Gotham to the readers.  (Plus having it seem like he was working with Joker only to find out that it was actually Dick in disguise was pretty priceless).



Overall, I'd have to say that four of the books released this week (Batman, Knightwing, Green Lantern Corps, and Blue Beetle) are already among my favorites of the whole relaunch, and there were others this week that were more than just enjoyable.  In other words, a much better week than last week.

Until Next Time, one week left of number 1s.  See you here then?

Doctor Who, The God Complex, first thoughts

Even though the episodes lately don't seem to have as much to do with the overall storyline (the upcoming Death of the Doctor), I wouldn't be too sure that that is the case.

This week's episode was again a fantastic character study that seems to be bringing about the prophecy River foretold: the Doctor will fall lower than he ever has before.

Last week the Doctor locked an older, bitter Amy out of the TARDIS (well, had Rory lock her out), one who had lost all faith in him after he failed to save her.

This week, the Doctor forced Amy to lose faith in him (in order to save her, that which she had faith he would do, but still).

Finally, the Doctor having seen a possible future Amy due to his influence on her life and hating what he had made her and seeing someone that could have become a companion dying after he had promised to save her, the Doctor decided it was time for Amy and Rory to stop traveling with him.

It isn't the first time that the Doctor has made the conscious decision to kick someone out of the TARDIS.

Granted most people make the decision to leave on their own.

Or circumstances force the decision, most notably with Donna's situation of having to forget the Doctor in order to live, Rose being in a different reality, and, of course, Adric who died in Earthshock.

But, the Doctor has forced people to leave the TARDIS before.

The first time it was his own granddaughter, Susan Foreman in The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

She fell in love with a 22nd Century freedom fighter (against those hated Daleks), but felt that her place was by her grandfather's side.

He realized that she would never live her own life if she remained with him, so after locking the doors to the TARDIS and a tearful farewell, the TARDIS dematerialized without Susan aboard.

She would make another appearance in the special The Five Doctors (no mention was made of the man she left the Doctor for).

The next time the Doctor felt it necessary to leave someone behind was because the Time Lords called him back home, and, at the time, Gallifrey was off limits to humans.  That meant that Sarah Jane had to stay behind.

The story was The Hand of Fear, and Sarah Jane wouldn't see the TARDIS again until much, much later, (School Reunion in series 2 of New Who).

Very rarely does the Doctor tell companions that they have to leave, and it is always painful when it happens, even if they always seem to return (like Susan in The Five Doctors and Sarah Jane in School Reunion, The Stolen Earth, and Journey's End plus her own spin-off).

Obviously we haven't seen the end of Amy and Rory, but their time as regulars in the TARDIS might indeed be over.

The other interesting things that seemed to be happening in this episode involved the Doctor himself.

Two episodes ago in Night Terrors, the Doctor got extremely frustrated with a Rubix Cube.

Last night, the Doctor quickly solved a Rubix Cube with very little thought (and without mention).

In the first episode that featured Matt Smith as the titular Time Lord, we learned that this regeneration absolutely hates apples.

Last night, the Doctor ate an apple.

Then, of course, there is this....

Yes, that is Matt Smith as the clown.

Don't talk to the clown - Amy Pond

There has to be a reason that Matt Smith, the main actor on the show, was put into makeup and costume to play a clown that had no lines.  Easily a role that could have gone to an Extra.  So why is the star of the show playing the part?

It has to mean something.

So does the apple.

So does the Rubix Cube.

At the end of The Night Terrors, the Doctor says, "It's good to have everybody back in the flesh."

This could be significant.  If the Doctor had been facing the camera when he said it, it would be easy to write this line off since the episode was originally supposed to air in the first half of the season (prior to the reveal that Amy was in fact flesh), but since you didn't see the Doctor's face as he said it, any line could have been substituted here and yet the Doctor still talks about "the flesh."

Moffat is clearly up to something, but is it as obvious as the Doctor who dies was the Ganger Doctor?

