Comics and things
Jul. 17th, 2005 06:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caiusbackupVia ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
evadne_, Waid is going to write a new Brave and Bold series! In the classic[1] "Anyone and anyone else" format! YAY!
In other news, I requested Green Lanterns in swimsuits over on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
illustrate_me and Houie is drawing them! Yay! You should all go look if you haven't seen already.
Also, the first issue of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatthies's Defenders mini is coming out this coming Wednesday! JLI fans take note!
As for stuff from this past week.greenygal manages to express my rage over Green Arrow 52 far more eloquently and coherently that I could. Brief version: the retcon that turns the Arrows' secret IDs from a joke to an area of SERIOUS CONCERN was silly, and does not need to be highlighted in this manner. Also, the artwork sucks and most of the rest of the writing is nonsensical.
Action Comics 829, written by Gail Simone and part 2 of the Superman/Wonder Woman/OMAC Project "Sacrifice" xover, has quite a bit of fun heroics and greater-JLA interaction in between the obligatory Countdown Angst. In general, good times, though it's preparing for further ANGSTNESS in the next installment.
Wonder Woman 218 wraps up some of the aftermath of the Trip To the Underworld storyline, two weeks before the title gets wrapped up in the "Sacrifice" tie-in mentioned above. Gods and villains and intreigue, and as per usual with this title, I don't necessarily understand what's going on but find it a good read anyway. Some of my flist might be interested by the presence of Cassie and (briefly) a pre-Teen Titans 24 Kon. (Wonder Woman has been running late recently.)
Seven Soldiers: Manhattan Guardian 3: Honestly, I should probably just drop these, especially since there are indications from DC that 7Soldiers is not just a mildly diverting Elseworld but, in fact, an Indication Of How The DCU Will Be post-Infinite Crisis. Under Morrisson's supervision. Ergh. I like Morrisson generally, but he's around the level of Geoff Johns on PEOPLE I DO NOT WANT REDESIGNING MY COMICS UNIVERSE. Also, I have an irrational fondness for the OLD Seven Soldiers, and they are increasingly becoming a reason *not* to buy this (cf. the major retcons in Sir Justin) rather than *to* buy it.
Not that they have a stable membership post-Crisis, anyway.
That aside. The current issue had robots, a Global Village, marital conflict, and, on the whole, came accross as quite slimy. *shrug* Morrisson, I suppose, except with more coherence than he sometimes manages.
JLA 116: Necessary IC fallout, and if IC had to happen, this bit does too. I liked Carter in this. And Ollie, though dear, it was Dinah who saved Carter, and you were lucky she was apparently to distracted to correct you. Also an acknowledgement that the Star Sapphire here is the one from Secret Society of Super-Villains, and while she is not Carol Ferris, Carol hasn't been retconned either; when she first showed up in the last issue, I was thrown for a loop to say the least. Nice to see J'onn, too, and from the ending, it looks like he may ultimately be part of the key to this.
Rann-Thanagar War 3: The geeky love is wearing out on this for me, leaving it merely overcrowded and rushed. (Although I still want to go read more of Invasion and do a Who's Who of in DCU Space, for my own amusement as much as anything else.) But, well, at least Gibbons is making progress in pointing Our Heroes in the Right Direction. Also, this series was instrumental in making me finally read L.E.G.I.O.N., which gave me enough joy for *several* ultimately boring minis.
Fannish gifts, though, to anyone who can explain satisfactorily what Prince Gavyn is doing here and why he's not dead.
I also had a couple of trades come in for me today.
Cosmic Odyssey: Finally I found the story where John Stewart destroys Xanshi! Unfortunately, that plot thread is pretty badly done; basically John is being ridiculously overconfident of his ring power and then is overcome by a yellow-painted Doomsday device. Trying to figure out *when* this happens only makes it worse; as far as I can determine, this took place right after the lantern battery went kablooie, depowering most of the corps (including, although I *may* remember this wrong, John, who shows no sign of being ringless in this series); not the time I'd expect John to play his Cocky Young Green Lantern card.
