zomgcomics... all comics, all the time

I have some comics (paper back trades, pretty much) that I want to get rid off because I need the space and money. Is it allowed to do that over here, at all?

I have a Tumblr now. It's all about comics: http://empressith.tumblr.com/.
Please follow, comment and make suggestions! I appreciate it. #tumblr

Or how I learned to stop worrying and love Geoff Johns.

My first reaction to the DC reboot was "what, again?" Or as Lorne put it "Hm, another DC reboot? Has it been a year already?"

I have to say that what I'm most caught up about is this business with 52 #1s. I hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. We have comics in their 500s: Adventure Comics, 600s: Wonder Woman, 700s: Batman, Superman, Detective and 900s: Action Comics. And I am angry that they are being discontinued to make way for this #1 gimmicky bullcrap.

But something occurred to me. Is DC going to blow the chance to have an Action Comics #1000? Oh HELL no. They will revive the original numbering a la Wonder Woman, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Incredible Hulk, Invincible Iron Man and Mighty Thor in order to sell an oversized "not drawing the line at $2.99" anniversary book. Oh! I bet Alex Ross will do the cover. Maybe Jim Lee will do an alternate with an homage to Action #1 or any other famous Action title.

That was the worst part for me. Now that I'm over that, let's go to Problem #2: Digital Comics

People Are Going To Pirate Them. People torrent comics now without someone scanning the pages in for them. I'm hoping that with the advent of the tablet people will be willing to keep a digital collection and pay for it. I won't because I love to have a physical copy. I like to read it and hold it and flip back pages and just enjoy as a comic should be enjoyed. But not everyone has that attachment the way I do.

However, that leaves the Local Comic Shop out in the dark. Imagine this, you can bypass your local comic shop and download comics from the laziness of your own home. That means your comic shop will have to work harder to sustain their part of the market. And are the numbers going to go down? I think DC Women Kicking Ass said that DC was offering full returns in September if you order 125% of what you ordered in May. So yeah, you can return it but you have to order MORE than you did in May. And are fans going to just drop the books? I know I will be dropping a lot of DC. I read a lot of DC right now and I'm not planning on grabbing the #1s on a lot of stuff. So that means Collectibles Unlimited, The Comic Store, Double Midnight and other shops are going to have to convince readers to grab the #1s. Is the local comic shop going to go the way of Blockbuster and Movie Gallery vs. Netflix?

Will new fans pick up the #1s? That I can't answer. If you have a great name recognition on the book (like the Geoff Johns/Jim Lee matchup on Justice League) people might try it. I've been so sick of Geoff Johns in the last few years I could scream, but I will give him a shot on Justice League.

But the other books? Brian Azzarello on Wonder Woman? Meh. Scott Lobdell on Teen Titans? Seriously, Scott Lobdell is still alive? I want DC to court Greg Rucka back. I want to see great writers on great characters. I want Gail Simone to write as much as her little fingers will let her. It's like I always say, I love DC characters, I hate DC editorial staff.

So I'm waiting on a lot of the announcements of writers and artists.

Let's move to Batman, shall we? Okay, Bats is going back to #1. (Sorry 1940. Your legacy sucks.) I assume Bruce will be Bats and based on the cover from Bleeding Cool Dick will be Nightwing again which is a damn shame because Dick and Damian as Batman and Robin was a fine read indeed. It was great to watch Dick try and take the burden of responsibility from Bruce. And I loved Tim as Red Robin.

So who's Robin? Damian? Tim? God forbid... Stephanie? Is Jason dead again?

And Batgirl? I've heard the rumor that Babs is going to be Batgirl. Is she cured? Or did the Joker never shoot her? What about Cassie? What about Stephanie? And for that matter, does that negate Birds of Prey? Birds of Prey with Gail Simone writing is one of the most fun books DC has to offer.

And DC's announced that Green Lantern is going to have 4 titles. Can they sustain 4? I'd say they've done okay sustaining three (of which I read one) but is four necessary? Yes, I get it. Geoff Johns is in love with Hal Jordan the way Bendis loves Luke Cage, but Luke Cage doesn't have four books at Marvel. Just sayin'.

And Diana? Are we getting rid of the new Jim Lee costume and JMS origin? Is someone going to give Diana the justice she deserves? If it's Brian Azzarrello on the book, I'm not convinced that's going to happen. New origin or old? New costume or old? Is someone going to make her relevant and not just the token girl of the Justice League? Diana deserves the same respect as Batman and Superman. DC has committed a crime against its readers by not making Diana the interesting, readable powerhouse she should be. Why is it that out of the Big Three Diana is the one who gets cancelled and rebooted the most? Why does she support one book and Superman and Batman can support 4+ titles? Remember Greg Rucka's run? That's how you do it, my friends.

