TF Views

Still catching up...

Green Lantern Corps Edge of Oblivion #1
It's nice to see the focus isn't so much on John in this issue like it was in Lost Army. So often it seems like the Corps writers forget they have thousands of characters to choose from, so it's good to see various Lanterns having their voices heard here. I'm not entirely sure, but I'm guessing some time has passed between the conclusion of Lost Army and this series. The Lanterns that had been altered by the Lightsmith Collectors are back to normal, and those that had taken Lightsmith weapons after their rings were lost/destroyed have their rings back somehow. Krona and Relic have also gone missing and aren't mentioned. Hopefully they'll turn up later, seeing as Relic in-particular we know has to survive the destruction of this universe. And Krona... however he ended up in this universe. Speaking of of which, we haven't seen the Guardians since Hal went rouge, which makes me wonder if they ended up in this universe as well or what. Anyway, even with the unanswered questions between the series, I thought this was a solid start.

Sparky Prime wrote: I'm not entirely sure, but I'm guessing some time has passed between the conclusion of Lost Army and this series.

There's been a six month time skip between Lost Army. I can't remember if it's Guy who says it, or if the narration or what, but it's mentioned early in the issue.


Dom, this may spell the end of Earth 2 Society if it's true: a rumor about DC's Rebirth: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/02/02/ ... to-launch/

I understand that, as part of the upcoming DC Rebirth project, DC Comics will be launching a new Justice Society Of America comic book.

Currently in the New 52, there was no Justice Society in the forties fighting in World War II. The analogous team fought on Earth 2 instead.

But now, not only will this active team of superheroes be revealed, along with an explanation as to why no one remembers them, but they will be brought forward, young, to the present days, fishes out of water, fighting alongside the Justice League of America.

Their presence may also tie into the changing realities that the member of Titans Hunt are experiencing, remembering memories of each other that never were…

I've been disappointed enough by DC's output these last four years that I'm waiting to see if this happens, and whether it's good or not before allowing myself to be enthused. But I've thought before that the solution Marvel used to bring Captain America into the present day would work just as well for the Justice Society. I enjoyed watching those characters actually grow old and have long lives, something most superheroes aren't allowed to do, but I'd enjoy seeing them young and in their prime in the present day.

andersonh1 wrote:There's been a six month time skip between Lost Army. I can't remember if it's Guy who says it, or if the narration or what, but it's mentioned early in the issue.

Oh, yeah, Guy says they've had 6 months of exploration and are no closer to finding a way out of the dying universe. It's so quickly thrown out there and moved on from, it's easy to miss.

But now, not only will this active team of superheroes be revealed, along with an explanation as to why no one remembers them, but they will be brought forward, young, to the present days, fishes out of water, fighting alongside the Justice League of America.

So they're forgetting about Superman being the first super hero in the New 52 universe? Can't say I mind that, I liked the idea of there being other super powered people before him anyway. It'll be good to see the return of the JSA. Although I really like the Earth 2 versions, I think it was a mistake for them not to have them a part of this universe as well. The idea of there being such a history and legacy to the DC universe has been sorely missed since the New 52 began.

And Parallax has arrived on Earth, looking for Hal Jordan. Next issue is advertised as renegade Hal vs. Parallax Hal.

If I trusted DC more, this would be enough to draw me back.

Dom, this may spell the end of Earth 2 Society if it's true: a rumor about DC's Rebirth: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/02/02/ ... to-launch/

What the hell?

Why did DC put Dan Abnett (an A-lister) on "Earth 2: Society" if they were just going to cancel it? We do not know for a fact that DC is cancelling the series. But, it seems very likely.

And, this new series looks like it is going to take away everything that made the old JSA characters unique. Now, they are going to a be just another team of heroes (maybe a touch older than the "average" age of a super hero). The thing that made the JSA intersting in the 70, even through the 90s, was that they were old (some having died) and had been replaced by successors.

With all of the reboots (and we will get to that in a second), why can't DC just leave the JSA in the past? Would it be so terribly difficult to assume a certain number of characters appeared circa 1940 and aged normally. Some of them would have died over the last 75 years and been replaced. New stories featuring those characters would be flashbacks or back-writes. How is that so problematic for DC?