I suppose we will know in a couple of weeks.

As for episodes this one brings to mind, I already mentioned the two previous stories that had the Doctor leaving behind companions, but the religious aspect brought another episode to mind.

Once again, Doctor Who plays with myths, this time I felt to much better effect.  It played with the religious ideas of Hell, of faith and devotion, and with the old Greek myth of the labyrinth and the minotaur.

Personally, I thought that the mixture worked much better (and in half of the episode time) than the last episodes to look at Hell myths, primarily into the character of Satan: The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit.

Wait... you're real?

And another thing I've loved about recent Doctor Who are the references to classic Doctor Who, in this case a reference to the last time the Doctor faced a bull-like monster who took energy away from its victims, in the fourth Doctor story The Horns of Nimon.

Finally, I loved that the Doctor's room number was 11, nice touch.  I wonder why Amy's was number 7, though.

With some creative counting, you can get to Amy as the seventh companion since the return of the show,

Rose, Captain Jack, Mickey, Martha, Donna, Sarah Jane, and then Amy.

That list would include everyone who spent more than one episode actually traveling in the TARDIS since the return of the show, so it is possible that was the reason for the number.

But more importantly, I want to know who (or what, but the way he reacted made it seem like a who) was in the Doctor's room.

Of course.  Who else? - The Doctor

Was it Susan?  Maybe the parent of Susan, the Doctor's never before referred to child and some dark past there?  Maybe Adric, the one companion the Doctor has truly failed?  Maybe the TARDIS being lost somehow?  Maybe the wife that led to Susan and her parent?  Maybe the astronaut who is going to kill him?  Whoever or whatever, I'd love to see behind that door.

Until Next Time, As for my door, I have no doubt what would be behind it, snakes.  My fear of snakes makes Indiana Jones seem completely blase about them.  What would be behind your door?

The New DCU: Sept 14, 2011 A Simulblog

Week 2 of the new Number Ones...

While last week struck me as a great success, as none of the books that I read were out and out failures for me (and one that I didn't read last week but picked up this week on the recommendation of Justin Tiemeyer, more about him later, Swamp Thing, which by the way was actually really good).  While Hawk & Dove was clearly the worst of what I read last week, the mystery at least piked my interest enough for me to at least give it one more book.

I can't say the same this week.

As you probably recall, this is a Simulblog, which means that others are blogging about the same subject.

Justin Tiemeyer (see I told you there would be more on him) of Cavemen Go has his week 2 post here...

Optimistic Chad of Political Jesus has his week 2 post here...

And Arthur the Lesser joins in in some capacity with his post here...

For a look at the Simulblog up to this point you can check out

My thoughts on Justice League #1 and the beginning of the reboot here (with links to the other two simulblogs)

and

My thoughts on Week One of the new Number 1s here (also with links to the other two simulblogs)

Remember, there are some spoilers to follow...

For Week 2, I think I'll start with the books that I will leave behind without even making it to issue number 2...

RED LANTERNS #1

I love the Green Lanterns, and their interactions with the other lantern corps are always fun, but giving the Red Lanterns their own book and making Atrocitus the main character just doesn't work for me.

I'm not a big vengeance is the main motivator for the hero person anyway (I don't like Punisher either) so having me root actively for a protagonist (cause I can't quite bring myself to call the Red Lanterns heroes) who so viciously kills right off the bat in a book, even when the ones dying are also decidedly evil, just doesn't work for me at all.

The book tries to give us a reason to care about Atrocitus, as he has lost the motivation for his rage, but since he continues to kill anyway (and in fact decides to wipe out all "who deserve retribution," styling himself as "an instrument of vengeance) I'm not that drawn towards him at all.

As a villain, I can buy him.  There's nothing better than a villain who thinks he (or she) is working for the side of good, but an entire line devoted to him strikes me as overkill.  Give me his perspective when the Justice League or the Green Lanterns or some other heroes are trying to stop him.  I don't need an entire run from his perspective, especially if he (and his insane group of followers) isn't (aren't) considered the villain(s) at all.