Speaking of the Big Blue, who's going to do that? JMS is going to be writing graphic novels, so who is on the hook for Superman? New origin? Or is Earth 1 his origin? Is Lois in the dark again? I assume Pa Kent is still alive. What about Kara, dammit? And Conner? Where are they going to be? Krypto? (I love superpets. This is important to me.)

Aquaman is back. Meh. I got Peter David's run out of the quarter bin a few years ago and still kinda felt ripped off. Is Mera going to no longer be spewing Red Lantern gook? And the many forgettable deaths in the Aquaman family? Are those characters going to be around?

And what about the Martian Manhunter?

And the Flash? Is it all coming out of Flashpoint? I assume we're dealing with Barry, not Wally. Where's Bart? Max? Jay?

Speaking of Jay, what about the Justice Society? And the Legion? What are they going to do to my poor Legion this time??

To be fair, my favorite DC characters are: Tim Drake, Selina Kyle, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Wally West, Bart Allen, Flash Rogues Gallery, Kara Zor-El and Bats. Also, that Red Lantern Cat. I need to know what's going to happen to them before I decide to "Make Mine (Pretty Much Just) Marvel".

I guess what I need is answers. Right now, DC can say good-bye to a lot of my money. If I get announcements of writers that I'm happy about, I'll give the titles another shot. If it's some no name writer and artist, I have no interest in investing myself into another DC Universe that's going to be gone before you can say Zero Hour.

I think I compared this reboot to the New Coke the other day. I hope that when everyone starts screaming about how they miss Classic DCU (post-Crisis) we can get it back. But how many people complained after the original Crisis? Did it do any good? Is the widespread use of the Internet going to give DC the feedback they need on this?

I don't want DC to fail. I don't want any company that produces comics to fail because I love this industry and I want everyone to be successful. I want DC to be successful but I don't want their success to come by alienating readers and local comic shops. I just want it to be fair for everyone.

And to be fair to DC, props on a ballsy move. But it may be too much for me. I might just stay home.

Yeah, I did. I actually stopped playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance and working and whatever the hell else I do to read some comics...


Here's a quick review. Thoughts are always welcome.


BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #13

I am actually getting into the Manhunter part of this series. I dunno. The book is $4 and I'm thinking about dropping it soon. It's just not doing much for me.


SUPERMAN BOOKS:

Adventure Comics featuring the Guardian #1

Action Comics #871, 872

Supergirl #35, 36

Superman #681, 682

Superman: New Krypton Special #1

Okay, so I'm behind in Superman. JMS writing Superman has prompted me to play some catch up and I gotta say, I like what I see. Supergirl, which has historically been terrible has been pretty good. The Superman family of comics has been flowing very well. I'll continue to get caught up and let you all know what I think of Superman being on walkabout.


X-FORCE: SEX & VIOLENCE #2

Seems kinda unneccesary for Wolverine and Domino to be having sex AND killing assassins. But like the entire run of X-Force, it's just fun. It doesn't claim to be high brow or anything but what it is. I like X-Force and I'll keep buying it when it becomes UNCANNY X-FORCE.


THOR #612

Thor has been awesome since he came back. The stories are really awesome, all about Asgard and all about me being happy. Mephisto, Hela, the crazy Asgardian-eating chicks and Thor all together. No, it's not boring since Loki died. Not at all.


SHADOWLAND: BLOOD ON THE STREETS #1

Since when the frick is Misty Knight pregnant? How did I miss that?


SHADOWLAND #1

Yeah, Daredevil offed Bullseye. I kinda like how ole hornhead has gone absolutely batshit crazy. I thought nothing could compare to Bendis's run on DD. Then we got Brubaker. Was I disappointed? No. After Brubaker left, we got Diggle. And guess what? That's pretty damn good too. I'm excited to see where this will end up. I hope Thor, Cap and Iron Man come down for a talking to with Matt and he owns their asses. Naturally, Thor will be hard to put down, but I hope he's able to wipe the smirk off of Tony Stark's face.


MADAME XANADU #26

I am so royally pissed this book is being cancelled. I really enjoyed it. This issue was very cool, and Chrissie Zullo's art was amazing. And they are canning my 2nd favorite Vertigo book. Dammit!!


GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #15

I hate Tony Bedard. The end.


BIRDS OF PREY #4

I love Gail Simone but I really don't want Hawk & Dove on the team. I get it, they go with the "bird" thing but I don't care about them. I couldn't figure out who the chick with the vendetta against Dinah was, but maybe I wasn't supposed to know? I dunno. And the fact that the Pengiun is giving Zinda and Helena a run for their money is just sad.


BATMAN BEYOND #3

OMG WHO IS HUSH??

I don't care.

But I love Terry. Art is meh, story is kinda fun. I love Terry like whoa.


And that's what I read tonight. I'll update more later when I read more.

Makeover for Wonder Woman at 69
By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES
Published: June 29, 2010

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Wednesday is a good day for Wonder Woman. This 69-year-old superheroine, published by DC Comics, will don a new — and less revealing — costume and enjoy the publication of Issue No. 600 of her monthly series.
Enlarge This Image
DC Comics

In Issue 600 of her monthly series, Wonder Woman gets a new costume a bit more suitable for crimefighting. More Photos »
Multimedia
Slide Show
The Evolution of Wonder Woman
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DC Comics

Wonder Woman’s uniform has reflected her times. Above, her outfit in about 1941. More Photos »
Enlarge This Image
DC Comics

Wonder Woman, in Issue 600 of her monthly series, rocks out with a new costume and history. More Photos »

The costume ties into an alternative history for the character devised by J. Michael Straczynski, the new writer of the series, and into a quest by DC to shine a critical and creative spotlight on the heroine, who stands with Superman and Batman in its primary triumvirate of superstars, despite her series’s modest sales.

In the reimagining of her story, Wonder Woman, instead of growing up on Paradise Island with her mother, Queen Hippolyta, and her Amazon sisters, is smuggled out as a baby when unknown forces destroy her home and slaughter its inhabitants.

Mr. Straczynski, who created the television show “Babylon 5” and wrote the screenplay for “Changeling” in 2008, starring Angelina Jolie, said in an e-mail message that he wanted to address “the wardrobe issue” as soon as he took the job.

“She’s been locked into pretty much the exact same outfit since her debut in 1941,” Mr. Straczynski wrote. “If you’re going to make a statement about bringing Wonder Woman into the 21st century, you need to be bold and you need to make it visual. I wanted to toughen her up, and give her a modern sensibility.”

He added, “What woman only wears only one outfit for 60-plus years?”

Given Wonder Woman’s pre-eminence as a female character in the largely male superhero pantheon, her looks have always been a matter of more than casual interest, to both fanboys and feminists. In a 2006 interview about her work on the series, the novelist Jodi Picoult said: “One of the first things I did was ask if we could give her breast-reduction surgery, because as a woman, I know you wouldn’t fight crime in a bustier. But I was somehow shot down by DC.”

The new costume was designed by the artist Jim Lee, who in February was named co-publisher of DC, alongside Dan DiDio. Given the assignment, “my first reaction was, ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” Mr. Lee said in an interview. But he welcomed the challenge: “When these characters become so branded that you can’t change things, they become ossified.”

The new look — with an understated “W” insignia, a midnight blue jacket and a flinty fusion of black tights and boots — is darker than the famed swimsuit-style outfit, and aims to be contemporary, functional and, as Tim Gunn of “Project Runway” might say, less costumey.

Given the hope that the character will one day have her own international film franchise (a feature has long been gestating at Warner Entertainment, DC’s parent company), one test of the design was to imagine how it would look standing next to, say, Batman’s politically neutral ensemble. “The original costume was the American flag brought to life,” Mr. Lee said. “This one is a little more universal.”

Mr. Lee has drawn his share of sexy superheroines (the X-Men’s Rogue among them), some in skimpy costume, and knows what many fans will ask: “Why am I covering up her legs?” Ultimately, he wanted her to look strong “without screaming, ‘I’m a superhero.’ ”

The arrival of Issue 600 is a bit of comic-book sleight of hand, or, as DC calls it, a return to historical numbering. Wonder Woman’s first self-titled series, which begin in 1942, ended with No. 329. The character was then overhauled, her previous continuity erased, and she starred in Volume 2 as a heroine new to the world. That incarnation lasted 226 issues. Another new direction spurred a third volume (and, to collectors who care about such things, another Issue No. 1) that ran for 44 issues. Do the math, and what would have been Issue No. 45 is now Volume 1, No. 600.