Aside from that, however, it's a pretty good mini. It brings together a lot of people from around the DCU without most of the tie-in chaos you get in Big Events, so it's pretty self-contained. It also gets points for featuring Darkseid on the side of the angels (if, ultimately, with his own agenda), which is how I prefer him.
The Complete Jon Sable Freelance Volume 2: Created, written, and illustrated by Mike Grell, and therefore PRETTY. Which is mostly why I read it, but it has plenty of well-done mystery and action stuff, too. It's really a lot like Grell's GA run--Grell is Grell, after all--only with OCs that Grell can do what he wants with. And guns rather than arrows. Also, Jon Sable, freelance adventurer/mercenary/what have you, has a Sekrit Identity of B.B. Flemm who writes childrens books. Which is just plain cool.
[1] Not the original anthology format, as may disappoint any fans of the Silent Knight that still exist. But not the "Batman and someone else" format, either. Or, indeed, the more recent meaning of "Flash and Green Lantern"...
evadne_, Waid is going to write a new Brave and Bold series! In the classic[1] "Anyone and anyone else" format! YAY!In other news, I requested Green Lanterns in swimsuits over on
illustrate_me and Houie is drawing them! Yay! You should all go look if you haven't seen already.Also, the first issue of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatthies's Defenders mini is coming out this coming Wednesday! JLI fans take note!
As for stuff from this past week.
greenygal manages to express my rage over Green Arrow 52 far more eloquently and coherently that I could. Brief version: the retcon that turns the Arrows' secret IDs from a joke to an area of SERIOUS CONCERN was silly, and does not need to be highlighted in this manner. Also, the artwork sucks and most of the rest of the writing is nonsensical.Action Comics 829, written by Gail Simone and part 2 of the Superman/Wonder Woman/OMAC Project "Sacrifice" xover, has quite a bit of fun heroics and greater-JLA interaction in between the obligatory Countdown Angst. In general, good times, though it's preparing for further ANGSTNESS in the next installment.
Wonder Woman 218 wraps up some of the aftermath of the Trip To the Underworld storyline, two weeks before the title gets wrapped up in the "Sacrifice" tie-in mentioned above. Gods and villains and intreigue, and as per usual with this title, I don't necessarily understand what's going on but find it a good read anyway. Some of my flist might be interested by the presence of Cassie and (briefly) a pre-Teen Titans 24 Kon. (Wonder Woman has been running late recently.)
Seven Soldiers: Manhattan Guardian 3: Honestly, I should probably just drop these, especially since there are indications from DC that 7Soldiers is not just a mildly diverting Elseworld but, in fact, an Indication Of How The DCU Will Be post-Infinite Crisis. Under Morrisson's supervision. Ergh. I like Morrisson generally, but he's around the level of Geoff Johns on PEOPLE I DO NOT WANT REDESIGNING MY COMICS UNIVERSE. Also, I have an irrational fondness for the OLD Seven Soldiers, and they are increasingly becoming a reason *not* to buy this (cf. the major retcons in Sir Justin) rather than *to* buy it.
Not that they have a stable membership post-Crisis, anyway.
That aside. The current issue had robots, a Global Village, marital conflict, and, on the whole, came accross as quite slimy. *shrug* Morrisson, I suppose, except with more coherence than he sometimes manages.
JLA 116: Necessary IC fallout, and if IC had to happen, this bit does too. I liked Carter in this. And Ollie, though dear, it was Dinah who saved Carter, and you were lucky she was apparently to distracted to correct you. Also an acknowledgement that the Star Sapphire here is the one from Secret Society of Super-Villains, and while she is not Carol Ferris, Carol hasn't been retconned either; when she first showed up in the last issue, I was thrown for a loop to say the least. Nice to see J'onn, too, and from the ending, it looks like he may ultimately be part of the key to this.
Rann-Thanagar War 3: The geeky love is wearing out on this for me, leaving it merely overcrowded and rushed. (Although I still want to go read more of Invasion and do a Who's Who of in DCU Space, for my own amusement as much as anything else.) But, well, at least Gibbons is making progress in pointing Our Heroes in the Right Direction. Also, this series was instrumental in making me finally read L.E.G.I.O.N., which gave me enough joy for *several* ultimately boring minis.