BATWOMAN #1

What was a major problem in some of the books I read this week (which I think was also present but handled much better last week) was the attempt to reconcile the past that hasn't been jettisoned with the reboot with the fact that these are number 1s and people are supposedly supposed to be able to come into these books fresh.

Batwoman as a book fails miserably at this.

The junky way that exposition was handled turned me completely off what was otherwise an okay book.

And since the main character is both female (rare in comics) and lesbian (almost unheard of in comics) I really wanted to read this one.

As it is, there just wasn't enough to draw me in and let me look past the clumsy way they handled the obvious need to tie the past of this character into the fact that the rest of the universe is rebooting.

 LEGION LOST #1

I think there is something interesting hidden in this book.

However, the execution is, to put it bluntly, terrible.

Being a number one in a reboot is a difficult proposition as some of the issues released this week reveal.  You have to be true to the readers that are following from the past, you have to set up the changes from the previous universe, and you have to introduce the characters and stories for new readers.

Legion Lost fails miserably at this.

I have an idea about some of their powers and a little bit of an idea of what their mission is, but I feel like the only reason I was able to follow along at all was because of a slight knowledge of the Legion coming in.  Had that knowledge not been there to foreground the events in this book, it would have been an incomprehensible mess.

I feel pretty safe leaving this one on the "no" pile.

SUICIDE SQUAD #1

First off, really not sure what is up with this cover.  More than a little sensational, and not in a good way.  I'm no prude, it's just that no matter how insane Harley Quinn is, it seems like she could wear something a little more conductive to fighting, but I guess that's just me.

I like the character of Amanda Walling; I like the idea of her questionable ethics in a difficult world filled with meta-humans of great power, but I'd be completely fine with her showing up occasionally in other books and the same goes for the Suicide Squad.

Similar to my thoughts on Red Lanterns, a book turning those most easily understood as villains into heroes just isn't my favorite style.  Again, I think there is story potential here, but not enough of it is present for me to feel like I have to continue picking this book up.

RESURRECTION MAN #1


To tell you the truth, the story kind of grabbed me.  The ability of Mitch (aka Resurrection Man) kind of grabbed me (despite the opening being ripped from the Doctor Who television movie in 1996).  But the clear heaven and hell motif happening here (with very clear and annoying upstairs downstairs language) turned me off.

Had it been more obscure, or not as clear cut heaven up hell down theology, I probably could have overlooked it.

As it was this aspect overshadowed the things I did like about the book.

I'm moving on, but would understand if others decided to keep reading.

FRANKENSTEIN: AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #1

The writing (much like the other book handled by Jeff Lemire, Animal Man - the stand out book of the new 52 thus far) was great.  The art was pretty good.  The problem is, I just don't care about Frankenstein the character or S.H.A.D.E. the organization.

Unlike Animal Man, which drew me in to a character that I knew little about and was prepared to quickly move on from, nothing much happens to give you a reason to really connect to Frankenstein and his team.

Overall, it felt like a cheap Hellboy rip off, down to the amphibian member of the team.

I mean, I get it.  We're looking at the classic monsters (beyond the amphibian one).  Joining Frankenstein are a Wolfman, a Vampire, and a Mummy.  Yeah, very 1930's universal, but I need more than that to care about the story, and I just didn't get it.

BATMAN & ROBIN #1

I'm probably going to surprise some people with my inclusion of this book in the books I won't be spending anymore money on pile, but I really didn't like the way this book went.

Since most of the Batman reality isn't going away with the reboot, it appears that Damian's past as Robin to Dick Grayson's Batman during the Batman RIP storyline still took place.

And yet, apparently, Damian didn't learn a damn thing while serving as Robin to Grayson's Batman.

