Comics are Awesome III

[andersonh1]

The destruction of the Corps was a big reason I didn't read the last series beyond the first issue. We've seen that story before, several times, and I had no interest in reading it again.

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I haven't been reading, other than to keep tabs from reviews and the like. Unfortunately, Green Lantern titles have just felt like they've been spinning their wheels ever since Geoff Johns left the book, with each writer going back and forth on the same plot points... There's been some interesting developments here and there, but it just gets undone or forgotten about when the next writer takes over.

A lot of what Geoff Johns did was to take existing ideas and concepts and do something new and bigger with them that expanded the Green Lantern concept. It felt like a run that was full of new ideas, even if a lot of it was recycled, albeit very creatively. But I agree with you that ever since it feels like a lot of retreading the same ground. There's been some good stories, and I've enjoyed them all to varying degrees except for Geoff Thorne. But no one has added something new to the mix in the same way that Johns did. They're chasing his early success but can't achieve the same results.

[andersonh1]

Shazam #6 - "Meet the Captain" wraps up, and the solution to the problem of the gods who give Billy the powers of Shazam is not only fairly obvious once it's stated, but it references the Golden Age Captain Marvel concept of Billy and the Captain being two different people. There's the usual absurd humor that's done very well as Billy and his siblings take on the gods. Honestly, this is the best Captain Marvel/Shazam since Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam back in the 90s, and it's honestly better than that series. Mark Waid has cracked the formula with a good mix of action and humor, and Dan Mora's art makes it all work.

[andersonh1]

Great find today: the alternate version of Batman 428, part three of "A Death in the Family", where Jason Todd survived. It's not that different from the original issue, maybe four pages and a few panels. Some of the narration around taking the body home is now about Jason's mom instead of Jason. Jason himself ends up in a coma, so he was written out for awhile either way. Bruce goes to see him in the hospital and is still determined to go it alone from now on and to stop playing around with the Joker.

[Sparky Prime]

Great find today: the alternate version of Batman 428, part three of "A Death in the Family", where Jason Todd survived. It's not that different from the original issue, maybe four pages and a few panels. Some of the narration around taking the body home is now about Jason's mom instead of Jason. Jason himself ends up in a coma, so he was written out for awhile either way. Bruce goes to see him in the hospital and is still determined to go it alone from now on and to stop playing around with the Joker.

Interesting. I know DC put it to a vote for the fans to decide whether or not Jason died. I always wondered if they had the alternate story, if the fans voted not to kill him, ready to go. I didn't know it got published.

[andersonh1]

Great find today: the alternate version of Batman 428, part three of "A Death in the Family", where Jason Todd survived. It's not that different from the original issue, maybe four pages and a few panels. Some of the narration around taking the body home is now about Jason's mom instead of Jason. Jason himself ends up in a coma, so he was written out for awhile either way. Bruce goes to see him in the hospital and is still determined to go it alone from now on and to stop playing around with the Joker.

Interesting. I know DC put it to a vote for the fans to decide whether or not Jason died. I always wondered if they had the alternate story, if the fans voted not to kill him, ready to go. I didn't know it got published.

This is the first time anything except a few panels have been published, as far as I know. I pulled out my copy of the original issue for comparison, and it's nicely set up so that the story could be changed with only minimal changes.
- the bottom third of page 9 is four panels. In the original Batman checks for Jason's pulse and finds nothing. He picks him up and holds him, with page 10 being the full page image of Batman holding the dead Robin.
- in the "Robin Lives" version, the bottom panels on the page show Batman shocked to find a pulse and picking Jason up. Page 10 is four panels with Batman delighted that Jason is still alive, after which he loads him in a truck to get him to a hospital, and thinks about how best to keep both of their identities secret.
- the caption boxes on p 13 and 15 have been altered to only refer to Sheila, Jason's mother, when talking about the death and funeral, with an added text box about Jason in the original.
- the last major changes are page 16. In the original version Alfred and Bruce are at the funeral, with Bruce thinking about how the world can't know that Robin is dead, and when Alfred offers to call Dick, Bruce says no, he'll handle it by himself from now on. The bottom two panels are the same in both versions. In "Robin Lives", Bruce goes to see Jason in the hospital. Jason's in a coma and probably won't recover for a long time. Dick Grayson talks to Bruce while he's in the hospital and offers to help, but Bruce refuses. It's pretty much the same exchange he had with Alfred in the original, just spoken to Dick directly.

And that's the extent of the differences. They planned out an issue that could depict Jason dying or surviving with only minor differences, and either way it's clear they were writing him out of the series for an extended time most likely. Nice to actually get a chance to read this "what might have been". "A Death in the Family" was the first Batman story I ever read when I started buying and reading comics, so this goes back to the beginning of my collecting habits, and it's nice to see.

[andersonh1]

Green Lantern #6 - Another good issue, even if I can sum it up pretty succinctly: Hal and Sinestro have a major fight, with some interesting incidents taking place when it comes to Hal's ring. Sinestro escapes Earth using the rage-powered ring (which is still his yellow ring). Hal can't follow. Razer is introduced to the comics for the first time. He broke the blockade of sector 2814 that the United Planets put in place and came to see his old friend Hal, and wants to know why he's talking to a construct of Kilowog, and Hal says that Kilowog is dead. I don't believe that for a second, though no doubt Hal does, but I'm expecting a story twist down the line. I doubt Adams would kill off one of the most popular GL characters, particularly when it's already been done.