Even better, how about bringing back the original Earth 2 concept (using whatever alternate number DC decides would work). Have all of the Golden Age characters start out ~1940 and age normally. Have them age, die and get replaced. Have the successors age and die. Dammit, we got a taste of that in the 70s and it was a good concept (albeit hindered by poor execution).


This establishes that "Convergence" and or "Rebirth" are reboots after "Flashpoint". This establishes that "Multiversity" (particularly the guidebook) no longer counts, if it even counted when it dropped last year.

There is nothing wrong with a reboot/reset/whatever. But, DC is over-using that. They have been consistently failing for lack of planning, and do not seem to be able to fix that. (Again, for emphasis: Why would DC put an A-list writer on a series that they are likely to cancel?)

DC cannot keep falling back on reboots. A reboot can be used to sort things out. But, if DC does not have a plan or any ideas (which they likely do not), the reboot will not solve DC's main problem.


Of course, when pointing out a problem (DC's complete inability to plan) it helps to offer a solution. DC has an obsessively organized multiverse that they never use for anything other than big events. They need to use the multiverse to allow for contrary series but keep them vaguely consistent (which many fans will demand).

But, the real point should be to allow for variety of tone and direction while worrying too much about consistency. (And, get rid of the idea that there can only be 52.)


Earth 0: Modern comics. Subject to the whims of the times and Warner Brothers.

Earth 1: This imprint seems to be doing well. Just leave it the hell alone.

Earth 2: Go back to a variant of the original Earth 2, and incorporate elements of (current) Earths 15 and 16 and pre-Crisis Earth B. Pick a start point in the past, and let the timeline progress. The stories do not need to be written or released in a linear way. Let creators float up and down the timeline (not unlike what they tried in the 1970s). The start does not need to be the 40s. It could be the 90s. Just use the basic concept and build off it.

Earth 3: Moral inversion.

Earth 4: Either use this for a Moore rift or use it as the setting for relatively gounded super heroes. Few, if any, superhumans. Dead means dead.

Earth 5: Fawcett characters in a Golden/Silver Age setting.

Earth 10: The Mastermen. (Please let this one not suck.)

Earth 51: Morrison's dumping ground. Keep this.

Other concepts:

-specifically media related: Additional content tying in with various TV series, movies and games.

-linear from the start: "Earth 2" has been plagued by poor execution. But, the early issues show the potential of the premise. This need not, and probably should not, be a continuation of "Earth 2". But, it should start form a similar concept, picking up after a "big event" and letting the changes stick. DC could populate this series with variants of their mainline characters. DC could use characters from "Multiversity". Whatever. Just make it happen in a regular series along with some one shots.

-retro future tech: Use characters like Lord Volt and Lady Quark.

Green Lantern Corps Edge of Oblivion #2
There's a much more visceral feel to this book than there was to Lost Army, and maybe that's where Lost Army was meant to go. The danger feels much more all-pervasive as MukMuk was killed last issue and his skeleton is found this time. There's no time to investigate or mourn as a rift in space opens up near Mogo and the planet that some of the last survivors from this universe are sheltering on. To make matters worse, there's a suicide cult that not only take out the planet's engines, but also destroy the barrier that the Green Lanterns were using to seal the rift. Arisia and B'dg are sucked in and assumed dead. Things go from bad to worse, and both the action and the death count are higher, or at least feel higher, than Lost Army. There's no more flashing back to John Stewart's past as a Marine, it's all here and now as the universe around them is dying, and the Corps cannot find a way to escape.

Batman '66/The Man from UNCLE #3
60s spy action continues as THRUSH puts the recruited Batman villains to good use, sending them around the world to accomplish various objectives. Batman, Robin and Batgirl are now working directly with UNCLE to defeat whatever the goals of THRUSH are, and we finally get an explanation of what this group is and what they're after. It's very much like SPECTRE from James Bond, an extranational group out to raise money and cause chaos through terrorism. Next issue will see Bruce Wayne playing spy as himself rather than as Batman.

Caught up on "All New Wolverine". It has some real weak points (mostly x-book related angsty-wangsty stuff). But, it is not terrible.