I was prepared for a Damian/Robin that had a screwed up past but generally wanted to impress his father. But his lying to Bruce about killing the criminals (granted, it was their own mistake of shooting a gun in the close quarters of a vehicle filled with unstable nuclear material that killed them) seemed to be going a bit too far.

The fact that as Robin he continually refused to listen to Batman's orders and the disregarding of Batman's orders led to the death of three men (and that Bruce didn't figure out that they died) means that Bruce's blind-spot when it comes to his son is a little larger than I am willing to buy.

Yeah, I get that Damian is supposed to get on your nerves, but I have to buy that he could do the annoying things he does without Batman completely shutting him down as Robin.  And I can't buy that right now, especially since it seems that he did have the previous training as Robin while under Dick Grayson's tutelage.  It sort of felt like a step backwards for the character of Damian for me, and I don't really want to go there, reboot or no.

Since there are four Batman books, I'm probably okay not reading the one with Damian in it.


Moving on to the books that I didn't love, but at least warrant a further look...

SUPERBOY #1

Another potential problem with the DC Reboot is that when going back to the number ones, the beginnings of the stories, we might end up rehashing some tired ground.

Maybe Superboy isn't well known enough for the origin to be unnecessary, but it still felt rehashed and unnecessary to me.

That being said, it was still a pretty good take on the old clone of Superman and a human story, and it had enough in it to interest me to the point where I will at least give it a little more time.

I did love the image of the other young heroes at the end of the issue...

That alone might be enough to get me to pick up issue #2.

DEMON KNIGHTS #1

Demon Knights looks like it will be a fun book.  The reason that it didn't wow me completely (as it might have other people) is that I felt that it was a little rushed.

This issue tried to introduce a lot of moving parts, and I think it was a little rushed and convoluted because of that.

I kind of wish that they had gone a similar route to Justice League #1 with this book.  Introduce and focus on just a couple of the key characters and slowly introduce the rest of the team in subsequent issues.

Despite that misgiving, I was somewhat interested with the story and intrigued with the characters and what will ultimately turn them into a team.

I will be giving this book another look.



And now... the winners of the week....

GREEN LANTERN #1

What's not to love?  Sinestro, with the past of the Sinestro Corp and the betrayal of the Green Lanterns fully intact, has been chosen to once again wear the ring.

A villain who has reasons for the evil he does, evil he considers to be for the greater good, Sinestro has always been one of my favorite villains.

Meanwhile, Hal Jordan, long one of my favorite heroes, has been kicked out of the corps, lost his job as a pilot, and in this issue pisses off the one person who trusts him and loses his apartment (and also, in an instant classic of a scene, interrupts the filming of a movie trying to still do good despite having no ring).

Things have certainly changed in the Green Lantern story, and it appears that if status quo is going to be reachieved, mortal enemies Hal Jordan and Sinestro might just have to work together.

Let me just say...

This I have got to see.

Unquestionably in the buy pile and would have been the best of the week bar none if not the surprise of...

MISTER TERRIFIC #1

 I didn't really know anything about Mister Terrific coming in, and since it didn't get covered in the first issue (although some of his past was revealed) I don't even know how he got his powers.

I look forward to finding out.  I also look forward to this villain who increases your IQ but also apparently turns you into an intolerant, murderous asshole.

I also loved the reference to Doctor Who (and the subtle ad for series 5, now on BluRay and DVD starring Matt Smith as the Doctor, reminding me to remind you that after every Doctor Who episode in series 6 you can check here for my thoughts on said episode).

The small hints in the backstory and the intriguing current day storyline combined to make this a good read that (like Animal Man and unlike Frankenstein) made me care about a character that I previously had little to no interest in (or in this case, knowledge of).

The writing was great, causing me to laugh out loud at quite a few lines.  The themes were also interesting, as Michael Holt (Mister Terrific) espouses in the book the fact that he doesn't believe in God due to the untimely death of his wife followed closely by an experience that gives him hope and belief in a better future.

I dug it and look forward to continuing the story.

