Comics are Awesome II

[andersonh1]

Adventures of Superman #3
More classic Superman, sort of a “day in the life” story. And it’s pretty clearly set in post-Crisis continuity, with Lois listening to Lex Luthor talk about running for President and Superman going to help Green Lantern Laira with some problems in her space sector. There are some nice little insights into Superman’s thinking and methods. For instance, when concerned about any pathogens he may have picked up on an alien planet, he depends on the heat from entering and exiting the atmosphere and the vacuum of space to help clean things up, as well as to wash of the foul smell of Apokolips, where he ends up at one point. And after all his grand cosmic adventures, he hurries back to Earth to save the life of one man, who is nearly shot in a drive by shooting until Superman catches the bullets and saves his life, before going to take a nice slow walk with Lois. Having a full-length story instead of 3 short stories was a nice surprise, and very welcome.

Indestructible Hulk #10
Part 2 of the Daredevil team-up, as the Hulk and Daredevil track down the missing sonic cannon from last issue. It’s a decent premise that lets Waid put the two characters together, and the best parts of the issue are watching Hulk and Daredevil interact. But a lot of the issue is runaround and action without a lot of what I used to enjoy about the Hulk, which is the conflict between Bruce Banner and the Hulk, and Banner’s efforts to get his life back. The high concept of this series is that Banner has decided to treat the Hulk like a chronic disease that he’ll never be free of, and so he wants Shield to help him make his mark on the world in exchange for using the Hulk to run tough missions. It’s a brilliant setup for some good character work for Bruce Banner, but it means that a lot of the conflict at the heart of the Hulk concept is missing.

Indestructible Hulk #11
The timestream is broken thanks to the Age of Ultron series, which I did not read. Dom thought it was great up until the last issue, as I recall. In any case, it seems that someone has been messing around with the Hulk’s past, hence his varying levels of intelligence and talkativeness during this series. Bruce can’t even remember Betty, and after initially refusing to allow the Hulk to travel in time and fix the problem, since no one else can survive, he agrees. This is otherwise largely the type of time travel plot we’ve seen before, with past and future all mixed up, and various people vanishing from time. I have to say that after three issues of this book, I’m still looking for some heart and feeling in it rather than just plot. It’s not boring, it’s just not compelling so far.

Daredevil #29
On the other hand, this book continues to be really strong. The story picks up from last issue’s cliffhanger. Matt Murdock is trapped in the courthouse, while the judge and an indeterminate number of court employees are members of the serpent society. They have infiltrated at least a portion of the justice system in New York (“My justice system”, Murdock thinks to himself), leaving Daredevil struggling to keep his wounded friend alive and to find out who is the enemy.

[Dominic]

Ugh, big week at the comic shop. (I am glad I am working again. I bought more than usual, and still left stuff behind.) On the other hand, this is probably my best haul of the year so far.


Uber #4:
Gillen more or less spells out where the series is going (with his soapbox at the end). In plot terms, the allies begin to develop counter-measures. But, as is the case with the Nazi supertroops, there is a stiff learning curve and more than a few moral compromises to be made. I do not often put over an indy book like "Uber", which should be a pretty good indicator of how good it is.
Grade: A

Iron Man #14:
Double dose of Gillen this week. Gillen's take on the "man and/as technology" question is a bit different in "Iron Man" than in "Uber". But, it is not less worth reading here. This issue the Recorder's "pay any price" method ends with him engaging Stark in a game of chicken, with the question being if the Recorder is willing to sacrifice his long term goal to achieve an immediate goal (and effectively make the immediate goal irrelevant). I just hope that the next issue or two does not signal the end of this run (which it might).
Grade: B

Cobra Files #5:
I really should have seen this coming. Costa has done "infiltrator blurrs the lines". He has done "infiltrator causes havok" from both sides. He has done "Cobra to Joe" defection. Now, Costa is setting up a "Joe to Cobra" defection. (I happen to be reading about the Bulger brothers at the moment, so I am very interested in how Costa handles this, and how badly it is likely to turn out for the characters.)
Grade: B

Daredevil Dark Knights #3:
As good as the last two issues were, this one falls flat. It is not

Spoiler

a question of Daredevil succeeding.

Because this is "Daredevil",

Spoiler

there is no guarantee that the hero will succeed.

The problem is how the ending unfolds. After 2 issues that were told more or less at street level, SHIELD just kind of uh.....shows up. SHIELD does not solve all of Daredevil's problems, particularly the main problem for this arc. But, they just sort of show up to resolve a b-plot....for some reason. I smell an editorial mandate somewhere in here.

