This is Entry 214: Brian on the Aisle #9

So.... Captain America came out this weekend & what did I go see? THOR of course!

As I mentioned before there is a theater a few blocks from my house & they are a "second Run" theater. Most everything there has already left the first run theaters by now. So if you don't mind waiting a few months (Like me) so can see some cool movies & with an added bonus: Every movie not matter when it's shown during the day costs you $3.

They have Thor playing & I had not seen Thor yet. So I could walk from my house & see Thor for 3 dollars or I could pay a whole lot more & go a few miles more to go see Captain America? Hmmm....

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First off: I thought it was awesome! Sure it was about 2 hours long but it didn't feel that way (as some movies do). There was a smattering of jokes worth laughing at, cool cameos (Both by Stan Lee & Hawkeye), cool visuals, good villains, some nice nods to the comics (Thor's assumed name, the phrase "Journey into Mystery" & the visual design of the movie).

In watching it I thought back to the last comic book movie I had seen Green Lantern. Why was Thor Good & GL not so? They do have some comparable points. The biggest is both have a chunk of their film not take place on earth. Thor fleshed out their other world where GL didn't. Also, GL's other world (Oa) was just too darn dark even in the light. Thor's other world (Asgard) never got that dark even in the dark :) Another thing: Love interests. In Thor she actually did something, furthered the plot & had some character to her. In GL: not so much. In Thor they went with the villain you wanted (Loki) & threw in some cool secondary villains (The Frost Giants). With GL they didn't go with the right villain (Parallax instead or Sinestro) & threw in a pointless secondary villain (Hector Hammond). I should stop harping on the GL movie but it's hard not to, there is so much wrong with it.

But I don't have much move about Thor that hasn't been said elsewhere. So I'll just end this post here.

Thor: Good! Go see it if you haven't already. I give it 3 & half Hammers in a crater out in the New Mexican dessert out of 5!

Most likely the next post will talk about the info reveled by DC Comics about "the New 52" at this weekend San Diego Comic Con. Look for the in a next week or so.

Until then: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 213: the road to the New DCU!

We are a little over a month until DC resets things to make way for the New 52: the relaunch/reboot/reworking/screwing up the DC Comics line of books. Every week as I go into the comic book store & pick up my weekly allotment of books I'm seeing where some books will be ending on. In others not so much.

As I read the books I wonder what will happen to people:

- Stephanie Brown: Miss Brown is the current wearing of the Batgirl mantle & in the new DCU that mantle will once more be worn by Barbra Gordon. So... what happens to Steph? Her Batgirl series only has 1 more issue to finish up plot lines & (maybe) tell me where she'll be come september. I also wonder where the few members of her supporting cast will also be? We know where Barbra Gordon is going. But what about Wendy/Proxy? There is a detective Stephanie has been working with, will he still have a job in the new DCU?

- The Cast of Booster Gold: We know where He is in the New DCU (In the JLI) but what about his supporting cast? I assume Skeets will join him in the JLI but what about Rip Hunter? Michelle Carter? Rani? The last one has only had a handful of appearances in the Booster Gold book. With that now to be cancelled where will her store continue? The JLI book? Also, will Booster's job as "Time Cop" continue in the JLI book?

- Power Girl & Company: so far I've heard nothing of what is going to happen to her & her cast of characters in the New DCU. She has an issue or 2 left. Hopefully I get some answers.

I'll keep making posts like this as we enter this new age of DC Comics which means these posts will be happening every so often for the next few months.

Until next time: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 212

Well... last month was a big month for the blog. 12 posts. That like 3 regular months worth of posts in one month. Then I haven't post anything in 3 weeks. I have really had much I want to say/I've just been to lazy to post stuff. :) I've got some stuff which will be posted when I get it ready. Look for it then.

Until then: Stay Jazzy everybody!

- Brian

This is Entry 211: Brian on the Aisle #8

Welcome to another installment of Brian on the Aisle this time we'll be looking at



*This is in no way a complete, well thought out review of the movie & sounds kind of angry. You have been warned!*

This is the 3rd Super Hero movie to come out this summer & so far the only one I've seen. I don't get out the movies very often (Last Movie I saw in theaters was Scott Pilgrim) but a friend asked me if I wanted to go. So, I went. I would like to go see X-Men: First Class. I'm still unsure about Thor (which has been out for sometime) & Captain America (which comes out next month). Going into this movie there wasn't that made me really excited to see it. I've never really been a big fan of Green Lantern but I was (kind of) interested in see how they'd translate it from page to screen. How did they do? eh. It's wasn't the best movie or the worse movie. It was ok. Did I feel I got my matinee movie price worth? I guess so.