Until Next Week, I'm glad that Week 2 wasn't completely disappointing, but it also wasn't as satisfying for me as Week 1 was, here's hoping for a fantastic Week 3.  See you then for more Simulblog action, Same Simulblog Time, Same Simulblog Channels (old school Batman tv reference brought to you by the poles that Batman and Robin used in Batman and Robin #1 to get to the Batcave).

Doctor Who, The Girl Who Waited, first thoughts

Honestly, my first thought while watching this episode was...


Someone watched Portal and then made a Doctor Who episode.


The comparisons are undeniable.

Amy attempting to escape the robot's (who are quite polite despite trying to kill her) leaves the pristine upper area for a dungy lower area filled with wires and such.

In Portal, attempting to escape G.L.A.D.O.S and Aperture Science, you escape the pristine testing ground into the dungy underground filled with wires and such.

Speaking of G.L.A.D.O.S., Amy had the interface to speak to.

Oh, and speaking of helpful and polite robots that are nonetheless trying to kill you

in Doctor Who...

It seems like there was something very similar in Portal.

Despite the fact that this episode was most certainly inspired by a fantastic video game (and sequel, which if you haven't played, you really, really must), it was also, in its own right a brilliant episode of Doctor Who.

Again, like last week, it was pretty much a stand-alone episode.  While the greater mysteries and impending death of the Doctor still hang over us, this episode did a fantastic job really examining the relationship of our TARDIS dwellers to each other pulled some heart strings at the same time.

The ending and the difficult decision that Rory had to make quite literally broke my heart.

We got to see what Rory and Amy were made of this week, and learned a little more about the tought decisions and the hard life that the Doctor actually leads.

The show ending with older Amy wiped from existence and closing on our Amy waking up to ask simply, "Where is she?" was both powerful and disturbing and I applaud the show for the decision to end the episode in that way.  I was floored.

Honestly, this was one of the most original episodes I can remember (even though it was clearly inspired by a video game), so I don't really have an episode for you to go back and watch in connection to this one.

However, I think we do have another episode that might be good to show the uninitiated in order to introduce them to the characters and the tone of the show.  In that way, it reminded me of Blink.  An episode that focuses on other characters, with the Doctor as ancillary, but you learn a lot about him and what it means to be a part of his universe.

Until Next Time, this season just keeps impressing me and I can't wait to see what is in store for us next!

The New DCU: Sept 7, 2011 A Simulblog

This week, DC comics released 13 new issues, all numbered Number 1.

Continuing the Simulblog began last week, myself, Justin Tiemeyer of Cavemen Go, and Optimistic Chad of Political Jesus (with occasional commentary from Arthur the Lesser perhaps as literal comments in our blogs, perhaps on his own blog) take a look at some of these new number 1s and are going to give you our thoughts on the new books, the direction that DC is taking, and anything else that the new number 1s cause us to comment on.

I myself read 10 of the 13 new books deciding right off the bat that Swamp Thing and Men of War didn't really interest me and that OMAC looked a little odd, although I did almost add that one to the list.  At any rate, even when you are going in with other people, 13 new comic books in one week is kind of expensive (and there are still three more weeks of number 1s to come!)

For the most part, all of the books I read are good and certainly worth picking up, so for more detailed thoughts on those books, read ahead, but....

Remember, there will be SPOILERS!!

You can find Justin's thoughts on the new Number 1s here...

You can find Chad's thoughts on the new Number 1s here...

So, without further ado, my thoughts on 10 of the new number 1s...

SUPERMAN - ACTION COMICS #1

Of the ten that I read, this was probably my favorite.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Supes.  My three favorite heroes as a kid were (in no particular order) Spider-Man, Ralph Hinkley (huge nerd points if you know who that is, and if you do, I have a feeling I know what song just got stuck in your head), and Superman.

