Comics are Awesome III

[Shockwave]

Just so I'm understanding the concept: It's a comic based on a tv show based on a comic...

[BWprowl]

Just so I'm understanding the concept: It's a comic based on a tv show based on a comic...

Those happen all the time. See: Pretty much any show or cartoon based on Marvel or DC's properties. We've gotten comics of Smallville, Arrow, pretty much every Batman and Spider-Man cartoon...

My favorite one is still a manga example with Negima: Akamatsu made the original Negima manga, then studio Xebec did an anime adaptation of it, then studio SHAFT made their own SECOND anime adaptation, and that anime got adapted back into a completely new manga by a different artist!

[Onslaught Six]

Let's not forget Batman Adventures, the mid-90s Batman TAS comic that was just as good as the cartoon--and probably better than some of the actual comics at the time.

[Dominic]

It was better than many of the comics at the time (early to mid-90s).

[Sparky Prime]

Finally catching up on my comics with a big Green Lantern haul....

Sinestro #6
Sinestro's subordinates urge him to retaliate against the New God that stole Arkillo's ring. Sinestro reveals he has already set things in motion as he had Despotellis hidden on Arkillo's ring, which has given them a spy among the New Gods. They are currently attacking the planet Nok, home of the Indigo Tribe where the Green Lantern Corps has taken refuge. Sinestro decides to send his Corps in to back them up, which he uses as a means to 'trim the fat' of his Corps by sacrificing several of them to cover their retreat.
So despite everything that's going on, Sinestro is still pushing forward his own agenda for his Corps, cleaning out the riff raff he doesn't feel worthy of being in his Corps. He once again gives Arkillo a pass, giving him a new ring and construct fingers.

Green Lantern #36
Regrouping on New Korugar, the Green Lantrerns, Sinestro Corps and Indigo Tribe learn from the Guardians that Kyle Rayner is still alive, but captured by the New Gods. Hal realizes the New Gods have gone after a ring of every color, but one. A Black Lantern ring. The Guardians forbid they contact Black Hand, and orders Hal to start planning a way to save Kyle. Hal gets to work trying to research the New Gods but Sinestro confronts Hal, telling him he needs the old impulsive Hal in this situation. The three Lantern groups decide to relocate to Qward in the Anti-Matter universe to stay ahead of the New Gods, while Hal disobeys the Guardians and tracks down Black Hand on Earth and asks for his help.
Kinda interesting to see it took Sinestro telling Hal to take matters into his own hands rather than following the Guardians orders. Hal's been acting as the Corps leader for a year with zero direction from the Guardians at this point, I'd kinda think Hal would be used to doing what he felt was in the Corps best interests by now rather than just following orders. Heck, Hal's never really been one to just follow orders in the first place, which might go to show how much being in a leadership position had changed Hal.

Green Lantern Corps #36
The Star Sapphire homewold, Zamaron, finds themselves under attack from the New Gods. Meanwhile, in the Anti-Matter universe, the Guardians realize Hal is missing and argues with Sinestro about the plan to recruit Black Hand to help them. John interrupts saying they need the full strength of all the Lantern Corps if they hope to stand against the New Gods. Knowing the Star Sapphires are still at full strength, they realize they'll probably be targeted next and John prepares a rescue mission. Arriving on Zamaron, they're able to hold off the New God forces for a bit, but end up captured in an energy net which none of them seem to be able to break with their rings. One of the dying Star Sapphires suggests it's because their constructs are born of violence and offers her ring to John, and with it's power, he is able to break through the net.
The Qward Weaponer makes an appearance. Apparently he returned to Qward after he took possession of The Orrery from Invictus waaaay back in the early issues of New Guardians. No mention of what he's done with the Orrery however. He gives John a sword powered up by White Lantern energy... which doesn't last long as it is also broken in this issue. Interesting to see John get a Star Sapphire ring, but power combinations do tend to happen with these Lantern team up storylines.