From what I saw before I didn't really like art direction of the movie. It seemed too "dark" & the costume looked stupid. Well, the costume still looked stupid & the movie was a bit too dark. Also, what is with the eyes in this movie? If your in the Green Lantern uniform you will have weird looking eyes! Also, this movie really liked it's close ups' which I found odd. I don't need the extreme close up of someone's face! The extreme close up is almost never needed! Also, I found some of the special effects shots to be poorly done/unfinished. I could easily tell they were fake. Is I know they were fake but they shouldn't look that way.

I felt it tried to explain/introduce to many people & things. In the end didn't really seem to explain anything or anyone really well. It gave you enough information, most of the time. I also felt that their title character didn't seem to do much which is odd since he is the title character. If your main character doesn't even appear in your film until a few minutes into your film & those minutes were not filled with your movie's credits I think something might be wrong with your film.

This movie fell into something many Super Hero movies fall into: Let's just not have one villain but two! Why? Because two are so much better then one! There was Hector Hammond (who was under developed as a character & might as well been called a henchmen for all he did) & Parallax!

In the comics Parallax is seen as a giant bright yellow evil space bug, the sentient embodiment of fear traveling from world to world and causing entire civilizations to destroy themselves out of paranoia & a whole bunch of interesting stuff that would be to complicated to explain here. But in the movie it's a giant greyish black evil space octopus with a humanoid face doing some less interesting stuff like sucking the fear & their skeletons out of people to make it's self strong so it could seek out it's revenge on those that had wronged it! But at least it was a thing & not a menacing space cloud of Death that did nothing! (see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer's Galactus). I think starting your movie franchise with Parallax was a bad choice. Sure, Green Lantern doesn't have a great list of villains & his greatest foe was a good guy for whole movie but Parallax is only an interesting character after Hal Jordan has done a bunch of stuff. Parallax is your foe in Green Lantern 3 or 4, not Number 1. You can set him up as a super evil entity, mention him as a threat but don't use him. Let it build but you can now! SPOILERS: You threw him into the sun! But... that doesn't mean he's dead & might be back in Green Lantern 2: the Electric Boogaloo. :) And yes they did set up the sequel, you don't spend that much talking about another color ring without doing something with it.

Plus, there were a few too many "coincidence" in the movie that I think was just poor planing/writing & most of these seem to be based around Hector Hammond's character. Maybe if he was better developed they could have been worked out better. maybe.

How was Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern: fine but he wasn't Hal Jordan. He was Kyle Rayner (another Green Lantern from the comics) or some odd mix of Hal & Kyle. Reynolds just didn't seem to full pull of how I think a "Hal Jordan" should act.

So, high points & there were a couple: there were some funny jokes. The art direction was dark but nicely done. The relationship between Hal & Carol Ferris (played by Blake Lively) seemed real & was nicely played. The aliens looked cool (even if you didn't get to see much of them).

I think I've just read too many comic books & know the story lines too well to fully give into the movie. It's was an ok movie. It's not the worse Super Hero movie I've seen (That currently goes to the 1977 Doctor Strange which completely missed the mark).

What do I give this movie... Seeing at there are 9 Lantern Corps (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, Black & White), I give it a 2 & half power rings out of 9.

Until next time: Stay Jazzy everyone!

- Brian

This is Entry 210: 616

Let's step away from DC for a moment to talk about Marvel (Kind of). Today's date of the Sixteenth of June & has a somewhat geeky meaning to it. If you use the American form of abbreviating the date (Day then Month), today is 6/16. Why is that Geeky? Unofficially in the Marvel Comics multiverse the designation for the main universe is 616.

According to Wikipedia the origin of "616" is this:

The term was first used in "Rough Justice," a story credited to both Alan Moore and Alan Davis published in July 1983 by Marvel UK in the anthology comic The Daredevils (and was later reprinted in the Captain Britain trade paperback). Saturnyne uses the term to differentiate Brian Braddock, the Captain Britain of the regular Marvel Comics universe, from the other members of the Captain Britain Corps. The designation was later confirmed by the American branch of Marvel Comics in the Excalibur title, which frequently referenced Captain Britain's early UK-published adventures. This comic was written by Chris Claremont, who had created Captain Britain, and by Alan Davis, the artist on the UK-published series.