The new costume will almost certainly be better received than the curveball thrown Wonder Woman in 1968, when she lost her powers, dressed mod and practiced martial arts. It took the attention of no less than Gloria Steinem to protest the change, and to help get the Amazon back into her star-spangled duds. Ms. Steinem went on to use Wonder Woman, resplendent in red, white and blue, on the cover of the first issue of Ms. magazine in 1972. A cover line proclaimed, “Wonder Woman for President.”

That’s the kind of attention Mr. Straczynski thinks she deserves: “Wonder Woman is a strong, dynamic, vibrant character who should be selling in the top 20, and I’m going to do all I can to get her there."

From this week:

Scalped #38
Another sort of "one-shot" discussing someone who comes into contact with Gina and Dash. It's the story of a Native American fighting in Vietnam and getting out of Saigon on the last day. The visual aspect of the story is cool and I'm interested to see where it goes. I think he
might be Dash's dad.

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #2
It's beginning to get into Grant Morrison crazy person land. Bruce is lost in time and doesn't quite remember who he is. Superman is looking for him. In this issue, he's in colonial Gotham and there are witch trials. A woman is hanged for witchcraft and before her execution curses a member of the Wayne family.

Thor #610
Thor is unexiled. Thor kills clone Thor. Recap of Siege. But.. BILL IS IN VALHALLA! Hells yeah! Kelda can't visit him, but she knows he is there.

X-Force #27
The X-Men are made aware of X-Force. Lots of violence and gore. Cable and X-Force go into the future to stop Nimrods from coming into the past. Cyclops says it's a one-way mission and they can't come back. But fear not dear readers, they have Wolverine, and he's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is sell comics.

Madame Xanadu #23
I'm glad this story with Morgana is over because it was 8 issues long and it was way too long. But her team up with John Jones was fun!

Secret Avengers #1
I like the team. I like the direction. I am happy with Brubaker.


From the catch up pile:

Birds of Prey #1
Sooooo... who is this person that is making life miserable for Barbara? Lady Shiva? Cassie Cain? Some... new chick? The new team seems good, it's the old team with the addition (sigh) Hawk & Dove, which is fucking lame. Ed Benes' art is good, so I'm happy.

Doomwar #4
Doom vs. Fantastic Four, Storm, Black Panther and Wakanda continues. Doom is kicking ass. Deadpool is sent in to take Doom out.

Gotham City Sirens #12
Catwoman's sister goes crazy and decides that Selina is possessed by demons. She kicks Harley Quinn's ass, kills a nun and goes after Selina. I hate Tony Bedard.

Invincible Iron Man #26: I'm giving Matt Fraction a shot. I'm not a huge fan of the story so far, but it's only two issues and everyone has been slobbering all over his Iron Man run. I want to see where it goes. Tony is basically setting up Stark from the ground up over again.

Amazing Spider-Man #590: Spidey and the Fantastic Four travel to another dimension where they rescue some people and are asked to return a few years later but hundreds of years have passed in the alternate dimension. Johnny Storm figures out that the last time they went, Spidey didn't have a mask and he knew who he was. The issue ends with the Torch trying to burn Spidey's mask off. Oh yeah, and the people in the other dimension consider them gods and have statues built in their honor. Generic, don't you think?

Action Comics #344: Superman is having crazy dreams, but it takes him all issue to figure out it's Red Kryptonite. Backup story with Supergirl going to another Earth where things are very similar except teenagers are in charge and they elect Linda Danvers president. And they hate Supergirl. And at the end of the issue, she's discovered as having the dual identity.

Jonah Hex #46 - #52
Yay, almost caught up on Jonah Hex! A few stories, but the most notable is issue #50. Darwyn Cooke does the art. It's still a fun series, not sure how the film will be.

JSA vs. Kobra #1 & #2
I liked Checkmate a lot so getting back into stuff that went down in that series is always good. The art by Kramer is not great and I don't really like Power Girl. Mr. Terrific absolutely rocks. It was a six-issue mini and I should be able to plow through the rest of it because it's pretty decent, despite the Power Girl.

http://boxedlynch.com/journal/

This is my friend Dave Lynch's webcomic. It's going through it's growing pains, but I do like it. Let me know what you think and I'll pass anything along to him, if you have suggestions or whatnot.

I thought the ending of SIEGE was excellent.

Thoughts?

Spoilers under cut.

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HUGE X-MEN SPOILER UNDER THE CUT FROM X-FORCE

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Just got around to reading Blackest Night #8.

DC, you can go straight to hell. Seriously. What a god damn cop out.

Thoughts?