Earth 2 #14:
This is more or less a big fight issue told mostly from the Flash's perspective. The secondary plots are clearly being steered towards some kind of resolution alongside the main plot, likely coinciding for when Robinson leaves in a few months. This might end up being my last issue of the book if I cannot get the "super duper special cover editions" next month.
Grade: B/C

Nice article about Superman in the 80s and 90s, post-Crisis. THIS is the Superman I enjoyed reading so much, and it's great to see so many of the writers and artists talk about that time. I'd love to have been able to go and sit in on that panel.

And, there were people back then complaining about the loss of all the pre-Crisis history. (I recall people whining about CoIE well in to the 90s.) I have said before, and I will say again, if you read DC after '85 you cannot complain about "Flashpoint". Your childhood favourites probably displaced somebody else's, kind of like new comics are now replacing your old favourites.

[andersonh1]

Good to see you Dom, and good to see you're working. I thought Dark Nights #3 was excellent, and I'll have some thoughts in it when I have time to write up a review.

And, there were people back then complaining about the loss of all the pre-Crisis history. (I recall people whining about CoIE well in to the 90s.) I have said before, and I will say again, if you read DC after '85 you cannot complain about "Flashpoint". Your childhood favourites probably displaced somebody else's, kind of like new comics are now replacing your old favourites.

Why? It's different times, different changes. The people complaining about the Crisis probably had some valid points, just as those of us complaining about the New 52 have some valid points. The fact that Flashpoint wasn't the first cosmic retcon doesn't mean it's without flaws that are worth pointing out.

And the more I read of pre-Crisis comics (and check the retro comics thread for evidence of this), the more I find to enjoy. I think I've been remiss in dismissing them all as unreadable and crude. There's plenty of enjoyment to be found in the 1940s Superman or Flash.

[BWprowl]

Stupid-ass question: If you can find enjoyment in reading about 1940 Jay Garrick or Alan Scott, who are obviously very different characters from 2000's Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, how come it's not possible to find enjoyment in reading about 2013 Jay Garrick and Alan Scott? All the versions have about the same amount of stuff in common.

[andersonh1]

Stupid-ass question: If you can find enjoyment in reading about 1940 Jay Garrick or Alan Scott, who are obviously very different characters from 2000's Jay Garrick and Alan Scott, how come it's not possible to find enjoyment in reading about 2013 Jay Garrick and Alan Scott? All the versions have about the same amount of stuff in common.

It's not a stupid question. It's fair enough, and the same thought had crossed my mind as well. And maybe it's because the differences between the Golden Age Jay and Alan and the modern day depictions aren't so great that I can't see them as the same men, with seven decades of life experience and changes to account for the differences. And it's probably also because the Golden Age stories haven't replaced the modern day JSA. They exist as backstory. They aren't being published in place of the version I want to read, as Earth-2 is.

[andersonh1]

Batman 66 #1
I’ve been on an “enjoying old comics” kick lately, and my earliest memories of watching tv are of sitting at my grandparents house watching Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward. So this comic suits my current comic book interests and is a little nostalgic as well. It’s not authentic Silver Age wackiness of course. It’s an author and artist in 2013 trying to recapture the tone of a tv show from the 1960s, which was itself adapting the comics of the time. But it does a nice job of evoking the bright, wacky world of the Adam West Batman show while giving us fights on airplanes, Batman hang gliding on his cape and other set pieces that were doubtless more than the show itself could have managed, so some modern touches have crept in. Most of the likenesses are pretty good too. I can recognize Frank Gorshin and Julie Newmar (a better looking Catwoman than any DC have published in a long time!). Adam West and Burt Ward are a little more generic looking but close enough, while Alfred and Commissioner Gordon are not like the actors at all. But that’s fine, everyone is close enough to make it work. And we even get the old “someone sticks their head out the window while Batman and Robin are climbing a wall” gag.

And that’s still the best Batmobile ever.

Superior Spider-Man #15
The breather issue after last issue's all out massive action, this is much more character-based with a number of cast members (and the villain) getting some page time. I like the way everyone in Peter's life is starting to wonder where he is and what he's up to, while the women who know him best are starting to wonder what's really going on, Carlie in particular. Makes me wonder if anything is going to be left of Parker's life if and when he actually makes it back.

I like the idea of the original Hobgoblin "renting out" his super villain identity. He's out to make money, so why not? And Urich's gripes about it being a job are amusing. The Goblin shows he's got some intelligence by disabling his tampering with the spider-bots temporarily, and the cliffhanger should be fun to watch pay out next time.