Alan Moore is usually credited with creating the term (for example by Marvel editor Tom Brevoort). However, Alan Davis has stated that the designation of Earth 616 was actually first made by Dave Thorpe, the previous writer of the UK-published Captain Britain stories.

In addition, a difference of opinion exists regarding the selection of the number 616. In 2005, Alan Moore's son-in-law John Reppion (who is married to Alan Moore's daughter Leah Moore), stated on an Internet message board that the number 616 was arbitrarily chosen by Moore and had no significant meaning, saying it "was just a random number of no significance chosen because people always seemed to be talking about 'earth 2' or 'earth 4' but never any higher numbers." However, Alan Davis contends that Thorpe specifically chose the true Number of the Beast to reflect his feelings about the modern superhero genre.

I say this term is "unofficial" because some of the Marvel's Management don't like the term & don't use it. But this hasn't stopped some of Marvel's writers from putting this designation in their Books (various Marvel Uk series, the Excalibur series, Marvel 1602 #6, Marvel Knights 4 #15, Uncanny X-Men #462, the Exiles series & in Marvel's very own Official Handbooks). Writer Steven Grant even tried to change when the main Marvel Universe fell in the numbering system. In the final story arc of the X-Man series (Issues 71-74), He referred to the Marvel Universe as Earth 611 because the godlike entity known as Qabiri has been "cleansing" some of lower realities. Grant's change was most likely an allusion to the events of DC's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" but his change has not be adopted by other writers. I got this of this info also from Wikipedia.

Hope you day is Marvelous & as always Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 209: The New DC, Part 5

DC Comics keeps putting out info relating to the *new* DC come September & I shall continue to make posts about it!

As of this morning DC over on their blog, The Source has started to roll out the Solicits & most of it is stuff we saw last week but there is some new info in there. Now from the text, I confirmed 3 things:
1. Some of the books sound really uninteresting.
2. Zatanna is now a confirmed member of Justice Leaague Dark.
3. The guy I couldn't name from Justice League International is August General in Iron (It's odd name but that just the english translation, he's from China).

With the solicits I saw 1 new image & 1 altered image:

NEW IMAGE!

It's for Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.. That looks (kind of) awesome! I think this makes a better cover image then what was posted before.

ALTERED IMAGE!

It's for Justice League International! Why is there a blank area in the lower right hand corner?

Well....

There use to be someone there! Now I don't who that was (I was thinking Troia) or why they were taken off the the image but this was the only image I saw that was altered from it's previous posting.

That's all I have for you for now. Marvel is making a big announcement today & when I find out about that & I'll make a post on it. EDIT: Or not. I read about what the "big announcement" was & it's just that a new Spider-Man book is coming out in the fall.

Until next time: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 208: More DC, Part 3

I think this will be the last part of the Brian & Scott talk about the DC Reboot but there could be more. This the 3rd part of a conversation. Entry 206 & 207 are the first 2 parts of the conversation.

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Good points and yes, I see the comparisons to Heroes Reborn as well. You're right.

Thanks. You have also made good points. HR is the best example I think what what seems to be going on but we'll just have to wait & see how it turns out.

But I think it's been planned like Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies planned out Doctor Who seasons. I think DC has planned it all for a very long time. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

SIDE NOTE: Those not in the know of who Russell T Davies & Steven Moffat are. Davies is the man who brought "Doctor Who" back to television in 2005 after a sixteen year hiatus. Davies has stepped away from the production & Moffat has taken his place as the main man behind the show.

I'm not sure. I think the Moffat run of Doctor Who is a departure of what Davies what doing with the show. Moffat has said that when he came on as the head of the show that he wanted to change many of the things about the show. So I'm not sure how much Davies has a say in what happening now.

Sucky thing for me is I can only get bits and pieces. I still need to finish Brightest Day and read Flashpoint.

I did not like Brightest Day as presented in my rant that was posted as Entry 195. I'd stay away from the main series if you could, just read about what it was on online & say the money. Most of the other stuff that spun out of Blackest Night that I read was good.

Now Flashpoint is still going on (It started last month) & I'm not currently reading it since their are so many related books & I don't have the money to pick up every book. So, I'd wait, like me, until they are all collected & read it then.

I'll say one thing for DC, I'm very hooked on everything. 52 Earths, Hal and Barry back, etc. It's all fun.

In the past few years I've been reading more & more DC related stuff. Most of what I've read has been good. There has been a few clunkers along the way but that's to expected. I've now been pulling back on what DC & Marvel books I read. Partly because I've gotten a bit burnt out & partly because I just don't have as much money anymore to spend on comics.