Fannish gifts, though, to anyone who can explain satisfactorily what Prince Gavyn is doing here and why he's not dead.
I also had a couple of trades come in for me today.
Cosmic Odyssey: Finally I found the story where John Stewart destroys Xanshi! Unfortunately, that plot thread is pretty badly done; basically John is being ridiculously overconfident of his ring power and then is overcome by a yellow-painted Doomsday device. Trying to figure out *when* this happens only makes it worse; as far as I can determine, this took place right after the lantern battery went kablooie, depowering most of the corps (including, although I *may* remember this wrong, John, who shows no sign of being ringless in this series); not the time I'd expect John to play his Cocky Young Green Lantern card.
Aside from that, however, it's a pretty good mini. It brings together a lot of people from around the DCU without most of the tie-in chaos you get in Big Events, so it's pretty self-contained. It also gets points for featuring Darkseid on the side of the angels (if, ultimately, with his own agenda), which is how I prefer him.
The Complete Jon Sable Freelance Volume 2: Created, written, and illustrated by Mike Grell, and therefore PRETTY. Which is mostly why I read it, but it has plenty of well-done mystery and action stuff, too. It's really a lot like Grell's GA run--Grell is Grell, after all--only with OCs that Grell can do what he wants with. And guns rather than arrows. Also, Jon Sable, freelance adventurer/mercenary/what have you, has a Sekrit Identity of B.B. Flemm who writes childrens books. Which is just plain cool.
[1] Not the original anthology format, as may disappoint any fans of the Silent Knight that still exist. But not the "Batman and someone else" format, either. Or, indeed, the more recent meaning of "Flash and Green Lantern"...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 01:00 am (UTC)*drops dead of fannish glee* Oh, my god, YES. This makes me so happy.
Also, the first issue of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatthies's Defenders mini is coming out this coming Wednesday! JLI fans take note!
*takes note, and will be there*
It also gets points for featuring Darkseid on the side of the angels (if, ultimately, with his own agenda), which is how I prefer him.
*blinks* Okay, I'm fairly certain this is the first time I've ever heard anyone express that view of Darkseid. Is there a particular reason you like him done this way?
The Complete Jon Sable Freelance Volume 2: Created, written, and illustrated by Mike Grell, and therefore PRETTY. Which is mostly why I read it, but it has plenty of well-done mystery and action stuff, too.
I've been picking up the new mini, partly out of mild nostalgia--I own the first five issues, plus, Grell--but mostly because it's the prettiest thing on the racks right now. It's not bad, although I find myself uncharitably thinking "Good lord, aren't you over the deaths of your family yet?" I may get to the collection sometime, but not just at present. And GRIMJACK is in line ahead of it, anyway.
It's really a lot like Grell's GA run--Grell is Grell, after all--only with OCs that Grell can do what he wants with. And guns rather than arrows.
You know Sable appeared unofficially in GA, right?
Also, Jon Sable, freelance adventurer/mercenary/what have you, has a Sekrit Identity of B.B. Flemm who writes childrens books. Which is just plain cool.
That bit is definitely...different. *g*
no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 02:44 am (UTC)*shrug* Well, I like Darkseid in Big Cosmic Threat mode (and granted I don't have a terrible lot of experience with him; I've never read the actual Kirby stuff, so mostly my exposure is incidental). But when he's in Big Cosmic Threat mode he's, well, a Big Cosmic Threat, and moreover he always has to be taken down, frequently by heroes I don't think should actually be able to *do* so (Superman pinned him to the Source Wall? WTF?). But when he's being a Cosmic Power that occasionally has to be allied with, he's, I don't know. He's allowed to be *present* and to exert his full force even, and not have to be continuously opposed and/or actually take over the universe. Plus it's fun to watch heroes have to deal with him.
Also JLI made me rather unreasonably fond of "Oh just go back to your planet. You're not worth it!" Darkseid.