Green Lantern War Journal #4 - John is in serious danger of being turned into one of the Radiant Dead by the infection, but somehow when he gets Varron's power ring and wrests control of it to make it his own. I didn't quite get why that heals him of the infection, but using the ring draws his power from another source than the power inside him, and keeps the radiant dead energy from drawing on it? I'm still not quite sure how all of this is supposed to work. I'll have to give it another read through. At any rate, John is once again using a power ring and wearing a redesigned uniform at the end of the issue.

Jay Garrick: The Flash #3 - continues the story of Judy Garrick in the past and in the present day. Apparently she used to time travel back to before she was born and help Jay out against "Dr Elemental" who, as his name implies, controls the elements. He seems to think a new speedster could be "just what he needs", so he's got some long term goal involving super speed characters. We find out at the end of the issue that Dr. Elemental is Professor Hughes, the man responsible for Jay becoming the Flash. I went and took a look at Flash Comics #1, and sure enough, the college professor supervising Jay's experiment with hard water is Professor Hughes, gray hair, moustache and all. I don't like this sort of reaching into the past to create some vast, decades-long conspiracy, so I can't say I'm a fan of where this is going. But I'll see how the story plays out before passing final judgment.

[Sparky Prime]

Razer is introduced to the comics for the first time.

Interesting that they'd decide to bring Razer into the comics now, given the animated series ended 10 years ago (has it really been that long already?). I remember when the cartoon first premiered, they briefly used a ship the same design (albeit flown backwards) as the Interceptor. Razer did have an appearance in the Young Justice cartoon just last year though, so there's that. I saw an image of him from this issue. His clothes makes it look like he was a GL in this universe, the only thing he's missing is the symbol in the white spot on his chest.

[andersonh1]

Green Lantern #7 - Most of the issue is flashback as Hal tells Razer about the ill-fated mission to Korugar. The United Planets takes over administration of the Green Lantern Corps, apparently at the Guardians' behest, and they figure with so few GLs left, they'd better ration their resources. Sector 2814 is quarantined because they figure there are plenty of superhumans on Earth to handle problems in that sector. We actually get to see all the human GLs together for the first time in a long time. Hal and Kilowog are assigned to accompany the head of the UP, who I think is the father of Varron from over in War Journal, as he goes to invite Korugar to join. Speaking of which, wasn't Korugar destroyed by the First Lantern? Did it get rebuilt or was a new planet named Korugar during Sinestro's series or something?

While on the planet, three Sinestro Corps members attempt to capture or kill the head of the UP. Hal gets him to safety while Kilowog fights them off. His supposed death occurs when the central power battery explodes and vaporizes him and the three Sinestro Corps members, leaving no body. No body, no death, as far as I'm concerned. Hal thinks he is and the story is playing out as though he is, but he'll be back. Turns out Razer left Odym because the blue power battery exploded as well. I wonder if we're getting a retcon back into Thorne's run about the cause of the battery's destruction. I'm rolling my eyes, but at the same time if it's happening to everyone, there might be an interesting story here.

The Sinson backup ends, and it's been a waste of my time. I wish they'd cut out the backup and drop the price of the book by a dollar.

[Sparky Prime]

Speaking of which, wasn't Korugar destroyed by the First Lantern? Did it get rebuilt or was a new planet named Korugar during Sinestro's series or something?

Yeah, it was destroyed by the First Lantern. Sinestro attempted to force Kyle to rebuild it while he had the White Lantern ring, but Kyle wasn't able to pull it off. I've been out of the loop on comics, but as far as I know, the planet wasn't restored nor a new planet established.

Turns out Razer left Odym because the blue power battery exploded as well. I wonder if we're getting a retcon back into Thorne's run about the cause of the battery's destruction. I'm rolling my eyes, but at the same time if it's happening to everyone, there might be an interesting story here.

Did the Blue Lanterns return to Odym at some point? Last I remember, Odym was attacked and captured by the Reach, forcing the Blue Lanterns to relocate to a planet called Elpis... Where the Blue Central Battery was destroyed by Relic. Are there even any Blue Lanterns besides Saint Walker? Last I saw, Kyle failed to resurrect them (costing him the White Lantern ring as well) so Saint Walker left on his own to rebuild the Blue Lantern Corps.

[andersonh1]

Speaking of which, wasn't Korugar destroyed by the First Lantern? Did it get rebuilt or was a new planet named Korugar during Sinestro's series or something?

Yeah, it was destroyed by the First Lantern. Sinestro attempted to force Kyle to rebuild it while he had the White Lantern ring, but Kyle wasn't able to pull it off. I've been out of the loop on comics, but as far as I know, the planet wasn't restored nor a new planet established.

Turns out Razer left Odym because the blue power battery exploded as well. I wonder if we're getting a retcon back into Thorne's run about the cause of the battery's destruction. I'm rolling my eyes, but at the same time if it's happening to everyone, there might be an interesting story here.

Did the Blue Lanterns return to Odym at some point? Last I remember, Odym was attacked and captured by the Reach, forcing the Blue Lanterns to relocate to a planet called Elpis... Where the Blue Central Battery was destroyed by Relic. Are there even any Blue Lanterns besides Saint Walker? Last I saw, Kyle failed to resurrect them (costing him the White Lantern ring as well) so Saint Walker left on his own to rebuild the Blue Lantern Corps.

Yeah, I'm out of the loop on some of this. I skipped the Thorne run and both the Green Lanterns and Sinestro series, so anything that happened in those I don't know about.