If this is truly what they say though, a real re-start, I'll just wait it out and only get trades of collected new JLA and JLI (hey, I'll try ANY JLA.) I'll read them and wait for the next reboot.

I plan on picking up the new JLI books since I liked the book it's spinning out of Justice League: Generation Lost, one of the better things I read to come out of Brightest Day. Not sure about the new JL books, I may pick up an issue or two to see what it's about.

Will you be picking up the Justice League Dark trade when it comes out? It's the League book with many of the Magical DC characters all teamed up together. I'm not sure how I feel about. Like the main League book, I'd pick up an issue or two to see what it's about.

I could never love a DC Universe/multiverse with no JSA, but I could like certain aspects of it (JLA, Flash, GL).

I don't think think they are truly gone. DC would be stupid to ignore the JSA & other characters (Power Girl, The Marvel Family, etc.) since there are fans of those teams/characters. They could be second tier of titles which DC will mostly produce. They have released what the launch titles are but in 6, 9 months their are bound to be books that don't work & there will be production slots that need filling.

Also, they are making DC Universe Presents, an anthology book which is being billed as "a new series that will focus on multi-issue story arcs each featuring a different superhero from the DC Universe’s rich cast of characters". So, some of those character who don't have a series might pop up there?

But this is all conjecture. We'll just need to sit back & see how it all unfolds. And if we don't like it there is always old comics we can read! :)

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With this post it makes June 2011 one of the most post filled months here on the Living For Wednesday blog, it ties with September 2010 with 9 entries. The most post filled month was January 2010 with 10 entries. But, it's only June 12th: we still have the rest of the month to go. I still got stuff to talk about & show you all which would easily fill more then 1 more entry. So, Thanks DC: for giving me something to talk about!

Until next time: Stay Jazzy everybody!

- Brian

This is Entry 207: More DC, Part 2

It's another day & another double post!

This is a continuation of the Conversion between Me & Scott over the *new* DC that started on Facebook, continued in Entry 206 & continues here.

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Some good answers

Thanks. You gave some stuff to think about & stuff worth responding to.

but not everything convinces me that DC isn’t pulling our leg.

As for DC pulling our collective legs I'm not sure. This could be the new direction but I haven't read much from DC other them the solicitations & they don't say much. Everything hinges on the final issue of Flashpoint, which is the last book that will be released before the reboot & Justice league, the 1st reboot book released.

I didn’t know Multiversity was due already. That’s a shame.

All I found talking about it was from 2009 & they said it was coming out sometime in 2010. I found nothing talking about it post 2009. So, what happened to it: I don't know. Only Grant Morrison & DC know.

The Earth 2 Superman who died in the Infinite Crisis was the true one. The one from old DC, who went to the pocket dimension with Lois, Alex Luthor of Earth 3 and Superboy Prime.

Yes. I know that. I just didn't mention it. :)

In that JSA annual, they said Superman and Powergirl were missing. I thought they said they went missing together.

If I remember correctly, it's been awhile since I read that issue: It said that Superman went missing first (During the 1st Crisis most likely) & their Power Girl went out later looking for him afterwards

The original Power Girl didn’t disappear after the Crisis so I take this as the Earth 2 we saw in that annual was a new Earth 2 created after the 52 earths were created. NOT the original. Which means why make the Superman of the new Earth 2 vanish? It’s refrenced in that JSA annual and the 52 series. I think it’s a loose end.

I think that was a reference to the Crisis on Infinite Earths: He went missing from Earth-2 then & some how when this new Earth-2 was created this carried over since at the time he still existed just in a pocket dimension & would have still been "missing" from that Earth-2. Why have certain things carry over? I don't know. This is just me trying to make sense of things.

In the new 52 (what? 52 books? Not 53? Not 49? 52? Why that number?)

Why 52 new books? I don't know other then they seem to like the number. The 2 numbers can look like the same number placed back to back & flipped over. So, it might be that.

there is no refrence in the adverts for the JSA, Powergirl, Stargirl, etc.

I know! I mentioned no JSA & talked about no Power Girl about the very thing in Entry 205!

Now you’re right about sales. But the JSA are very popular. They’ve made it to the JLU and Brave and the Bold cartoons and Smallville (at least several members did). Mattel’s DC Universe Classics line is doing a JSA theme wave (wave 19). Of this toy wave and all three of those shows, Star girl is shown. Why not give her a book? Granted, Mister Terrific was given a new book, but besides Hawkman, he is the only one. And in Infinite Crisis we found out the new Mister Terrific would’ve been native to the old Earth 1.

