Four Reviews and a WTF?

First, the four, fairly quick, reviews. And there are people who don't think I can be succinct.

Green Arrow Year 1 5
Still enjoying this. I chuckled when Ollie said he planned to make a habit of coming back from the dead. His resourcefulness in this reworking of his origin has been inspiring and I love the whole feel of the book. I'd love to see more of this Ollie. He's the one I can see leading up to the version Denny O'Neill wrote.

(In)Justice League of America 13
No Roy. *sniff* Now, I get that those badass villains teaming up could take our heroes by surprise and capture them, but this seems so damn easy. I thought the good guys would put up more of a fight. And will everyone get to be tortured next ish? And while the banter about Jeff's bald head was cute, it went on rather long and seemed out of place.

Meanwhile, I missed seeing Benes' art. The art by Benitez and Llamas was nice enough, but Batman's chin made him look like Jay Leno's mysterious brother and there were some exaggerated mouths and wide eyes that looked ridiculous. One panel in particular of Black Canary might haunt me for a while. If these were actors, not drawings, I'd say they were overdoing it.

Countdown 31
Basically, this issue moved Jimmy Olsen, Mary Marvel, and Holly Robinson deeper into trouble.The book does lose something when Piper and Trickster are off panel.

Wonder Woman Annual
This answers the question, finally, "Who is Wonder Woman?" Considering I've already forgotten the first chapters to this story, and we've seen who Wonder Woman is, this had a very anti-climatic feel to it. I was left with 2 questions. Why was Donna wearing her old, old Wonder Girl costume, not her black starfield one which she's wearing everywhere else? And why, in the backup story, did Nemesis look like Brad Pitt?

The Department of WTF?
I picked up the latest Wizard along with my comics. Now I realize a lot of people think Wizard sucks, but I like it for the interviews, news (which may or may not be accurate), and the pictures which often include previews. The WTF? moment came when I reached the article: "Titans Together." And interview with former Titans co-creator George Perez and upcoming Titans writer Judd Winick. Say what?

"...Cut to the present where Winick, along with artist Ian Churchill (Supergirl), launches the classic Wolfman/Perez Titans roster out of a Titans East Special one-shot in November [I checked, it's in the solicits] and into the ongoing series simply titled Titans, beginning in December [I didn't see this listed on DC's site]."

The lineup is given as:

• Nightwing
• Flash
• Donna Troy (Geez, she needs a codename)
• Red Arrow
• Starfire (Wonder if she and Dick will patch things up, sheesh.)
• Cyborg
• Beast Boy (I much prefer the name Changeling.)
• Raven

Both Perez and Winick gave their take on the characters. George said of Red Arrow, "Robin with a quiver," then laughed, which reinforces what I'd heard, that he didn't like Roy and that's why Roy wasn't in the original Titans lineup. I don't recall Marv's opinion of Roy, but it was probably as low.

Winick, who has written Roy fairly well, said this about him:

"The story of Roy Harper coming into his own continues."

D'uh, yeah. In the Justice League, where he's been accepted by the older generation, made one of them. I have a few problems with this whole scenario. Does this mean both Wally and Roy will leave JLA or would they really continue in both books, on both teams? How is this more of Roy coming into his own?

I'm all for nostalgia and the Wolfman/Perez Titans was among the best DC has ever published. But much as I see this group as family, especially the original 5 Teen Titans, I don't want to go backward. They've grown up, made new lives for themselves. Let them get together for picnics and barbecues or something, but not reform an old team. If I want to continue to read about my favorite character, Roy Harper, will I need to buy this book? Why, of all the characters in the DCU, do these keep getting moved around and screwed? Why can't anyone just find a place for them that works and let them do their heroic deeds like every other character in the DCU? Because they can't individually support their own books, I guess, and the mix of teens and older Titans didn't work. Since I don't read the Teen Titans, I have no idea what's going on there, anymore.

I love Roy in the JLA. I do not want him deciding, Hey, it's been fun and I will never forget how you guys showed such faith in me, but I'm quitting so I can be with my boyhood pals. See ya. Because, I'm getting tired of Roy bouncing around the DCU like a tennis ball.

Please, someone, tell me this is a hoax.

Update: It's no hoax. However, Comic Shop News lists the lineup as: Nightwing, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. Hmmmm..... That wouldn't be so bad. Dick needs people to lead and Roy, Wally, and Donna can continue to lead their grown-up lives.