I've been picking up the new mini, partly out of mild nostalgia--I own the first five issues, plus, Grell--but mostly because it's the prettiest thing on the racks right now. It's not bad, although I find myself uncharitably thinking "Good lord, aren't you over the deaths of your family yet?" I may get to the collection sometime, but not just at present. And GRIMJACK is in line ahead of it, anyway.
I'm also picking up the mini, again basically for the pretty. And, well, does ANYONE in comics ever get over it? Though I'd have more of a perspective on the plotline at ALL other than "Oooooo, pretty!" if I'd come to that with more idea of what was before.
GRIMJACK is something I'm thinking I should go get, becuase, Ostrander, and because I hear good things about it. But it is less pretty so I haven't.
You know Sable appeared unofficially in GA, right?
NO! Or, presumably I read the issue, but I wouldn't have remotely recognized Sable at that point.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 03:05 am (UTC)Okay, yes, I can see what you mean here. It was just a little startling to hear someone say they liked Darkseid on the good guys' side. *g*
I'm also picking up the mini, again basically for the pretty. And, well, does ANYONE in comics ever get over it? Though I'd have more of a perspective on the plotline at ALL other than "Oooooo, pretty!" if I'd come to that with more idea of what was before.
Well, obviously I don't have that much idea what's come before either--if you've read one or both of the collections, you're way ahead of me--I suppose I just feel like it's haunting him to an excessive degree given that it's got to have been years by now. I don't expect it to have stopped hurting, but I would rather have expected him to stop having violent flashbacks.
GRIMJACK is something I'm thinking I should go get, becuase, Ostrander, and because I hear good things about it. But it is less pretty so I haven't.
We're so shallow. *g*
NO! Or, presumably I read the issue, but I wouldn't have remotely recognized Sable at that point.
I wouldn't have known him either, when I read it--and actually it's more a character with a strong similarity than it is Jon himself; for one thing there's no physical resemblance--except that the letters page was full of people who did recognize him talking about it. It's in #15-#16, right before the appearance of that other guy Grell created.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-19 03:55 am (UTC)You don't know about Prince Gavyn?! It was in James Robinson's Starman. Ummmm....I think it went vaguely....Gavyn's lifeforce was zapped into a beam that hit Will Payton of Earth (the Starman with a big upside down star on his chest--think he showed up in Zero Hour). Will did the Hawkgirl thing and died, being immediately restored and had his soul replaced by Prince Gavyn. Unaware of it, of course. Will's body was zapped away from Eclipso by aliens, who kept Will and tortured him....and, uh, I think Jack Knight rescued him. Then someone reveals Will's true nature and demands he go back to Prince Gavyn's job, and eventually he agrees, though he still isn't comfortable with Gavyn's alien nature. Postscript, Jack marries Will's sister and retires.
as far as I can determine, this took place right after the lantern battery went kablooie, depowering most of the corps (including, although I *may* remember this wrong, John, who shows no sign of being ringless in this series);
I believe Hal, Guy, John, Ch'p and Mogo retained their rings.
I believe this takes place after Katma Tui is murdered and John has his split with Hal. He explained his behavior later as hysterically trying to pretend to BE Hal in some wierd method of coping. Right after this comes GL 1, 3rd series, where John alternates between brooding despair and hysterical hyperactivity heroics.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-19 10:03 pm (UTC)Thanks for the explanation on Prince Gavyn--I'd gathered that it had something to do with Starman and Will Payton but, not having read that part of Starman, had no clue how we got from "Prince Gavyn's spirit gave Will Payton powers" to "Prince Gavyn wandering around space as if he was never dead."
I believe Hal, Guy, John, Ch'p and Mogo retained their rings.
I knew Guy, Ch'p and Mogo kept theirs by not being on Oa, and Hal by, um, going into the battery or something, but I wasn't sure about John. Been too long since I read those issues.
I believe this takes place after Katma Tui is murdered and John has his split with Hal.
This would make sense! Unfortunately, there's no sense of this in Cosmic Odyssey itself; the only reference to Katma (John appologizing to her when he prepares to kill himself) implies as much as anything that she's still alive. (And dating a crossover mini in trade relative to Action Comics Weekly is a headache in a half.) Kudos to whoever retconned the explanation, though--probably Gerard, I guess.