Perhaps because of when I grew up, the eighties meaning the Superman movies staring Christopher Reeves were a BIG deal, perhaps because my grandparents had all of the Fleischer Superman cartoons on VHS (an ancient way that we watched things prior to DVR and Blu Ray), perhaps because my Grandmother made me a Superman cape (that doubled as a Ralph Hinkley cape if I turned it around, BEST. GIFT. EVER.), but whatever the reason, I loved Superman, and some of that childhood love has stuck around to this day.

I recognize that Superman is overly powerful, making it harder to come up with dramatic stories.

I recognize that Superman's morals and boy-scoutedness get on people's nerves.

But I believe that those morals and his super (really, really super) powers while limiting still can lead to great storytelling.

Grant Morrison is a great writer, and I believe will give us that great storytelling.  Here's an article on his new take on Supes, a Social Justice Superman.

Morrison gives us a Superman who still has the same morals as he's always had, but the world at large doesn't know that and view him as a very scary and unstable element.

Despite still being the good guy, Supes finds himself at odds with the law, which definitely erases some of that "Boy Scout" shine.

Morrison writes, "Superman stands for justice, not necessarily for the law. And I think that's what makes this guy different."

I won't lie, it is a little fun to see Superman threaten to throw a dude off of a balcony.  Which also leads us to a nice Smallville reference...

Somebody Save Me....

Since it's a reboot, and Smallville might be some new readers only experience with Kal-El (the Kryptonian name of Clark Kent/Superman), I'm interested to see how much of Smallville makes it into the new history of Supes.

After all, with the reboot Supes has some of the biggest changes of all of the DC heroes.  For instance, you might have heard that Clark and Lois are no longer together, but it might surprise you (I know it surprised me) to find out that Lois and Clark don't work together either.  Clark works for not the Daily Planet, but instead works for the Daily Star, the Planet's rival newspaper.  (Good to know that Metropolis still has two papers, considering it is a dying medium.)

Overall, the new take on Superman worked extremely well for me, and I enjoyed reading a Superman comic more than I have in quite some time.  I look forward to growing with the new incarnation much as I once did with Superman as a kid.

BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS: #1

Detective Comics on the other hand did not impress me nearly as much as Action Comics.

The writing and the art are both brought to us by Tony S. Daniel.  His art is beautiful.  The writing... well, not so much.

On the first page, Batman says of Joker, "His modus operandi changes with the wind...  and it's been windy in Gotham City."

Seriously.

I wish that was the worst of it.

The story is pretty interesting, and I definitely will keep reading to see where it goes, but I wish the dialogue and especially the inner monologue (my friend and Batman expert Adam, not West, said the Batman psychology felt off and I thought that was a good way to put it) were a match for the fantastic art in this book.

As disappointing as the writing was, the last scene of the story does enough to really grab you and keep you reading.  I won't spoil that (although I'm sure that if you really want to find out without reading Detective Comics #1, it won't be hard to do).

If the writing doesn't improve, it isn't like there aren't plenty of other Bat Books out there to allow you to get your Bat-fix.
 
BATGIRL #1

Such as, for instance, Batgirl.

Barbara Gordan is back in the suit, but her time as Oracle isn't simply erased.

Instead, she is recently recovered from the Joker-given gun-shot injury which had left her paralyzed and in a new Bat-role (on a new Bat-channel... sorry, couldn't resist).

This recent injury along with the fact that she is in a hurry to resume her old role as Batgirl while perhaps not in either the physical (or mental) state in which to do that effectively set up an intriguing character driven story that definitely deserves its own book in the Batman world.

Gail Simone's writing is terrific, and having Batgirl in her hands is great as I know that she will keep Batgirl interesting, relevant, and smart.

BATWING #1

Batwing is a member of Batman Incorporated serving as the Batman for all of Africa.

The character was strong although I wish they had played up the detective elements that the issue hinted at.  I would have liked that to have been drawn out more than it was.

Part of the reason I (and so many others) really like Batman is because of his brains.  In fact, I love Bats for his brains probably as much as if not more than his brawn.