Being in the JLU, B&B & Smallville is only the allusion of popularity. It's popular enough with the people putting together those shows & toys. But they might not be popular with the public at large.

I don't think Stargirl is a strong enough character to warrant a book. I don't think Mr. Terrific is a strong enough character to warrant a character either but he's getting a book somehow. In the JSA annual you also find out that he has a Earth-2 counterpart but I don't think he became Mr. Terrific there.

Why did Hawkman get a book? I think it's because of his involvement in Brightest Day. why would that matter in a rebooted DC? Not sure but if you read the end of BD I does look like DC is setting him up from something. Like something you'd tell in a Hawkman series.

So no old Earth 2 carry overs? Even popular ones?

At this point in time: no. Which is sad. I like Earth-2 & the people who emanated from it's universe. I had also been enjoying the Power Girl book.

There is a list compiled of the 52 Earths.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DC_Multiverse_worlds

I've seen it before & used it as a reference before.

On it we see that the main DCU is Earth 0, Earth 1 is their “fresh look Earth” that had two books recently, and the list goes on.

Ok. I'll give that what I was calling Earth-1 last time is actually Earth-0. But what 2 books are you thinking of from Earth-1? So, far only Earth-1: Superman has been released (Earth-1:Batman is still in the works) & I'm not even sure that "Earth-1" ties into the main DCU. I have looked at the E1:S book & thought it was ok. Not sure if was the best "start" to a universe.

Take note of Earth 16. Sure, they goofed up, but they made a point of saying the new Young Justice cartoon on Cartoon Network takes place on Earth 16. They never said that about the Brave and the Bold cartoon, which also began after the 52 earths were introduced. The new Green Lantern cartoon coming this fall ALSO was never given a certain Earth. Why was the Young Justice Earth given Earth 52?

I hadn't heard this since I haven't been watching the YJ cartoon or following any news around it. But I do known in the past people have said that certain people have been from certain other earths & then been corrected later on.

Bottom line: I agree with the concept you mentioned that Barry returned to the wrong Earth. This reboot is a sales gimmick. You are right. I doubt it will be for a single month and honestly, it may be for a year.

Of course it's a sale gimmick: Comic Nooks are built on sale gimmicks but I'm sure how long this will go on for. I think saying it'll be gone in a year is being short sighted. A one month is just crazy what with what DC is launches part of this reboot (The Day & Date digital releasing).

As for it will all turn out to be: Barry's on the wrong earth I don't know. I would kind of sucky if they did that since that's why they are just doing in Flashpoint.

We see 2 different costumed versions of Superman and Superboy.

We have seen 2 different covers from 2 different artists which means that could still be 1 Superman & 1 Superboy. I heard that Action Comics & Superman might take place in different point in time (AC being earlier then S) so that would account for the "different" costumes but that just conjecture.

We see Green Lantern remaining about the same

They didn't want to change it so much. They have a movie to tie into vaguely & Geoff Johns, the writer behind all things GL, is high up in company & was most likely in all the planning so his favorites got to stuff they way he wanted.

yet so many are drastically changed from Harley Quinn to Wondergirl.

Not sure about WG, but Harley's costume looks a bit like the one from the upcoming Batman video game. So, they might of changed to be like that so new readers wouldn't be "confused" about why didn't look the way she did in the game.

The peculiar absence of anyone originally from the old Earth 2 (no JSA, Powergirl, Jade whom they just brought back), Earth S (No Captain Marvel or Marvel Family relaunch) or Earth X (no Freedom Fighters relaunch).

You do bring up a good point. There do seem to be quite a few people missing from the new DC.

The fact that in the new Action 1 it’s listed that Superman was the first hero (again no JSA?), all of this just adds up to more mystery.

This just brings back up the point that since Superman was the 1st published super hero comic, he'd of course be the first hero. The JSA were just but first to make Superman seem younger.

I bet they just put the regular DCU on freeze for a period, play with these concepts, and then after it’s done it goes back.

Maybe. But there isn't really anything "new" there. It's just "old" concept doing in a slightly new way. I didn't see anything I didn't already recognize. There were no new characters. So, I don't see why this couldn't just be done in the regular DCU & make the changes gradually.