Daredevil Dark Nights #3
Part 3 of 3 as Lee Weeks wraps up the story of Daredevil trying to help a dying girl get a heart transplant in the middle of a massive blizzard blanketing New York. I appreciated the bible verses in part one, and I appreciate the positive depiction of religion/Christianity in this issue, as Daredevil's junkie friend, who he left to his fate in part 1 of the story when forced to make choices, refuses to give him up to the thugs. And later on he talks to Daredevil about debts having already been paid. When it comes to religion, it's rare that I see anything other than crazed cults and hypocritical televangelists in comics, so this was a much appreciated change of pace. It was also good to see Daredevil "finish what he started" and head back out into the blizzard, even though it renders him nearly blind even with his radar. This story wouldn't have worked with a lot of other characters. Iron Man would have found the snow and cold river to be of little hindrance. If this were a Batman story he'd have plenty of gadgets and sidekicks to help him. Daredevil's just a guy who is determined to help and who won't quit, and it makes for a strong story for his character. And what's more, he succeeds. It would have been quite the downer ending if he hadn't.

An excellent story, well worth reading.

[Dominic]

And the more I read of pre-Crisis comics (and check the retro comics thread for evidence of this), the more I find to enjoy. I think I've been remiss in dismissing them all as unreadable and crude. There's plenty of enjoyment to be found in the 1940s Superman or Flash

I can barely make it through stuff published during, never mind before, the 1970s. (And, yes, the problems continued in to the 80s, but they were mitigated and largely gone by the 90s.)

Every panel more or less consists of:
-drawn out explanation of what is happening.
-dialogue from the character reiterating the description.
-crude illustration that probably needs at least one block of text to be explained.

The over-all plots were predictable, even allowing for the hero not being allowed to fail. Yeah, the stories were done in one. But there are not worth reading.

It is incomprehensible to me how anybody over the age of 10 stayed with comics before the 70s (at the earliest).

I thought Dark Nights #3 was excellent, and I'll have some thoughts in it when I have time to write up a review.

SHIELD showing up in a street-level story killed it for me. There were any number of other ways (especially given that the story was set during a blizzard) to deal with the gangsters. (Why not have a building collapse on them?)

The only thing that makes Daredevil's victory meaningful is the fact that it was not guaranteed. (Daredevil is one of the few heroes who is allowed to fail with any consistency.)

And it's probably also because the Golden Age stories haven't replaced the modern day JSA. They exist as backstory. They aren't being published in place of the version I want to read, as Earth-2 is.

Yeah, but what Prowl is asking is why you cannot just treat the "Earth 2" cast as new/different characters, rather than changed old characters.


JSA was much changed by "Crisis on Infinite Earths". And, many of the things that stayed the same *should* have changed, as evidenced by the fact that DC had trouble enough with "Infinity Incorporated" that many of the characters ended up getting re-written, retconned or simply ignored (and agreed to never be spoken about again). Huge amounts of JSA and All Star Squadron back-story were tossed out in 1986. (And, that was nothing compared to what happened with Superman or the Legion.)

The 10 issue JSA series from the 90s (which I recall thinking well of) had nothing significant to do with the Golden Age books using those same characters. And, if you want progressing back-story, then characters changing and dying (as happened with the JSA in the 90s) should be praised.

[andersonh1]

Every panel more or less consists of:
-drawn out explanation of what is happening.
-dialogue from the character reiterating the description.
-crude illustration that probably needs at least one block of text to be explained.

The over-all plots were predictable, even allowing for the hero not being allowed to fail. Yeah, the stories were done in one. But there are not worth reading.

Some of it is like that, some of it is not. Comics from before the 80s are really no different than modern comics in the sense that very few stories are original and well-told. A lot of modern superhero comics are formulaic and badly written. Much of the New 52 is boilerplate superhero storytelling that isn't all that original, making the few stories that are different stand out all the more. In 20 years, today's dialogue will be just as dated then as the 70s is now when we read it. Go back and read John Byrne's Man of Steel from 1986 and tell me some of his dialogue isn't cringeworthy. "Lois, don't risk your pretty head on that story!"

But when you find a gem, it's worth it. And honestly, I'm more struck by how familiar and similar the Golden and Silver Age books are to modern comics than how different they are. A lot of the conventions of the medium show up very early and never go away.

It is incomprehensible to me how anybody over the age of 10 stayed with comics before the 70s (at the earliest).

Honestly, I think that's still who they were largely aimed at back then. Comics are still seen by many as primarily a children's medium, when they haven't been that for a long time.

Yeah, but what Prowl is asking is why you cannot just treat the "Earth 2" cast as new/different characters, rather than changed old characters.