An African Batman having those same brains (and the tech  from everybody's favorite mad-man Bruce Wayne) has some promise.

I was glad to see that he clearly has had some criminal justice training, but I would have loved it if it had been even more clearly highlighted.

ANIMAL MAN #1

The reason that I wrote that Action Comics was "probably my favorite" is because there is a better than decent chance that Animal Man was actually my favorite.

Okay, okay, I admit it.  I'm right there with you.  Animal Man is a terrible name for a super hero, but his powers are cool.  I didn't really know much (full disclosure: anything) about him, so as I read I was struck between the similarity between his power's and Vixen's (who is in Justice League International, see below) powers.  Doing a little research, I see that Vixen actually gained her powers from something that had been talked about in the Animal Man storyline.

I'm not sure if Animal Man would have been one of the books I would have chosen to be in the new 52, but put together with the utterly brilliant writing of Jeff Lemire and the creepy yet oddly beautiful art of Travel Foreman, it becomes the book I am most looking forward to continuing.

The combination of a great character in Buddy Baker (the alter-ego of Animal Man), the outstanding characterization of his family-life, and the dark, disturbing turn the book took at the end of the first issue (combining the character and family-life quite spectacularly) not only surprised me, but completely enraptured me.

How good this book is means I'm probably adding Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. to the books I'll read since it is also penned by Lemire and it also makes me way more excited for Lemine's take on Superboy.

This book is that good.  I dare you to read it and not become a fan of Lemine's instantly.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1

Okay, I'll be honest, they had me at Booster Gold.

But to be truthful, this book was really, really good, and I can't say that I expected that.

I loved the Guy Gardner ass-hole-ery and look forward to his joining the team for good.

Batman was WAY better (by which I mean it actually felt like Batman) in this book than he was in Detective Comics.

I thought the other heroes chosen for the book (Vixen, Godiva, August General in Iron, Rocket Red, and Fire and Ice) were intriguing and mesh well together.  The interplay between the Russian Rocket Red and the Chinese August General was fantastic, and when Guy Gardner joins the team full time I'm sure he'll get on everyone's nerves, and Booster Gold trying to keep the bickering at a minimum?  That'll be classic.

Definitely worth a read in my opinion.

GREEN ARROW #1

Growing up, I was never a big Green Arrow fan (although I always loved the interplay between he and Hal Jordan/Green Lantern).

The Justice League (and Justice League Unlimited in particular) cartoons won me over to the character a little more.

I liked the character on Smallville (although he was much closer to a Bruce Wayne/Batman type than the comic version of Ollie).

But what has finally turned me into a pretty big Green Arrow fan is that my cousin named his son Oliver, so I pretty much had to become a fan of the superhero named Oliver (Queen in the comics, which sadly is not my cousin's last name).

I have to admit, I really enjoyed the book.  It wasn't anything mind-blowing, but it was fun, and Ollie was awesome.  I missed the left-wing/liberal/social-justice-loving aspect of the character (which was extremely present in Superman in Action Comics #1, but there is room for two social justice superheroes, isn't there?) and hope that it makes it into the character in future books.

Beside that point missing (and nothing very earth-shattering happening) it is a fun read and worth, in my opinion, picking up.

STORMWATCH #1

It seems to me as if the events in this book might have a lot to do with the greater DC storyline.  There definitely seem to be some connection between the events in this book and the mystery touched on in Justice League International, and it directly refers to events in Superman #1 which comes out the Wednesday of the month.

I'm a huge fan of the Martian Manhunter and am excited for him to appear more often (especially since Stormwatch revealed that he will be a part of the Justice League when JL finally gets to modern day.

The history of Stormwatch (especially in a reality where superheroes are a new phenomenon, Superman's appearance shortly before the events in Action Comics #1 taking place roughly six years ago being the first appearance of a superhero) seems to be something that will add an interesting dimension to the developing story.

Although considering I have never read the book (which I believe existed before the reboot) this history might be something that to older readers is already common knowledge.

