This is Entry 221: It's going down!

It's all going down tomorrow. DC closes the chapter on the current DC Comics Universe with the release of Flashpoint #5 & opens the next chapter with the release of Justice League #1.

What do I think about? I'd think that you'd kind of know what I think it since your here at my personal blog & have pretty much only been talking about this since DC announced they were doing. :) As for what I think about the books themselves I'll be talking about them as they come out.

How do I feel about how DC has closed out this chapter? not quite sure. There doesn't seem to be a defining close out of the universe which I guess Flashpoint #5 is but across the books it seems to be scattershot of how they end the books. Some books seemed to just end & give no real resolution to the series (Booster Gold), seem like they end on cliffhanger & give no info on where that cliffhanger will be resolved (Power Girl), Have ended their storyline issues ago & have just been filling space for the few issues (Gotham City Sirens) or actually have a nice ending to the series (Batgirl). The books I mentioned end these ways but I think it's like that for other books, too. It seems that for many a series a New 52 change over came as much as a surprise the readers as to the people writing/drawing the books. I've noticed in a few different books that there seemed be a change. They all seemed to be building up to something in their respective story lines & then a few months ago that all changed. I'm guessing that when the people behind the books got words that they only had X number of issues to finish up. So did better then others. I picked up one of the Batman books (Batman #713) that did a rather nice "Final Issue" story. They managed to cover most of the main points in the life of Batman & Robin.

I didn't see any story that I thought was akin to "Whatever happened to the man of Tomorrow?" the last Silver Age Superman story from 1986 (who was then rebooted later that year with the mini series Man of Steel as part of the fallout for Crisis on Infinite Earths). I think I read some where that people at DC didn't want to do stories like that which I think is fine. But I don't think that all of the books should have a definitive ending to them. I keep finding that I felt let down by many of the books. Like "That's it? That's how we are ending things." Not with a bang but a whimper.

That is sort of how Comic Books work: There is so much built up at the start of a book. There are special graphics used just for 1st issues. Then when you get to the end of book there isn't much hoopla made about it. I think I only saw a handful of DC's comics that even had it clearly stated on their cover that it was the final issue. Some did alluded to it (like the tagline for final cover of Power Girl Up, Up ... And Away! or on the final cover of Gotham City Sirens with all the main characters walking away from each other).

As I said earlier & in previous posts: I'll be picking up a number of the books. After I read what I've read I'll most likely post my comments here. So look for those as the month of September rolls along.

Until then: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 220: Now is time for Cake!

For no other reason then this makes me laugh...



until next time: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 219: Who is this aimed at?

Early this week, DC released online what it's Motion Comic-esque Television commercial for the New 52 will be. You can see it here. I'd show it here but I can't. I linked the video over on my Facebook page & got some 2 different reactions. Both from fans of Comics, one bigger then the other:

The bigger of the 2 fans', Kirk's comment:

There is absolutely nothing about this ad that makes these comics at all interesting to people who aren't already fans.

And I agree with him. I'd also add that there is very little there to get people who are actually fans of comic to get excited about the books. It's almost a none ad: It tells you very little & if you didn't already know about the change up you could be very confused. You could also be a put off by the ad & decide just from that to not read any of those books.

The other comment by Abraham:

i liked it.. but, i'm not a huge fan of those comics. should I care about all these #1s? are any of these comics ones that I already like? are these #1s going to be worth anything; is that any reason to get them?

These are things that I'd like to talk about since I feel that this is emblematic of what I've either been feeling or heard regarding the change DC will be going through in a few weeks time.

Part of the reason DC is changing is to bring in new readers which Abraham could/would be one of them. In his comment he said that he wasn't a "huge fan of those comics". I'd say a good chunk of the New 52 titles were featured in that ad. If they can't bring in a guy who already reads comics, how are they going to bring in someone who does read comics?

He also has a few questions that have been asked & are floating around the internet regarding the New 52 & basically boil down to one main question: Why?

And I don't have a clear answer for him. Many people are giving up on DC & say they won't be reading any of the new 52 books. I think that's a bit drastic. I for one will be checking out a few of the books (not all of them). The ones that interest me someway. I'll also continue to read about what is said of the books on online as I have been. I may might pick up a book or two from doing that or a might not.