I plan to drop "GI Joe: A Real American Hero". Been reading that series for about a year (more than 12 issues after accounting for a fortnightly schedule over the last few months). And, it has the same consistent problem. It is written like something from 25 years ago. Hama has a vague direction and idea. But, his execution is unfocused (and, frankly, sloppy) for a comic published in 2016. It is worse in some issues than others. But, the more severe examples make the less severe examples worse by being part of the pattern.

Hama has depreciated a bit over the years. But, the real problem is that he has not improved. In thge 80s and 90s, he was on the high side of average. But, now, he is behind the curve.

More about DC's upcoming "ReBirth" event. It is speculative, but reasonable.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/artic ... y-familiar


Unless DC keeps "Earth 2: Society" in the mix, or (less likely) offer some follow-up to "Multiversity", they will likely not have much to hold my interest after this spring.

DC is making a push at preserving/growing their talent pool.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/artic ... john-timms


Objectively, this is good news. DC needs to be competitive. And, Marvel should not have a lock on as much talent as it has enjoyed in recent years.

This is good news for the creators (who are getting more money and a chance to really build up their portfolios). This is good news for DC. This is good news for the people who are reading whatever books those guys are taking over.


This is frickin' terrible news for people (like me) who happen to like one or more series that those guys are working on at Marvel. As much as I have been enjoying "the Vision", I doubt it will be around by the end of the year.

DC Comics Official REBIRTH announcement video from Geoff Johns...
At the end of the video he talks about what Rebirth will be about:
"Let's look at this and find out what we love about it, or what we didn't love about it, what do we love about it. And really take all of that and build a better book, build a better universe. The whole point of Rebirth for all of us is to get back to the essence of the characters. I'll end this by saying the DC Universe Rebirth Special, the very first couple lines sum up what this is to me. So there's this picture of the world, and the narrator, mysterious narrator says "I love this world... But there's something missing"."

Looks like the event begins May 25th, 2016

DC announces the Rebirth line-up:

June:
Rebirth Specials:
AQUAMAN REBIRTH #1
BATMAN REBIRTH #1
THE FLASH REBIRTH #1
GREEN ARROW REBIRTH #1
GREEN LANTERNS REBIRTH #1
SUPERMAN REBIRTH #1
TITANS REBIRTH #1
WONDER WOMAN REBIRTH #1
New #1 Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
AQUAMAN #1
BATMAN #1
THE FLASH #1
GREEN ARROW #1
GREEN LANTERNS #1
SUPERMAN #1
WONDER WOMAN #1
New Issues (Shipping twice monthly and returning to their original numbering):
ACTION COMICS #957
DETECTIVE COMICS #934

July
Rebirth Specials:
BATGIRL & THE BIRDS OF PREY REBIRTH #1
HAL JORDAN & THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS REBIRTH #1
THE HELLBLAZER REBIRTH #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE REBIRTH #1
NIGHTWING REBIRTH #1
RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS REBIRTH #1
New #1 Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
HAL JORDAN & THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
NIGHTWING #1
New #1 Issues (Shipping monthly):
BATGIRL #1
BATGIRL & THE BIRDS OF PREY #1
THE HELLBLAZER #1
RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS #1
THE SUPER-MAN #1
TITANS #1

Fall
Rebirth Specials:
BATMAN BEYOND REBIRTH #1
BLUE BEETLE REBIRTH #1
CYBORG REBIRTH #1
DEATHSTROKE REBIRTH #1
EARTH 2 REBIRTH #1
SUICIDE SQUAD REBIRTH #1
SUPERGIRL REBIRTH #1
TEEN TITANS REBIRTH #1
TRINITY REBIRTH #1
New #1 Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
CYBORG #1
DEATHSTROKE #1
HARLEY QUINN #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #1
SUICIDE SQUAD #1
New #1 Issues (Shipping monthly):
BATMAN BEYOND #1
BLUE BEETLE #1
EARTH 2 #1
GOTHAM ACADEMY: NEXT SEMESTER #1
SUPERGIRL #1
SUPERWOMAN #1
SUPER SONS #1
TEEN TITANS #1
TRINITY #1

In addition, DC has announced all DC Universe books, regardless of publication schedule, will be at the $2.99 price point.