Either way, I have to admit, I'm intrigued.

HAWK & DOVE #1

I almost didn't pick this one up.


I'm glad that I ultimately did.

I didn't know too much about Hawk & Dove, and was confused to see that Dove was female, since the last time I had given Hawk & Dove any attention they were made up of two brothers.  Hawk is still Hank, but Dove is now Dawn instead of Don, and apparently that has been the case for some time now, not just with the reboot.

This book touches on the origin (which was the Hank Hawk and the Don, read male, Dove) as well as setting up the point of the duo, which is as I remembered, Hawk being a representation (or avatar) of the idea (or god) of war and Dove being a representation (or avatar) of the idea (or god) of peace.  The idea being that both war and peace are more powerful when balanced by the other.

As an aside, I'm not sure how much I actually agree with the idea that Peace needs to be balanced by War, but for a comic book set in a reality filled with Super Villains, it is more palatable.  And it is at least an idea that is worth examining.  I'm still probably not going to buy it, but it is fun to think about and look at in depth.

Plus, the hint of mystery surrounding Dawn's appearance as Dove in place of Don that apparently would shake Hank (Hawk) has me intrigued.

I don't know if Hawk & Dove is a book that I will have to keep up with every month, but I'm probably going to stick with it for a little while just to see where it is headed and if it can continue to keep my attention.

STATIC SHOCK #1

I was really looking forward to this book, and I did really enjoy it.  Virgil is a great character and there are some very interesting things going on in this book.

However, Static feels way too much like Spidey.

The book is set in New York (although unlike Spidey, Static grew up in Dakota and is a recent NYC transplant).

Like Spidey when he began, Static is 16 (okay, okay, I know.  Peter was 15 when he became Spider-man, but it's close enough) and in high-school (part of the story-line involves Static trying to talk his dad into letting him get a driver's license).

And when fighting, Static lets the one-liners fly much like your favorite neighbor-hood superhero.

It felt so much like a Spidey book that I was shocked (no pun intended) when the book cut from Static leaving for school to after school heading into his secret HQ.

Spider-man definitely would have had some drama at school.

One portion of the book that didn't feel like Spidey was while Virgil was interacting with his mother, father, and sister at home (none of which does Peter Parker have).  It wasn't much of the book, but it was a portion of the book that served to differentiate for me Static from Spidey.

Hopefully Static will continue to work towards feeling like a distinct and original book, but in the meantime, feeling very similar to Spider-man isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Until Next Time, next week will bring us another 13 books (including Batman and Robin and Green Lantern) many of which you can read about right here on Fat Train as well as here and here (and maybe even here).

Doctor Who, Night Terrors, first thoughts

Good stand-alone episode.

I'll be honest, I was a little annoyed with how obvious it was that Amy and Rory were in a Doll House in the closet , and yet the show seemed to think that it was mysterious.  Everyone I've talked to agreed, they figured that out almost immediately.  Once the Doctor and George's dad got sucked in as well, that ceased to be an issue, and the reveal of George as the actual monster was clever and handled quite well.

It reminded me some, of course, of the Twilight Zone episode where the kid could send people to the corn-field, and I'm sure that episode was an inspiration, but it treated the child and the results and reasons for his ability as very different giving that old tale a new and interesting spin.

Amy Pond

Not too much in this episode that relates to the overarching story-line, but sometimes that's okay, especially when the result is such a fun and creepy episode.

It was certainly nice that the dire death-like moment happened to Amy this week instead of to Rory as is so often the case.

This would probably be a good episode to show one of your non Doctor Who watching friends to give them an idea about what the show is without spoiling the overall story-line too much.  Once they are hooked on Matt Smith's portrayal of the Doctor, start them on the Stephen Moffett led ride that is the Matt Smith era!

Until Next Time, next week's episode looks to continue the theme of replacing Rory with Amy as the companion who always has bad things happen to them.

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.