Hmmm. A comic company stopping everything and releasing a whole bunch of temporary new number one issues? Where have I heard that before? Maybe I should go ask Super Soldier, Dark Claw and Spider-Boy? Oh wait. Amalgam only got those number one issues. I’m referencing to that excellent gimmick when DC and Marvel stopped all their books for a couple weeks and published merged books as “Amalgam Comics”.

But you knew when they did Amalgam that they weren't going to do anything beyond those #1 issues. Here they seem to be saying "This is where we are going & this is what we are doing!"

*sigh* Wouldn't it be awesome if they did another Amalgam series? Still one of my favorite events/gimmicks.

Marvel did it gain when they stopped all their X-books and published new number one books called the Age of Apocalypse. This is the same thing.

But that was clearly an alternate dimension & you knew that they never have that as the main universe. Also, AoA happened before Amalgam.

What this seems more like is Marvel's "Heroes Reborn": After Onslaught (remember Onslaught?) killed most the major characters (except for the X-Men) were shunted off to a side dimension. All had new #1's, new costumes & the characters were "different" from the version pre-Onslaught. They were written & drawn by different people then before. They were "reborn"! Certain aspects of their earlier stories were redone in this new Universe & they were trying to get new readers to read comics. Does that sound familiar? Flashpoint is DC's Onslaught. We are going into "DC Heroes Reborn"

How long did Heroes Reborn last? a year. What happened? "Heroes Return" which brought them back to the main Marvel Universe & resumed their lives as normal to new talk of it ever again.

Don’t worry.

I would have said Don't Panic or added "Be happy". :)

All those clues will pan out someday.

eventually.

Is it smart playing such a long game? No. They’re losing readers and playing with their heads, and not in a good Sixth Sense way.

They'll continue to play with their hardcore reader because they know no matter what they do they'll still have people buying the book if only to complain about how bad it is.

Still, that’s my thinking. I could be wrong.

And I've given mine & I could also be wrong.

It could just be a bunch of guys saying “wouldn’t this be kewl if…” and “oops, well lets try this then”.

It's what they have always done, why would they change it now? :)

Guess we’ll see.

Yes we shall.

I look forward to your reply. Until then: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 206: More DC!

So....

I've been posting images of the *new* costumes of the reboot DC Characters over on my Facebook account. Most of the pictures have gotten some discussion going on but one has gotten a bit more going on there others. A friend of my mine, his name is Scott, who use to read comics but hasn't due to him not have enough discretionary funs to do so has been commenting & has been asking some questions. Answers that I think need more space then an answer in a Facebook reply thread could handle.

This all was posted under this picture of the *new* Deathstroke:


And Scott's comments start like this:

Kewl! I didn't realize it was 1994!

My reply is Everything old is new again!

His comment of it being 1994 again id one I've made & other have made. Another of the designs & characters all seem to be from an earlier time. Either the early 1990's or the late 1980's.

I still think it's all fake, and we'll find out this is one of the 52 earths. I still think they're not finished telling the story they've been leading up to for years, with the Anti-Monitor, 52 Earths, etc. I think we'll find everything back to normal after a month or so.

Now what Scott said here is a theory I've seen elsewhere around the 'Net. One theory I think is interesting is this: After Flashpoint, Barry Allen attempts to return to the main DCU but missed & ends up in this *new* DCU. It one of the better explanations I've read of how DC will explain the change over. Plus, it also gives them an "easy out" if it does work: Just have Barry return to the "Normal" DCU. :)

My reply was It is one of the 52 earths, It's the main Earth! :)

It is. The Earth where most of the comics that come out monthly which most people would consider the Main/Normal DCU is categorized as being Earth-1 (or Earth One). The First of the 52 Earths.

I continue....

As for everything going back to "normal" in a month or so: I seriously doubt that. DC this will most likely be how the comics will be for a couple of years before they make another change.

I still feel this way. I don't think DC would renumber/relaunch all their books & redesign their character for a few month stunt. Most likely over the next year they'll see what worked & what didn't: cancel a few book that didn't do well. The Big name book will return to their "legacy" numbering in 2 years & a number of the costumes will revert to a more "classic" version. And life will go on.

Me some more: Also, DC introduced the 52 earths about 5 years ago & have still yet to do much with them. I sort of wonder why they even brought back the "multiverse" if they aren't going to do anything with it?

I still wonder this & it will brought up again. Scott's rebuttal is this...

Because they are playing the long game. Whatever they are planning, they are building up to it. Come on! They bring back the alternate Earths, the GL Corps, Earth 2 Superman, The classic Legion AND the 90's Legion, The Anti Monitor? They have been planning this since before Infinite Crisis! Just wait. And how could it be the main Earth? JSA and Power girl are big sellers. They don't bring them back but they do bring back Men at War, Blackhawks and Omac? OMAC? No. It's all a plan.

