Comic Books Comic Book • Page 455

I like events for the most part, but I hate DC’s approach to them. I genuinely couldn’t tell you the last one I enjoyed. Dark Crisis and Shadow War last year were both pretty bad, which is bonkers to me because DC books were absolutely killing it last year. I just don’t get how DC have such a strong lineup of monthly books, and drop the ball every 2 months on a terrible event.

 

I didn't love Dark Crisis like I loved all of Scott Snyder's events, but I still found a lot to enjoy in it. Black Adam's arc was good, I liked Pariah's motivation, I liked the gathering of the future state JL, even though I would have liked way more of that, and I thought the animosity between Deathstroke and Dick was excellent, I liked the whole titan arc. I was expecting to like it more though, since I love Joshua Williamson and the "death of the Justice League" was a tantalizing, though certainly cliche and underdeveloped, starting off point. Also the art was always great (it tends to be in event books imo). In fact the stuff I disliked the most was the stuff Tim is talking about, the continuity reset stuff, but I thought there was plenty of meat in there before you got to a lame epilogue.

I don't remember shit about Shadow War, so yeah, that couldn't have been great. I don't remember if that was Deathstroke v Batman or Batman v Robin.

 

As someone who’s read and enjoyed all of the recent ones for the most part, the biggest problem with all of these events is editorial and not actual story. They just don’t talk to each other or get screwed by outside factors. Doomsday Clock was good and the next natural step following Rebirth, but took way too long to come out (12 issues in 2 years) so they have to stall for time and end up reaching Death Metal less than a year later. Death Metal opens things up and sets up 5G/Future State but Didio gets fired and they scrap the entire initiative. This leaves them without a direction going into Infinite Frontier, and based on the events leading into Dark Crisis, I’m guessing Joshua Williamson was supposed to write JL going forward and was going to setup his story long-term, but then Bendis gets put on the book instead and it’s aimless. DC then turns Williamson’s longer term Crisis into a too soon event that still feels tied to 5G since that’s what it was originally coming out of and probably was the plan for the end of that era. Also John’s comes back and hates what Death Metal did and what 5G was so he writes Flashpoint Beyond which takes us back to Doomsday Clock and spoils Dark Crisis, two months early and also incorrectly.

One long term plan with one vision would help DC so much right now because all of this comes down to lack of focus. The areas where they do have it (Vampire Universe, Tom Taylor’s Elseword’s stuff, most of the monthly books that don’t affect the overall narrative) are really good, but JL and the events are the major hole right now.

 

Flashpoint Beyond spoiling Dark Crisis was definitely insane. I remember it was posted about in here before I read it and I was thinking, hey it can't be that bad, but no they just spell it out for you.

Also any defense I'm making for DC is purely on the talent, and I completely agree about shitty management.

 

I'm not really interested in the big picture, things like huge crossover events and continuity resets. I think it's kinda silly that we've had New 52, Rebirth, and now Infinite Frontier in what feels like a relatively short time span. I kinda just gravitate toward a few characters I like, and in the case of DC that mostly ends up being Batman-adjacent stuff. I've been into superhero stories as long as I can remember, but mostly through shows and movies. I wasn't really into comics growing up, closest I ever got was downloading manga scanlations when that was a thing. I'd owned all of Rurouni Kenshin--for a while those were the only graphic novels I had--but I gave them away after hearing some gross stuff about the mangaka. What kicked off my current obsession with graphic novels is when I read American Born Chinese for a class. I was so excited, I didn't know Asian people in America also did comics. I noticed Gene Luen Yang had also written for ATLA, so I got those, and eventually the TLOK comics, too. I gradually gathered comics for things like Adventure Time, Life is Strange, Paper Girls, The Walking Dead: Clementine, Harley Quinn: the Animated Series--y'know, gay shit. Back on the topic of DC, I eventually accumulated a few other Harley stories, Tynion's Detective Comics Run, Batwoman: Elegy, the first volume of Batgirls, DC Pride, some stuff from DC's YA imprint. The other half of my collection is standalone stories. I've been mostly interested in queer/poc stories/authors. Some Tillie Walden, some Mariko & Jillian Tamaki, for instance. Got a few graphic memoirs here and there. Lots of titles from First Second. Recently really took advantage of that Image BOGO sale B&N had; SFSX in particular looks really interesting. So far I haven't read most of my collection, though. I now have a huge backlog that I'm gradually getting through, slowly but surely.

 

Doomsday Clock was such a stupid wet fart that I can’t believe I wasted so much time and money on, lol. I wasn’t an active reader in Johns’ heyday and thought, based on his reputation in parts of fandom, that he’d do a good job, but it was just Watchmen Babies and continuity nonsense. That, Three Jokers, and the behind the scenes drama of the Krypton show & Snyder’s Justice League destroyed my opinion of him and his work.

Him going back to the JSA well and dragging more Watchmen stuff with him sounds like self-parody, but it’s somehow real.

 

On a positive DC note, love that Poison Ivy went from a miniseries to a maxiseries, and then just got extended again into an ongoing.

My favorite DC character getting her due in an excellent, apparently very successful series, written by G Willow Wilson… is just heavenly. That and New Champion of Shazam! were the best DC books for me last year.