Green Lantern New Guardians #36
Highfather welcomes Kyle and Carol to New Genesis. Kyle enters the machine that removes the Life Equation from him (which apparently is his White Lantern ring itself). As soon as Highfather has the ring in his possession, Carol asks if he will return the other rings they stole, but Highfather doesn't recognize their claim on the rings, that they rightfully belong to the New Gods and reveals his plans to remake the universe. Kyle realizes the mistake they've made, and Carol uses up all of the power in her ring to attack Highfather, who simply boomtubes them to the surface of New Genesis. Testing the Life Equation once again, Highfather recreates the planet Muz, transforming them into soldiers for his army. Sensing the White Lantern ring's power, the Guardians realize Highfather now holds the power of the Life Equation.
Didn't expect the Life Equation to be in the White Lantern ring itself... They made it seem like that power had become a part of Kyle and couldn't be separated so easily. If that power was inside the ring this whole time, why couldn't Kyle just take off the ring? Not sure why Highfather would just send them to the surface of New Genesis either (because you know they'll come back to be a problem for him later), rather than sending them back to Earth seeing as he has no use for them anymore.

Sinestro #7
Sinestro has a few pirates attack Bekka of the New Gods, before talking to her via construct. He reveals that he enjoys watching her work. On Qward, things are not going so well as the Sinestro Corps and Green Lanterns start to clash with each other, uneasy about the idea of having to work together. Eventually a fight breaks out but Sinestro is able to put an end to it, telling his Corps they will have to answer to him if they attack another Lightbearer again. Meanwhile, Sinestro's construct tells Bekka that he sees the potential in her, and offers her a Yellow ring. Prepared for a strike against the New Gods to steal a Motherbox, Indigo-1 teleports them to Orion's location, but Indigo has betrayed the group, as the New Gods are waiting for them...
I'm guessing John relinquished the Star Sapphire ring between issues, because he's back to only wearing Green here, but there's absolutely no mention of it here at all. Also, John is carrying the Weaponer's shield for some reason, and Weaponer himself is absent from this issue as well for some reason. Not sure I really buy the Indigo betrayal here. I mean, when did they make a deal with the New Gods? Last we saw, they were saving the Green Lanterns and being attacked same as every other Corps.

Green Lantern #37
The Green Lanterns can't believe they were betrayed by the Indigo Tribe. The cell they've been imprisoned in works to counteract their rings power, but even Parallax is thwarted much to Sinestro's surprise. Meanwhile, Hal finds himself in a similar spot as he's cornered by Black Hand's zombies. Black Hand is fairly indifferent to the situation, but he's excited about the idea of having a war because of his fixation with death. At the Source Wall where they were supposed to regroup with Sinestro, the two are attacked by Orion and troops, who are taken by surprise with Black Hand's powers, at least until he realizes what the Source Wall is leaving Hal to face the New Gods alone.
Interesting to see at least one Lantern power that's effective against the New Gods, and it happens to be the power over death. I like seeing the dynamic between Hal and Black Hand in this issue. Hand seems to be a little more off his rocker than usual in this issue. He almost seems like a child to me, that Hal has to convince to play war with him. It's a very different characterization than we've seen from him before at any rate.

Green Lantern Corps #37
Indigo reveals the reason she betrayed the others was because she feels the universe needs to be controlled. Her own Corps is only under control because of what their rings do to them. Highfather appreciates that she sees the larger picture and returns the ring they took from her Tribe and sends her home. The 3 captured Lantern Corps arrive at New Genesis where Highfather turns a group of them into New God soldiers. John and Sinestro's group are to be next, but they are saved by one of the New Gods. He says he did not escape Apokolips and Darkseid's rule just to replace it with another tyrant that Highfather has become and Boomtubes Saint Walker, John and Sinestro out. John talks about having faith and returns to New Genesis, and threatens to kill everyone on New Genesis and proceeds to beat up Uggha, once he gets hold of his hammer. Johns then says their insurgency is only getting warmed up...
I was hoping this issue might address what happened to the Star Sapphire ring John had in the previous issue, but like the Sinestro issue, there is absolutely no mention of it at all. John also still has the Weaponer's shield, which is broken in this issue so that he can get a hold of Uggah's hammer. Seems to me that it was a little too easy for John to beat him up here, especially with how the New Gods have completely overpowered the Lanterns, even if John has one of their weapons. I hope the writers got some other gambit in mind for the Indigo's because I just don't buy this. Highfather literally has the power to recreate the universe however he wants in his hand, yet Indigo-1 is afraid they'll loose control if they were remade into New Gods, just like they would without their rings so he lets them go? How does that make sense?

Overall, I'd have to say I'm still enjoying the Godhead story arc, but these middle chapters I feel are a bit... lacking. John suddenly not having the Star Sapphire ring with no explanation for an example. I skipped the Red Lanterns issues, but from what I understand, that series is pretty much disconnected from the rest of this storyline with Simon and Guy basically off doing their own thing that hasn't directly involved them with the main plot (thus far).