Now since this was a public place we have another my friend's chime in. Here is Kirk:

Scott, You have more faith in the management of modern comics than I do. When the guy who wrote an incredibly awesome Justice League cartoon can't manage to recreate that same magic in the comic book because editorial is so incompetent, it really says something about the industry.

I think he referencing Dwayne McDuffie's work on the Justice League Unlimited cartoon & the Justice League comic book.

I do agree with Kirk that Scott might have too much faith in the management & I do think DC is "playing the long game" they have to but I doubt anyone at the company has been "planning this since Infinite Crisis". If they have, they haven't been doing a good job at it. It's all over the place.

To answer his question: How could this be the "main Earth"? It could be. They are the ones stirring the ship, we are only passengers.

Scott says that JSA & Power Girl are big sellers but I don't think that are as big a seller as he thinks. Comics are as big sellers as they once were. Even the top sellers aren't as big as they once were. They are no one where near 90's levels but they aren't even where they were 10 years ago.

Scott goes on...

And what about the fact that Power girl found Earth 2, and they already had a Power girl and they claimed their Superman was missing? Never followed up on.

Scott references the Justice Society Annual from 2008 where Power Girl makes it back to her "home dimension" of Earth-2. They did have a Power Girl there. As for Scott's comment they "never followed up on" Earth-2's Superman being missing, they did in the book.

Before Earth-2 was whipped out as part of Crisis on Infinite Earth, their Superman went out to fight. That was the last they ever saw him. Now when Earth-2 was recreated as part of the 52 Earth at the end of Infinite Crisis they still assumed him missing not knowing that he had died during the events of IC.

Now beyond this Annual they have yet to return this Earth since they have not had a reason too. (Power Girl knew it wasn't her Earth-2 anymore, has returned to Earth-1 & has made that her home). As with many of the other Earths. A number where visited in Countdown but many other haven't been. This to me, at this moment, seem like a missed opportunity.

Scott has another CoIE related question...

And why bring back the Anti Monitor just to have him hang around the anti matter universe?

I wasn't sure why he had returned but in what I found online: He returned because the Multiverse & the Monitors had returned. Now that to me seems kind of stupid.

Scott then asks about something that is just in the begin stages of what DC is doing..

And why did Constantine and Swamp Thing come back only to be rebooted? They didn't need to return for that.

Since they haven't done anything yet They'll carry over into the rebooted DCU. Why? I don't know. I don't work at the company & it's the best answer I have.

Then Scott starts to ask a whole Bunch of questions.

And some of the stuff on Rip Hunters chalkboard hasn't come true.

Not yet anyways. :) Rip's chalkboard might also reference things from alternate timelines.

And Hawkgirl wasn't resurrected for some reason.

It makes a better for a better story: this is the only reason I can think that she wasn't.

And has Starboy fulfilled his whole mission?

Yes. If your talking about the Starman who was a member of the JSA recently. He finished his missions (He had more then one) & had returned to his own time a few years ago. If not then I'm not sure who he's talking about.

Scott:

And what about Multiversity?

I'm guessing your talking about the 8 issue mini-series by Grant Morrison that is set with in the 52 earth Multiverse. As I've read the 1st 6 issues would all focus on 6 different earths where the last 2 issues would be about the the Multiverse as a whole. This series was expected some time last year. I can't find out much about other this when it was announced a few years. It is also something I've thought about. It seems like Morrison has gotten involved in Bat stuff lately. I'm not sure if he'll get around to it or not.

Scott:

And why wasn't Ralph resurrected?

At the end of 52, Ralph & Sue were seen as "Ghost Detectives". Actual Ghosts who are detectives & there is 1 other mention of them doing that I found. Then they disappeared into a light. So, they might of gone to heaven? I don't know. I'm just realting what I've read online. I do think a Ghost detective book with Ralph & Sue would be kind of cool.

Why was it so important that Prof Zoom brought back Barry?

So that we can have Flashpoint! :) This will maybe said at the end of that series.

And why make Earth 1 such a special jump on Earth if they were going to do the same thing on the main Earth (Earth 0)? It just doesn't add up.

I'm not sure what he's asking here. He might be referencing the Earth 1 line of books (so far only Earth 1: Superman has been released with an Earth 1: Batman in the works). I'm not sure if that line of book are even mention to tie into the main DCU.