I will say this DC has done one thing: It has gotten people talking about them. Yes, in a mostly negative fashion but they are talking. So, I think they'd rather have people talking about them then not having people talking at all.

Going back to one of Abraham's questions: are any of these comics ones that I already like?

Maybe. "Like" is highly subjective but DC is not really premiering anything new. Any reader of DC Comics will recognize most every books as something that had been done before. Most of the titles have been used at least once or feature character who has been around awhile (the only possible except to this is maybe Batwing, a character who was created with in the last year)

So, it's not that DC has thrown out everything to start new again from scratch. It's just another reboot. Something that DC has done every couple of years since the 1950's. If we look at how those played out: Things changes on a massive scale: histories are altered, costumes are changed, characters die, dead characters come back to life, new characters are created, etc. Then tweaks & alterations are made as the months go along. Some stuff works, some stuff doesn't. After about a year or two things even out & we have to the new Status Quo. Sure, some people want to go back to the old way & they will always be around.

Another question from Abraham is this: are these #1s going to be worth anything; is that any reason to get them?

Much like with "Like", Worth is also subjective & Reasons can be subjective to. But my reasons for checking out the New 52 is to see where they are going with this. I haven't gotten to participate in a massive universe changing event like this before. I was too young to participate in Crisis in Infinite Earths, I was old enough to for Zero Hour but didn't participate in it (my readership of comics at the time was very spotty, getting comics where ever I might get them).

I'm excited to see where DC's crazy bus takes me. It's coming soon fast. The big change over happens on August 31st.

EDIT: In related news, over at Comic Vine, they have an article on choosing which of DC's new offerings to read. You can read the article here.

Until next time: Stay Jazzy everybody!

- Brian

This is Entry 218: The Checklist!

Recently DC Comics put out a checklist of all 52 new #1's & when they would be out in a Comic Book Store near you!



But I took it upon myself to make my own Checklist:



It went from 52 to 11. Yes, there are 11 books (maybe more, more on that later) that I would think about picking up the first issues for in September. Let me tell you why...

But first if you notice that that each week is broken down into 13 books as week (13+13+13+13=52).

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August 31st: Justice League.

The 1st of the 52 books. The tent pole book. The one that is three to get you excited & set up the this whole new Universe for you! I wasn't sure about this one but thought I'd give it a go. Still not sold on Cyborg being a member of the Justice League.

September 7th: Batgirl & Justice League International.

I'm picking up Batgirl to see how they get Barbra Gordon up & out of the wheelchair. I'm picking up the JLI because it's got 1. Booster Gold & 2. Dan Jurgens writing the book.

September 14th: Batwoman, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Suicide Squad.

I've been waiting for the Batwoman book to come out for a while (it was scheduled for a February released) so I want to see this book. With Frankenstein & Suicide Squad they seem like they could be fun books.

September 21st: Catwoman & DC Universe Presents.

I like Catwoman, Judd Winick writes some good stuff & Guillem March does does nice art. As much as I disliked Brightest Day as a whole, the storyline I liked the most from it was Deadmans' & his story is continuing in & I also looking forward to seeing who else they have in the book.

September 28th: All-Star Western, The Flash, Justice League Dark.

I haven't read much of DC's western stuff or the Jonah Hex book (which I heard was good) but the same team from that book (Justin Grey & Jimmy Palmiotti, which I've read other stuff by them & it was good) continue his adventures here. Also, they have him in the early days of Gotham City & that does sound cool. I like The Flash & I like how Francis Manapul draws The Flash. I would be willing to give the new Flash book a chance. Like with DC's western stuff, I haven't read much of their Magic stuff but a team of their magic characters could be interesting, just wish they had a better name then Justice League Dark.

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That's it for the month of September & the 11 books I'd pick up. But, there are a few others that I'm not sure about but might be willing to take a look at:

- Mister Terrific: If only because Karren Starr, Power Girl's alter ego, might be in the book.

- Nightwing: Him facing with his past & interacting Haley's Circus, the circus his family worked for & where his parents died, could be cool.

- Batman: The Dark Knight: if only to see who exactly The White Rabbit is!



Which gets my count up to 14 Books. 14 of the 52. Not very many but that's mainly because of what I've seen of the other books It just doesn't interest me. But could change as the books roll out. We will just have to see.