[andersonh1]

Hand seems to be a little more off his rocker than usual in this issue. He almost seems like a child to me, that Hal has to convince to play war with him. It's a very different characterization than we've seen from him before at any rate.

I noticed that myself. This is the first time that Vendetti has written Black Hand isn't it?

[Sparky Prime]

I noticed that myself. This is the first time that Vendetti has written Black Hand isn't it?

Let me check... Last time we saw Black Hand was the villains month zero issues, but that was written by another writer and before that Johns was still writing the book. So yeah, this is Vendetti's first time writing the character.

[Dominic]

Looks like I beat Sparky and Anderson to the punch on this one.


http://www.newsarama.com/22883-dc-comic ... gence.html

It looks like DC is not planning to undo New 52 anytime soon. Some people are reading "closure" to mean "disaster". But, there is no way to be sure.


In other news, time continues to run out for 616 Marvel.

Avengers #38:
This issue focuses mostly on "countdown" to a raid by Rogers and his team against the fugitive Illuminati. Rogers finally manages to corner the Illuminati, and his team comes close to capturing them. At the end of issue, Sunspot's team (or at least the guys who stayed on 616) show up. Sunspot's team looks like something from an alternate future, consisting of some grown kid-heroes, some members of the Imperial Guard along with some other tertiary characters and a reformed wing of AIM. There is no way this team is coming through Marvel's reboot intact.
Grade: A

[andersonh1]

I tend to think (assuming DC is being smart here) that the idea is to lure older/disgruntled/whatever fans "back to the fold" with Convergence, and then hope they stick around afterwards. Meaning I expect something from Convergence to stick. Whether that means integrating some elements into the New 52, or having a few new "multiverse" titles featuring older characters alongside the New 52, I don't know. Maybe Earth2 will now feature survivors from Convergence rather than the rebooted Golden Age characters that have starred in it so far. Who knows? Future's End and World's End and Multiversity all lead into Convergence, so it's not just a filler event, it's a proper event that will have some lasting impact going forward. Not a reboot of the New 52 though, I'm sure.

Hopefully I'll be able to read about versions of characters that I like going forward, but if not, at least Convergence will give me a couple of months of enjoyment. I can't complain.

But this is linked to the New 52, if the presence of Brainiac in Future's End didn't make that clear. Convergence 0 solicitations offer more details: http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a ... ption.html

"Where do worlds go when they die?" said DC.

"The Earthquakes felt round the Multiverse, Superman's lost days after 'Doomed', the World's End - all these points will converge as the history of the DCU is spun from a new perspective, the perspective of a mad god and his arrogant child. The biggest story in DC history ties into literally every DC story ever told - and it all begins here.

"Kingdom Come, Red Son, Wild West Justice League, Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew - all the worlds you remember can still be found on Telos. Everything matters. Every story matters."

Convergence will run for nine weeks from April while DC moves from its traditional New York offices to its new location in Burbank, California.

The publisher's ongoing series will go on hiatus in favor of 40 two-issue miniseries which feature characters from pre-New 52 and pre-Crisis continuity.

Dan Jurgens and Jeff King will write Convergence #0 with art by Ethan Van Sciver and covers by Sciver, Darwyn Cooke, Patrick Zircher and Adam Hughes.

Convergence #0 will be released on April 1.

I just hope the April 1 release date doesn't make this a April Fool's Joke.

[andersonh1]

Wow.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=57801

The DC Universe is going to look very different after March 2015, and its not just because of next spring's massive "Convergence" event. In addition to the scheduled conclusion of weekly series "Batman Eternal," "Earth 2: World's End" and "The New 52: Futures End," 13 ongoing series will be shipping their final issues. Five of those concluding series -- "Green Lantern: New Guardians," "Green Lantern Corps," "Red Lanterns," "Swamp Thing" and "Batwoman" -- have been around since the launch of the New 52 in September 2011 and will all end their runs with issue #40. But as long-running series end, new stories arrive to fill the void -- like "Convergence" #0 from Dan Jurgens, Jeff King and Ethan Van Sciver, an issue that promises to affect "every DC story ever told."

My guess? I'd expect some of these books to get a relaunch, Green Lantern Corps in particular. But it makes me wonder if we'll get some ongoing books out of Convergence after all, to fill the void left by the cancelled books?