First up here are the links for articles about DC´s new line up :
Now after the whole panic has calmed down a bit I got to think which DC titles I´m currently reading and what all the relaunches mean to my pull list. So here´s a rundown of it :
BATMAN THE ODDYSSEY - Currently the only Bat - title I read in the US format. So far there have only come out 6 issues and issue 7 is nowhere to be seen. Maybe it will come, maybe not. I have enjoyed the series so far and as one of the few left who enjoys Neal Adam´s art I would like to see the storyline finished. Especially if Neal Adams is really going to throw cavemen and dinosaurs into the mix.
As for the rest of the Batuniverse I´m buying the german BATMAN comic by PANINI which mostly includes the regular BATMAN series and BATMAN AND ROBIN. As usual they are a few months behind so it will be quite some time before the fallout from the DC relaunch reaches Germany.
My brother has BIRDS OF PREY on his pull list but so far the series couldn´t deliver and Ed Benes only managed to do the first issue.
BOOSTER GOLD - One of my favorite titles but as it ties directly into FLASHPOINT it will probably end. So far no new Booster Gold title has been announced but at least he´s part of the new JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL book. After JUSTICE LEAGUE - GENERATION LOST it was clear that there was a new JLI book coming I just didn´t expect it to take place in an alternate world. I probably have to check the new series out before deciding if it´s an adequate replacement to BOOSTER GOLD.
GREEN LANTERN - Having just recently returned to the Lanternverse I´m still a few issues behind on GREEN LANTERN and GREEN LANTERN CORPS. But as Geoff Johns is one of the architects of the whole relaunch debacle it looks like it´s going to be " business as usual " for the Emerald Knights. Although what that means in the mirror DC universe remains to be seen.
JONAH HEX - I have no idea how this is affected by the whole relaunch thing but since I´m only buying the issues by Jordi Bernet this makes no big difference to me.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA - As I said in my last post, thanks to Scott Kollins art the book is already headed to the chopping block. The series has delivered instant classics like the THY KINGDOM COME story ( which I have already re - read at least six times ) and got an adequate replacement with artist Jesus Merino but the currenty storyline is just a shadow of the quality of the title. I mean JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA was the one book to outdo even Grant Morrison´s JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA.
Speaking of the JLA, it has also been crossed out from my pull list as James Robinson couldn´t follow up the " oompaah " from his CRY FOR JUSTICE story and instead turned the title into ULTIMATE TEEN TITANS. At the moment it´s not going to come back to my pull list and since Jim Lee will be drawing the new series ( at least the first issue like with his W.I.L.D.Cats restart ) it´s surely to go on my brother´s pull list.
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES - I missed the boat on the new series so I´ll have to wait for the trades anyway. The only book with Legionnaires I´m reading right now is ADVENTURE COMICS and that´s only till the end of the Legion Academy story. From the new Legion titles that were announced so far none really looks like a blockbuster.
SUPERMAN - The two reasons I´m reading this series at all are JMS´" GROUNDED " story and Eddy Barrows art. So far there has been so much tampering with it that I´m not sure DC is going to finish the argument. As Eddy Barrows leaves for the new NIGHTWING series and Grant Morrison is taking over as SUPERMAN scribe ( without an artist announced so far ) it looks like I´m nearing a kryptonian - free period.
SUPERMAN / BATMAN - Speaking of one Superman title I also have to mention the other Superman book I´m reading - although from my brother´s pull list. Ever since Ed McGuiness wrapped up his last storyarc in issue 25 - directly after Carlos Pacheco´s masterpiece ABSOLUTE POWER - the series has been in a constant artistical decline. There was an okay issue with Power Girl by Kevin Maguire but from then on it only got worse and worse. As THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD this is one series where I´m glad it´s going to be put out of it´s misery.
And speaking about misery - how else could one describe the SUPERGIRL series. This book has been flip - flopping since issue 1 and so far no coherent idea has been visible. There was one issue where it seemed for 5 minutes that they could finally do something interesting but they already nixed it all in the next issue. So good riddance to this one too.
POWER GIRL - The other kryptonian Maid of Steel is kind of a mixed feeling thing. Amanda Conners initial 12 issue run was fantastic, hilarious and almost everything you could want from a Power Girl book ( it was only missing a few unobstructed boobie shots and Guy Gardner as guest star ). It could even have done with less superheroing and more personal stuff. But after issue 12 the whole tone changed and while the art and writing was no too horrible it also hadn´t found its footing. As it´s probably not going to be continued we´ll never know if it would have sizzled or rocked.
TEEN TITANS - I think I kept the book solely on the 2.99 thing but lately it has almost become unreadable. Add to that constant changes in the writing and art departement and you get abook that better ends sooner than later. There has been a new Teen Titans book announced but I think I can do without it especially since Brett Booth is one of my brother´s favorites and not mine.
I never read the TITANS book so the only thing I´m really going to miss will be TINY TITANS. I don´t have a lot of issues ( at least till my next comic order arrives ) but every one is three kinds of Airwolf.
WONDER WOMAN - Another book from my pull list and I have to say that so far I have been unimpressed by the relaunch. Maybe we have better luck with the next one.
And now to the titles that have been announced so far, and I´m trying to be brief on that one :
AQUAMAN - as a plus it got Ivan Reis. On the other side it has Aquaman and if BRIGHTEST DAY has taught me one thing than that an Aquaman book can be quite boring even when drawn by Ivan Reis. Prospect 40 percent.
BATGIRL - at least seems to get rid of Stephanie Brown as Batgirl but also wipes out Oracles history. Prospect 0.