 

I heard the latest issue of Poison Ivy was really good! Didn't know it got extended, again!

 

They just announced it yesterday. My girl Ivy getting a solo book that lasts that long is wild in the best way.

 

Completely forgot about Flashpoint Beyond hah but yeah the talent isn’t the issue. DC have amazing talent and as I say fantastic monthlies. I’ll always be an X-Men fanboy but DC are far above marvel, sans X-Men, at the moment when it comes to the ongoings. But it doesn’t seem like they have that trust in their talent to just let someone go out and own it when it comes to their events.

 

Finally was able to get a hold of Marcy and Simon. Olivia Olson wrote such a great little epilogue for the two characters, it's everything I wanted it to be

edit: also just finished Paper Girls. Wow, what a ride. I think I prefer the slower pacing and some of the changed story beats of the show, though. Not that I didn't enjoy the comics, I loved reading the series. It's just, now that I have read it, I'm even more disappointed about the show's cancelation, seeing what the show could have been.

 

Very interested in what angle proud Kirby guy Tom Scioli takes with Stan’s complicated legacy.

 

If you like the floppy single issue format and like Superman, DC put out a facsimile reprint of Superman #1 last year that rules. It’s $6.99, which made me wait ‘til I had a low week before grabbing it, but you do get 60 pages of story for that price!

Love spending time with Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster’s fascinating early work with the Man of Tomorrow.

I think the highlight for me might’ve been the two-page prose story in the back. It opens with cops finding a patent office wrecked by Superman because of stolen inventions, which is very “hm… ” to me. Then the cops try to trap Supes in an elevator, but Clark Kent walks out instead and trolls them, even threatening to print an embarrassing article unless they do him a favor later. Truly love this early “champion of the oppressed” version who can be a bit of a stinker sometimes.

 

Really love this Ramona Fradon variant cover for an upcoming Superman comic. Can’t believe she’s still doing this at 96 yrs old.

 

Just wanted to post a quick update, finished Tynion's Detective Comics run and it is indeed a great Batfam story w/ Kate, Steph, and Cass (and Babs!) , exactly what I was looking for, thanks for the rec guys

 

If you haven’t already, you should read the current ongoing Batgirls. It’s so fun.

 

About 2/3 through SFSX vol1, it's really good, but... a lot. Kinda wanna check out Sunstone, sounds like it's got all of the kink and none of the trauma. Already love Stjepan's Harleen

It is fun indeed! I've already preordered the second tpb

 

Sorry, I read monthly but the second TPB is Bat Girl Summer right? That’s even better than the first arc.

 

I think that's the title of it, yeah. Exciting!

 

Not sure if you’ve read it but the current run of Harley Quinn by Stephanie Phillips is really really good too! She’s finishing up soon which I’m sad about but that run has made me a huge fan of hers and I’d read anything she’d write, like the also excellent Grim.

 

I've been meaning to check it out! I haven't read any solo Harley but I like the art style more than previous runs

 

The art style is why I picked it up! The really great writing and character work is why I stuck with it.

 

This interview with Dan DiDio about his new Frank Miller Presents company and his time at DC is a very interesting read. Highly recommended.

 

I have been reading a whole bunch of DC comics, some thoughts & stuff

Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 1 & 2

It's a shame that the Green Lantern movie didn't turn out great because this stuff is made for the big screen. The pacing and build up is great, there is always something coming if shit hasn't already hit the fan. Great art (although some of the fill in artists can be lacking, with a particularly egregious issue in the New 52 run) and a nice variety of villains as well, along with some inventive concepts. That said, you get the cliches and troupes associated with a blockbuster (comic book) but as long as you know Johns is not trying to reinvent wheel, there is a ton to enjoy.

Green Lantern Corps vol. 1-6 by Peter J. Tomasi:

I've seen it said that the non-Hal Jordan Green Lanterns lack character development. I think that may be accurate from what I read, although the enjoyment and development that does happen is the relationship and bonds between the various Green Lanterns, from Sector 2814 or otherwise. Some original characters as well and they are welcome additions.

Never read a Green Lantern comic book before but now I am a fan! I am working my way through all the New 52 GL stuff (at least for now), I'm almost to the first event of that era.

Additionally, I am working my way through Geoff John's run on Justice Society of America as well as reading a decent chunk of the lead up to Infinite Crisis, including the ties ins. I am currently right where they come together in my reading order. I had never read a book by Gail Simone but have heard nothing but good things about her work so I went into Villains United with fairly high expectations and they were met. Good stuff! Rann Thanagar War is forgetful at best and I have not finished Day of Vengeance because I am not there yet.

I have already read 52 (11/10, 5 stars + 2 bags of popcorn) so I'm doing stuff out of order but I should be good.

EDIT: I forgot about The OMAC Project. Great job Batman!

 

You'll want to wait to read it until you get to the point in John's story, but he creates a new Green Lantern named Jessica Cruz who fucking rules and was one of my favorite heroes, sadly she's been forgotten about for a bit. The series that features her Green Lanterns is excellent, as is the series Justice League:Odyssey.