If I liked the characters or if they existed alongside the old versions as an "Ultimate Universe" alternative series, I'd might be more forgiving. But no, I can't browse that book without thinking of them as ripping off the "real deal", and I'm not really inclined to try and look at it differently.

But is Earth-2 really all that original anyway? It's yet another "minion of Darkseid invades the Earth" storyline. It's nothing we haven't seen before. And every time I hear Steppenwolf's name, I can't take it seriously. I keep thinking of the 70s music group and laughing. "Steppenwolf invade the Earth! Handlebar moustaches attack!"

It's no different with the rest of DC's characters. I think think same thing of New 52 Superman or the Justice League or the Teen Titans, or any of the other DC characters I used to enjoy. It's not just Earth-2 that's changed to the point that I don't like it, obviously. That's my whole problem with the reboot, that so many characters have lost what made them appealing to me. That and awful storytelling. There's nothing like watching Superman blow Dr. LIght's head off (yes, I know he was under mind control) to make me disgusted with DC, if I wasn't fed up with them already.

On the other hand, Green Lantern is still sailing along telling space opera storylines that are pretty good and aren't all that different from the old DC. And I'm sure there are other good books here and there. Thank goodness for Adventures of Superman and Batman 66.

JSA was much changed by "Crisis on Infinite Earths". And, many of the things that stayed the same *should* have changed, as evidenced by the fact that DC had trouble enough with "Infinity Incorporated" that many of the characters ended up getting re-written, retconned or simply ignored (and agreed to never be spoken about again). Huge amounts of JSA and All Star Squadron back-story were tossed out in 1986. (And, that was nothing compared to what happened with Superman or the Legion.)

The 10 issue JSA series from the 90s (which I recall thinking well of) had nothing significant to do with the Golden Age books using those same characters. And, if you want progressing back-story, then characters changing and dying (as happened with the JSA in the 90s) should be praised.

The All-Star material from the early 80s is something I haven't gotten around to reading yet, though I'd like to. The mini-series set in the 50s and the 10 issue series from the early 90s are what made me a fan of the characters to begin with.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Justice_Societ ... rica_Vol_1

[Dominic]

Fair point about Lois Lane worrying her pretty little head. But, by the 80s, there were fewer narration boxes. To be fair, I have noticed that some of the 90s writing holds up pretty well, even from Marvel books. (The stuff that doesn't hold up well was most written by the old guard who were known to be chafing under new rules that forbade thought balloons and such.)

But is Earth-2 really all that original anyway? It's yet another "minion of Darkseid invades the Earth" storyline. It's nothing we haven't seen before. And every time I hear Steppenwolf's name, I can't take it seriously. I keep thinking of the 70s music group and laughing. "Steppenwolf invade the Earth! Handlebar moustaches attack!"

Earth-2 is the first book in a long time that I have read purely for high concept. The best way to look at it is as a superhero book where the big stupid event matters. Think of "Earth 2" as picking up after the big stupid event that you have read once or twice a year for as long as you have been reading comics. But, unlike all of those other events, nothing is the same after this one. Just pick one. "Invasion". "Millenium". "Inferno". "Acts of Vengeance" (to be fair, it was more a banner event). "Secret Wars". "Onslaught". "Civil War". "Knightfall". "No Man's Land". "Our World at War". "Emerald Twilight". "Fall of the Mutants". "Atlantis Attacks". "Armageddon 2001".


How many of them had any meaningful and lasting impact? The high concept of "Earth 2" is to assume that the big event happened (you know how they go) and that the damage and changes stuck. The big name characters are dead. More than a few cities are seriously damaged/unlivable. There is still visible damage from the fights 5 years later. (On page, there is an explanation for why things did not go back to "normal" afterwards. On "Earth 2", the pantheons maintained the stasis quo before they were wiped out by Steppenwolf. If you care, there is the explanation for why the changes are allowed to stick.)


How many books deliver on that?

[Sparky Prime]

But is Earth-2 really all that original anyway? It's yet another "minion of Darkseid invades the Earth" storyline. It's nothing we haven't seen before.

The Darkseid invasion was supposed to be a deliberate mirror of the invasion that brought the Justice League together for the first time with the New52 relaunch. The difference is that their Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman where killed fending off that invasion, while Huntress and Powergirl got transported to the main universe. That's resulted in a pretty big difference in how Earth 2 views it's super heroes and how it deals with super threats that normally super heroes would take on, having lost their super heroes. How is that something we've seen before? Like Dom said, this is a rare title where where nothing is the same coming out of the event that created it. Even the the origins of characters powers... Jay Garrick got his speed from Mercury instead of from science or Alan Scott getting his powers from Earth instead of a magic lantern.