As for things not adding up: they don't always in comics since we don't know everything that is going on or will go on. We will just have to wait & see.

Until I have more from Scott or other I bid thy a Stay Jazzy!

- Brian

This is Entry 205: The New DC, Part 4

This is the second time this month I've posted twice in a day but as I mentioned today DC released the images for the *new* Superman, Supergirl & Superboy titles, which can be seen Here.

I guess they aren't changing the "S" on his costume it was just drawn weird on the JLA cover. :) As for my reactions of the super costume changes over all: I think the top half of Superman's costume looks fine (it's different but fine), not liking it from the waist down. Supergirl's new costume looks... interesting, not really liking the boots but I do like the cape. And Superboy is now an android or something. And with those last titles: Action Comics, Superman, Supergirl & Superboy. All 52 of the rebooted titles have been announced.

But there is 1 title (well.. 2 titles) that are not on that list. Those 2 titles are Booster Gold & Power Girl. Looking at the what they have announced I'll still be able to see Booster monthly in Justice League International & I'm fine with that since I'll still be able to see him on a monthly basis in book relaunched book I was enjoying. Hopefully there is a enough time in his own book after Flashpoint to tie up some plot threads before the reboot so the readers of the book (Me & others) can fell that the plot threads weren't just dropped because of the reboot. I do wonder if any of the status quo from Booster's book will carry over (Will he continue being a "time cop"? What happens to Rip Hunter? More importantly what happens to Rani?)

But I have yet to read where I might be able to the continuing adventures of Kara Zor-L/Karen Starr: Power Girl!


Sketch of Power Girl drawn for me by Artist Colleen Coover at Emerald City ComiCon 2010.

I would have thought that if her book was continuing on that she would be announced with the other the Super titles since that is her linage (she is from Krypton after all! One from an alternate dimension but Krypton none the less). Also if she don't have her own title where might she show up? In the Justice Society book? That, like her own book, is apparently being cancelled since it wasn't listed as reboot title. Where might she end up?

Will she even be around? It happens anytime a reboot happens: Some characters are altered & other just disappear. But I'd think that would happen to Power Girl, what with her being a popular character. But I don't know. I wasn't there when they decided on what was New DC & what wasn't.

I've enjoyed both books & have had a some healthy run. Booster Gold has run for 47 issues. Power Girl has run for 24 issues. They are bound to have a few more put out before the reboot. This might mean that each will reach a milestone. Power Girl will get to Issue 25 & I think I know what that issue will be able. One I've been excited to read. Booster might not reach Issue 50. That is 3 issues away & the reboot happens in 2 months so until they ship 2 issues in a 1 month he might not make it. So, I might not get any meaningful resolution in either book. It would be nice but I'm not sure if I'll get it.

I'll just have to continue to do as I have done: continue to watch, read & hope for the best.

---------

Out of the 52 rebooted titles, here are the 10 I'm thinking about checking out:

- DC Universe Presents: Written by Paul Jenkins. Art by Bernard Chang. The sole anthology book. I like anthologies & I liked the old "DC Comics Presents" series.
- Justice League International: Written by Dan Jurgens. Art by Aaron Lopresti. I was already planing on picking up this book anyways before the reboot was announced. Plus, It's got Jurgens on the book!
- Justice League Dark: Written by Peter Milligan. Art by Mikel Janin. I waant to see what exactly this book is all about.
- The Flash: Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato. Art by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato. I like the Flash.
- Catwoman: Written by Judd Winick. Art by Guillem March. I enjoy both Judd's & Guillem's work.
- Batgirl: Written by Gail Simone. Art by Ardian Syaf & Vicente Cifuentes. I want to see how they get her up & about.
- Batwoman: Written by J.H. Williams III & Haden Blackman. Art by Amy Reeder. As with the JLI was already planning on picking this up anyways.
- All-Star Western: Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Grey. Art by Moritat. I don't read many westerns but the promotional text sounds interesting.
- Suicide Squad: Written by Adam Glass. Art by Marco Rudy. Interested in see what this is & where it goes.
- Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE: Written by Jeff Lemire. Art by Alberto Ponticelli. It's looks like it could be good.

Yes. The 10 titles I'd be willing to check out, the other 42 don't really hold much interest. Now I might also check them out but at this point in time & from what little I've read these are the ones that interest me.

Hmmm... I said I wanted to do more here on the Blog & This marks the 6th post for the month. Thanks DC! :)

Until next time: Stay Jazzy!

- Brian