CAPTAIN ATOM - One of THE breakthrough characters of JUSTICE LEAGUE - GENERATION LOST this could be one of the more interesting books. If it hadn´t been after the whole BRAND NEW DC thing. Now it´s more a question of how much of the original Captain Atom is left in this version. All the changes, trials and tribulations he had to go through in GENERATION LOST have been wiped out so this is probably not the Captain Atom you´ve grown fond of. Prospect 10 percent.
FIRESTORM - since it includes Jason Rusch....prospect 0.
FLASH - the current series hasn´t piqued my interest so far and it looks like this won´t change. I´m a big Flash fan but DC has managed to alienate from a title I used to follow religiously. After reading the issue I got at the Comicbörse Stuttgart I was a bit curious what this war between the Rogues and the Reverse Flash is all about. But since all of this will be wiped out anyway we don´t even know if there will be any rogues left. Prospect 0.
GREEN ARROW - was last on my pull list with the first issues of GREEN ARROW & BLACK CANARY issues but at the moment he´s not going to make a return. Prospect 0.
HAWK & DOVE - are you kidding ? Not even my brother would be so stupid as to get this one. And he bought the original series. Prospect...do you really have to ask ? Even below zero. Waay below zero.
HAWKMAN - another relaunch another new origin, just as they were finally bringing them all together. too much confusion for my taste so....prospect 0.
MISTER TERRIFIC - doesn´t sound so terrific to me as I´m not sure he got what it takes to be in the spotlight. Prospect 0.
NIGHTWING - has art by Eddy Barrows which means I will probably get every third issue as the others are going to be by fill in artists. Prospect 30 percent ( or 100 percent foe every third issue ).
RESURRECTION MAN - this is the one that is definitely going to be on my pull list as it unites one of my favorite DC characters of all time with the original art team and my favorite artist from JUSTICE LEAGUE - GENERATION LOST. Oh yeah, baby. Prospect 110 percent.
SWAMP THING - good news for Mike Sterling but the last issue I got was one drawn by Richard Corben. Unless someone from my top artists list is doing a n issue it´s just not going to happen. Prospect 0.
BATWOMAN and CATWOMAN are not on my pull list and that will not change. BIRDS OF PREY is on my brother´s pull list and I really don´t care if he´s going to get the new series or not. STATIC SHOCK has Scott McDaniel on art chores who´s a favorite of my brother but I think even he is tired of constantly following him from book to book.
All other books I haven´t mentioned are just too much beneath me.....only kidding.
So from the 7 ór 8 DC books I´m reading at least 2 will stay on my pull list and only 1 of the remaining will be missed. And from the newly announced so far only 2 are good candidates for my pull list. Keeping in mind that only 1 of them is probably going to manage without fill - in artists it looks as there will be a few gaps in my reading schedule that I can fill with more indy titles like I always wanted.
Or I could cut back a bit since I should really reduce the amount of money I spend on comics. Thanks DC for making it so easy.
BUT WAIT THERE´S MORE - OTHER COMIC NEWS ( AND STUFF )
DC is not the only comic company that has been making news since Terry Hopper´s BLACK TOWER COMICS are going to reboot the entire line in their upcoming FLUSHPOINT event. Really a hilarious read that cracked me up.
As for DC´s distinguished competition here´s a new interview with Alex Alonso about digital comics and movies , Johnathan Hickman and Steve Epting talk about the future of the FF and Fred Van Lente and Dale Eaglesham speak about life imitating their new Alpha Flight series with the newest political developments in Canada.
Since we had ( kind of ) an end and a new beginning in our last post here is an interview with Terry Moore about the end of ECHO , the start of RACHEL RISING and digital comics.
I don´t know what it is but I never got around to do a post about Terry´s big metal bikini sf opus ECHO and I also never did a post about STRANGERS IN PARADISE although it was one of my favorite series. I had hoped to get the chance to do a post on ECHO during my BLOG WITHOUT SUPER HEROES month but I never got around to do it.
Well, now it´s too late ( as the ECHO series is wrapping up in a few short months ) but if Terry´s track record so far is any indication RACHEL RISING is going to be another instant classic.
If you are a fan of his STRANGERS IN PARADISE and you haven´t checked out ECHO you´re definitely missing out. There are already 5 trades out collecting issues 1 to 25. And if you haven´t read STRANGERS IN PARADISE go and get it now. What are you waiting for ? This series has my unconditional recommendation and it´s one of the best you´ll ever read. Just ask anyone.
For those who still have to jump on the ECHO band wagon here are a few preview pages from ECHO - issue 1 / issue 20 / issue 22
Over at ARCHIE COMICS Kevin Keller may become the first openly gay soldier and THE LINE IS DRAWN offers a new chapter of it´s popular mash - up series this time combing famous movie posters with comics
For my german readers I wanted to mention Christoph Roos blog one more time because besides having updates on the BOOK OF SHADOWS webcomic it also has brilliant articles about Charles Bronson , Geier´s new NICK comics and the slow dissapearances of german Kioske , those small newsstands where you could buy comics, pulp novels, adult nudie magazines and sweets. At the moment he´s writing a very interesting series about war movies.
As for the ever popular top 10 lists Today´s 10 TV Cop Shows that changed the medium comes from TOP ONLINE COLLEGES Jennifer Lynch. Thanks, Jennifer. You can find many more interesting articles in their archives. And if you also want articles or top 10 lists featured on this blog just send me an e - mail.
In the video section we continue with the MUPPET SHOW this one is with Brooke Shields and the Muppets are doing their version of Alice in Wonderland. The Jabberwoky number is just incredible. I think the Muppets are a perfect fit to bring Lewis Caroll to the stage.
New to the blog ? Everything you need to know about TALES FROM THE KRYPTONIAN : top ten posts / more posts of interest
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