Until then: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This Is Entry 217: The New DC, Part 6

Or: What have we learned from San Diego ComicCon



Back in June I was doing making all sorts of posts related to the change up over at DC that will be in full effect next month (well... actually it starts on August 31st but most of the new stuff is coming out in September). At the later half of July was the San Diego ComicCon & news was streaming out from there. Some of that news also answered questions brought up here on this here Blog. I just haven't gotten around to making a post at is. But I'm here now to do that since if I don't do it now I'll most likely won't have the post made before the change up happens.

So.... did we learn?

On going back to a Pre-New 52/Pre-Flashpoint DCU? DC made a point to not introduce any trap doors or escape clauses into the new universe they have created. No one will remember the old universe not even time travelers (Like Booster Gold). But then I don't think Marvel had any plans to go back to the "old" universe when they did Heroes Reborn back in the early 90's. :)

Justice League International will be a United Nations-sanctioned team, which was made in response to the main Justice League. There will be a somewhat rotating cast of characters in the book. I have found no response to who that lady was that was taken off the cover of #1. And yes & the Batman who is part of the JLI is the same Batman who is part of the main JL. He's like Wolverine who was an X-Men & an Avenger at the same time.

Power Girl: It is unclear if she exists but Karen Starr, her alter-ego, does exist & might be a character in the Mister Terrific book. This fact would be the reason why I'd pick up the MT book.

Stephanie Brown, the current Batgirl: She is still part of The Bat Books but it was not said how. 1 thought I had is that she'll be back as a friend of Barbra Gordon.

The Justice Society: They may or not exist. Dan DiDio said that DC was they were "taking a rest on them." I'm not exactly sure what the means other then they don't have a book & won't be appearing in any others either for the next few months/years. But in this new Universe, the Wildstorm characters (Midnighter, Apollo, Voodoo, Grifter, etc.) have seemingly replaced the JSA in the history books as the costumed "super heroes" in the Pre-Superman era. The Stormwatch (the name of their group) have been working the shadows for years which how they'll fit them in. Maybe somewhere down the line the JSAcould be fit in somewhere like forgotten WWII era super heroes.

Superman's Timeline: the 1st story arc of Action Comics takes place early on in Superman's career (hence the "costume"). By the 2nd story arc I will have more of the present & will explain where the costume seen in the other books came from.

Collars: Why do the many of the New 52 costume have collars? Jim Lee said that there's a sense of majesty and royalty with the high collars & he wanted to make their costumes more formal.

I think that's about it. As I said we have about a month until the change happens. I'm mostly back before the change happen On how feel that DC has closed this chapter of it's history.

Until then: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 216: The Blog Changeth!

Today is the 4th Anniversary of my starting this Blog & I wanted to do something special for it.

So..... It now has a new background of covers of Comics from my collection. Also, I was thinking that the Blog needs a cool Banner. Something cool up top so I set about making one. It's what I had first had envisioned. But as you would see that the name is no longer Living For Wednesday but now My Life in a Longbox. I was thinking about the name. I still like the idea behind LFW (it's still implied in the subheading) but most of what I have here on the blog & planned to put up is not dependent on Wednesday (the day new comics come out on) but just dependent on whats in my collection (and yes the new comics from wednesday are added into that).

Now you might be asking yourself:

Self, what exactly is a Longbox?

Well, it's a bit weird that you refer to yourself as "Self" but... A Longbox is the term for long white cardboard boxes that Comic books are stored in. They are the exact size of the average comic book & 25 inches in length. Oddly sized books don't fit in them. There are shorter boxes called a Shortbox, it is 15 inches in length. I use the Shortbox to hold my collection (simply that what the stores I frequent sell & I find it's easier to store those boxes). I am using the term "Longbox" because it sounded better with the name "My Life in a Longbox" then "My Life in a Shortbox". I'm stating what a Longbox is because, as my Dad mentioned to me when I told him the name, I don't want people thinking that I'm referencing a coffin.

That is all for today. Until next time: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 215: Coming Attractions!

This Sunday is the 4th Anniversary of this here Blog & changes are a coming! It's what I'm currently working on so that why I haven't posted anything recently. Look for those changes On Sunday!

Until then: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian