The news that Dick Giordano has died saddens me a great deal.
This is the start of a rough decade, I fear. I was born in the '50s and grew up in the '60s. The '60s and its icons shaped me nearly as much as my parents and teachers did. We got our TV in 1958 when I was five, two years before I started reading comics. So many of the actors and creators of my entertainment are now in their 70s and 80s and I fear we'll be losing a lot of them in the next ten years. The other day it was Robert Culp, who starred on the groundbreaking show "I Spy" with Bill Cosby in the mid-'60s, the first integrated TV show that co-starred a black actor. Culp was one of my all-time favorites. He was 79, just a few years younger than my father. The first link cited a fall as the cause; this report says he had a heart attack.
And now, Dick Giordano.
Dick Giordano was one of a few comic book artists whose work I could recognize immediately back when I was an adolescent, even when he was inking only. There were others, of course, but mostly, they were tied to a particular character in my mind. It took me years of careful comics reading to learn to distinguish who was drawing what and even then, I had to double check the story credits for most of them. But not with Dick Giordano, along with Carmine Infantino, Vince Colletta, and Joe Kubert.
There was just something about Dick Giordano's work and it wasn't long before I found the "tell." It was how he drew women. Not that they were always pretty though not sexualized, although that was true. And not the expressive eyes, though that was true, too. It was their lips. Somewhere, more than once, there would be a little circle or oval, usually on the bottom lip, to suggest moisture, perhaps. It was just one of those things that would jump out at me. With the other artists whose work I came to recognize easily, it was the overall body shapes or the way they drew their lines. But with Dick, it was those luscious lips that caught my eye first.
His inking made every artist he inked better. His solo art was functional for telling a story, clean, crisp, and attractive. The books he edited were clear and the stories cohesive. The characters were consistently written. His work epitomized DC for me. His name was attached to so much of what was good about DC.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Quick Catch-Up
I am so far behind. Here are a few comics I recently read.
Secret Six
Gail Simone at her best. And it's a child in jeopardy story. And the child is a boy. And I'm betting the outcome will be better for the boy than it was for Lian Harper in Cry for Justice. And no, I can't get over her death. So, expect more ranting now and then. Cheshire is such a fascinating character, so the next installment should be most entertaining.
Batman 697
Creepy. As long as Dick successfully fills the role of Batman, I'm happy. Let's just say, I'm happy.
Supergirl 51
This issue really packed a punch and not just on the cover. Some major action for Kara and her mother. I'm not reading the Superman chapters, so this is a bit disjointed for me, but as long as Kara shines here, I'm happy. Let's just say, I'm happy.
Batgirl 8
Red Robin visits. Not as much fun as Steph and Damian, but a solid issue, given Steph's history with Tim. However, since I don't read Red Robin, I won't be reading the follow-up there.
And from this week...
Power Girl 10
If Gray, Palmiotti, and Conner aren't the perfect team for this book, no one is. I'll miss them on this book. Kara handles a blackmailing teen and a strangely acting Terra, the latter which is harder than the former.
I did read Rise and Fall of Arsenal 1. Looks like they're going down the druggie path, as I expected, at least for a bit. And we finally got, in flashback, the action between Prometheus and Roy that reveals how Roy lost his arm. The book didn't suck. I want to think on it a bit more before making more in-depth comments. Maybe I should wait til the story concludes before I really tackle the story. But the good news is, it didn't suck and even had some real emotion.
Secret Six
Gail Simone at her best. And it's a child in jeopardy story. And the child is a boy. And I'm betting the outcome will be better for the boy than it was for Lian Harper in Cry for Justice. And no, I can't get over her death. So, expect more ranting now and then. Cheshire is such a fascinating character, so the next installment should be most entertaining.
Batman 697
Creepy. As long as Dick successfully fills the role of Batman, I'm happy. Let's just say, I'm happy.
Supergirl 51
This issue really packed a punch and not just on the cover. Some major action for Kara and her mother. I'm not reading the Superman chapters, so this is a bit disjointed for me, but as long as Kara shines here, I'm happy. Let's just say, I'm happy.
Batgirl 8
Red Robin visits. Not as much fun as Steph and Damian, but a solid issue, given Steph's history with Tim. However, since I don't read Red Robin, I won't be reading the follow-up there.
And from this week...
Power Girl 10
If Gray, Palmiotti, and Conner aren't the perfect team for this book, no one is. I'll miss them on this book. Kara handles a blackmailing teen and a strangely acting Terra, the latter which is harder than the former.
I did read Rise and Fall of Arsenal 1. Looks like they're going down the druggie path, as I expected, at least for a bit. And we finally got, in flashback, the action between Prometheus and Roy that reveals how Roy lost his arm. The book didn't suck. I want to think on it a bit more before making more in-depth comments. Maybe I should wait til the story concludes before I really tackle the story. But the good news is, it didn't suck and even had some real emotion.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
New Team for Power Girl
I have reservations about this announcement on DC's Source. Sami Basri, the artist, is new to me. The preview cover looks nice, but PG doesn't look like PG. A minor problem, because even Amanda Conner's version didn't look like the more realistic PG art we saw in JSA. It's the writer, Judd Winick, who's giving me reservations.
I have enjoyed many stories Judd has written. He did a nice job on Kyle Rayner, GL, and his work on Green Arrow was decent and often good. If it's a character he has a real affinity for, he can write a good story. It's all the other ones who give him problems. I have no idea if PG is someone he can write.
I really hate new directions every time a new team takes over. I understand it; every creative person want so do their own thing, write or draw things their way, put there own spin on things. And when a new team takes over after 2 years or longer, it can make things feel fresh and exciting. But 12 issues? Palmiotti had barely finished setting things up and now we're getting serious changes? I wasn't reading comics during the whole PG in JLI era, so that means nothing to me, so tying her storyline into that does nothing for me.
I'm sorry, but this doesn't excite me. I want to see a continuation of what we were getting, with Karen balancing her work at her company with whatever new threats the new team can come up with. Then, after another year or so, have a natural progression into new territory for her if that feels right. But this constant change every year, especially when trying to establish a new book is, IMO, counter productive. Usually.
In the case of the current version of Supergirl, it was a must. The reboot of the book sucked and drastic measures were needed. Better stories. Better or rather, more suitable, art. Tying Kara more closely to the Superman family. But there were no problems with the Power Girl book. It was fun, with an interesting dynamic that was only beginning to be explored. Is Judd going to keep Terra around as Karen's friend? Could he even write her and the friendship at the level both deserve?
I started writing a whole stream of consciousness about the way characters are treated over the years. I thought perhaps more female characters get reworked more than the males, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. But some females, especially Wonder Woman who has had her role change with each creative team, seem to be written more inconsistently than others, and I would hate to see that happen to Power Girl. I expect differences between their roles in team books than in their own books, but not in their own book from year to year.
I hope Judd does well by Power Girl. I love the character and want only what's best for her. But I'm not counting on it.
I have enjoyed many stories Judd has written. He did a nice job on Kyle Rayner, GL, and his work on Green Arrow was decent and often good. If it's a character he has a real affinity for, he can write a good story. It's all the other ones who give him problems. I have no idea if PG is someone he can write.
I really hate new directions every time a new team takes over. I understand it; every creative person want so do their own thing, write or draw things their way, put there own spin on things. And when a new team takes over after 2 years or longer, it can make things feel fresh and exciting. But 12 issues? Palmiotti had barely finished setting things up and now we're getting serious changes? I wasn't reading comics during the whole PG in JLI era, so that means nothing to me, so tying her storyline into that does nothing for me.
...the latest chapter in Power Girl’s life finds her inching closer to her former JLI teammates...
“It is with GREAT fear and excitement that Sami and I leap into this gig. Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and Amanda Conner have bought an amazing, fresh, and inventive rebirth to this character. Our greatest challenge will be to remain faithful to what they’ve created and also take Power Girl to a new place. As far as the course that the story will take, I’ll be uncharacteristically forthcoming : The story is tied to JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST. Not CHAINED to it, but tied. Power Girl has a history with the JLI that will be explored. A lot.” (said by Judd Winick, I assume)
I'm sorry, but this doesn't excite me. I want to see a continuation of what we were getting, with Karen balancing her work at her company with whatever new threats the new team can come up with. Then, after another year or so, have a natural progression into new territory for her if that feels right. But this constant change every year, especially when trying to establish a new book is, IMO, counter productive. Usually.
In the case of the current version of Supergirl, it was a must. The reboot of the book sucked and drastic measures were needed. Better stories. Better or rather, more suitable, art. Tying Kara more closely to the Superman family. But there were no problems with the Power Girl book. It was fun, with an interesting dynamic that was only beginning to be explored. Is Judd going to keep Terra around as Karen's friend? Could he even write her and the friendship at the level both deserve?
I started writing a whole stream of consciousness about the way characters are treated over the years. I thought perhaps more female characters get reworked more than the males, but I don't think that's necessarily the case. But some females, especially Wonder Woman who has had her role change with each creative team, seem to be written more inconsistently than others, and I would hate to see that happen to Power Girl. I expect differences between their roles in team books than in their own books, but not in their own book from year to year.
I hope Judd does well by Power Girl. I love the character and want only what's best for her. But I'm not counting on it.
More on Titans 23 Plus Green Arrow 31
I thought I'd hallucinated the solicit for Titans 23, so I went back to DC's site and no, I was not wrong. Here it is:
As for Green Arrow 31, the start of the actual Fall of Green Arrow storyline, it went mostly as expected. Ollie was the usual stubborn, arrogant, self-righteous prick who thinks he knows best, even to the point of treating Dinah like the enemy. This isn't out of character. It's the whole vigilante killer that's out of character. Connor provided a philosophical counterpoint, which was no surprise, and Mia came in at the end and is fully in Ollie's camp. The art was nice, though. Dallocchio has a nice touch.
Krul's doing a decent job with this mess so far, but there's nothing special here yet, nothing that lives up to the hype. And while this might end up being a strong arc for Roy and Ollie and they'll end up stronger than ever, Lian will still be dead in the worst case of plot device I've ever read.
"Spotlight on Red Arrow! As Roy Harper lies in critical condition after the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #5, his fever dreams show him the perfect future life he wants for the Titans. Unfortunately for him, it's a life the Titans will never see."Am I the only one who got the issue but didn't get that story? Seriously. Was Roy having a dream about a perfect future life? Was he even dreaming? Because the story I read flashed back to the past, with what seemed to be everyone's retconned memories except Roy's. And it was the story in the solicit that I wanted to read and was the reason I bought the book, not the story I got. That was untruth in advertising. Does anyone else who read it feel cheated?
As for Green Arrow 31, the start of the actual Fall of Green Arrow storyline, it went mostly as expected. Ollie was the usual stubborn, arrogant, self-righteous prick who thinks he knows best, even to the point of treating Dinah like the enemy. This isn't out of character. It's the whole vigilante killer that's out of character. Connor provided a philosophical counterpoint, which was no surprise, and Mia came in at the end and is fully in Ollie's camp. The art was nice, though. Dallocchio has a nice touch.
Krul's doing a decent job with this mess so far, but there's nothing special here yet, nothing that lives up to the hype. And while this might end up being a strong arc for Roy and Ollie and they'll end up stronger than ever, Lian will still be dead in the worst case of plot device I've ever read.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Titans 23
Spoilers.
Uh, who are these people? In some panels, they're definitely the Teen Titans of old, but in others, I'm not so sure. Because, as well written this is (when compared to Cry for Justice, which admittedly, wouldn't take much skill to achieve), there's a whole lot of retconning going on. And for this longtime (as in 45 years or so) Titans fan, it was disconcerting to say the least. The group didn't know about Roy's addiction until after the fact. I'm at work and can't root through my comics boxes, but there was a panel in the revival of the TT book in which one of them says that GA mentioned Roy's "trouble" at a JLA meeting (as I recall). And Roy took up heroin because Ollie pretty much abandoned him to travel the country with Hal. So, yeah, retcon in Donna rejecting him (and he would've been around 16 then, though various estimates put that time in the 14-17 age range) as a contributing factor, but Roy had a lot of other problems back then. There was one flashback, I think in a Titans book, showing him being obnoxious at TT headquarters and Dick (probably) giving him hell, but never was there a sign he was shooting up.
I also never got the sense that Roy went into rehab. That's such a modern-time concept. I suppose since he's not really in his 40s or 50s now, we have to move the timeline up a few decades, but he kicked cold turkey with Dinah's help and then went out on his own. I had the sense of a character as independent and stubborn as Ollie. I had the sense that Roy was not someone to go into rehab. He'd kicked heroin and he figured he was in the clear, that he could keep fighting the urges on his own.
And while Roy and Wally had their differences, I never got the sense that Roy and Dick had strong disagreements. Different temperaments and goals, but those weren't causing antagonism between them. Wally and Roy were competing for Donna, while Dick was never really more than a brother to her.
The Titans, the original members, were about family. They admitted as much in the revival of the Titans book. That's how Devin Grayson wrote them and that's the version that felt right. To keep putting in "revelations" about past problems in their relationships is just piling more crap on the crap pile of Cry for Justice.
Yet, Donna saying that Roy wanted family was dead on, because if there's one constant in Roy's life, it's that he's continued to lose family. Also, Wally rushing home to hug his kids was a nice touch, something much missing from the Rise and Fall Special last week.
The art didn't stand out. Not awful, not all that interesting. Serviceable. The present-time was better looking than the flashbacks/dreams which just made everyone look weird with squared or angular jaws. The cover was nice, however.
Bottom line: I have no idea why this needed to be written, other than to slam the door, again, on a past, that gets revisited and reworked every decade, if not sooner. It didn't further the storyline and it didn't evoke much emotion in me. And that's a shame.
Uh, who are these people? In some panels, they're definitely the Teen Titans of old, but in others, I'm not so sure. Because, as well written this is (when compared to Cry for Justice, which admittedly, wouldn't take much skill to achieve), there's a whole lot of retconning going on. And for this longtime (as in 45 years or so) Titans fan, it was disconcerting to say the least. The group didn't know about Roy's addiction until after the fact. I'm at work and can't root through my comics boxes, but there was a panel in the revival of the TT book in which one of them says that GA mentioned Roy's "trouble" at a JLA meeting (as I recall). And Roy took up heroin because Ollie pretty much abandoned him to travel the country with Hal. So, yeah, retcon in Donna rejecting him (and he would've been around 16 then, though various estimates put that time in the 14-17 age range) as a contributing factor, but Roy had a lot of other problems back then. There was one flashback, I think in a Titans book, showing him being obnoxious at TT headquarters and Dick (probably) giving him hell, but never was there a sign he was shooting up.
I also never got the sense that Roy went into rehab. That's such a modern-time concept. I suppose since he's not really in his 40s or 50s now, we have to move the timeline up a few decades, but he kicked cold turkey with Dinah's help and then went out on his own. I had the sense of a character as independent and stubborn as Ollie. I had the sense that Roy was not someone to go into rehab. He'd kicked heroin and he figured he was in the clear, that he could keep fighting the urges on his own.
And while Roy and Wally had their differences, I never got the sense that Roy and Dick had strong disagreements. Different temperaments and goals, but those weren't causing antagonism between them. Wally and Roy were competing for Donna, while Dick was never really more than a brother to her.
The Titans, the original members, were about family. They admitted as much in the revival of the Titans book. That's how Devin Grayson wrote them and that's the version that felt right. To keep putting in "revelations" about past problems in their relationships is just piling more crap on the crap pile of Cry for Justice.
Yet, Donna saying that Roy wanted family was dead on, because if there's one constant in Roy's life, it's that he's continued to lose family. Also, Wally rushing home to hug his kids was a nice touch, something much missing from the Rise and Fall Special last week.
The art didn't stand out. Not awful, not all that interesting. Serviceable. The present-time was better looking than the flashbacks/dreams which just made everyone look weird with squared or angular jaws. The cover was nice, however.
Bottom line: I have no idea why this needed to be written, other than to slam the door, again, on a past, that gets revisited and reworked every decade, if not sooner. It didn't further the storyline and it didn't evoke much emotion in me. And that's a shame.
Monday, March 15, 2010
For the Record, Anger Does Not Equal Interest
This, a link found over on Insolvent Republic of Blogistan (great title, btw), is irritating to the extreme.
Here are the quotes that gall me:
Lian has weight and her death matters because 1) she's Roy's daughter, and 2) she's a little girl. That she died is the sad thing, not the way she was killed. That just sucked, story-wise, art-wise, every-wise.
As for Speedy, I'd sooner have had them kill Mia, much as I like her, because she's relatively new next to Lian whose been around 23 years, for fuck's sake. Sheesh. It's a little girl, killed only to give Ollie grief and angst. Roy's angst seems almost an afterthought here. Hmmm.... lost an arm, lost a daughter... toss-up which will drive him mad and maybe to drugs first. But Ollie? He's out there avenging an entire city. Why did a little girl have to die to further that plot point?
Shit. This just makes me angry. The story sucked. I did not buy it. I skimmed it in the store (don't tell FPNY, okay?), because I knew it was gonna suck. If, maybe, it looked like it wouldn't suck, or Lian wasn't dead, I would've bought it, but it sucked. SUCKED! If the idea is to get people to never want to read anything James Robinson writes ever again, congrats! Because I sure won't. I just don't trust him. (Yes, I bought the Starman books. Yes, I still plan to read those, as I have no emotion invested in that character.)
No, Mr. Robinson. I will not give you any credit.
No, Mr. Sattler, the story did not anger me because it was evocative. It angered me because it was crap.
Yeah, I'm pissed.
Here are the quotes that gall me:
James Robinson: "That decision [was] a controversial and one that I know has been greeted with some displeasure by some people... I'm sorry if it upset people. In all honesty, they wanted to kill Speedy too, and I said no, so give me some credit for that."Uh, no. Upset means upset. It means the CHARACTERS have weight for us. Whether or not the story does and can evoke emotion depends on the story, how well it's written, for example. And the emotion you want when a child is killed is grief and yes, anger that she was killed, but directed at the bad guy in the comic, not the bad guy in the editorial office. Or the bad guy typing up the words.
Ian Sattler: "I'm happy it upset people because it means that the story had some weight and emotion."
Lian has weight and her death matters because 1) she's Roy's daughter, and 2) she's a little girl. That she died is the sad thing, not the way she was killed. That just sucked, story-wise, art-wise, every-wise.
As for Speedy, I'd sooner have had them kill Mia, much as I like her, because she's relatively new next to Lian whose been around 23 years, for fuck's sake. Sheesh. It's a little girl, killed only to give Ollie grief and angst. Roy's angst seems almost an afterthought here. Hmmm.... lost an arm, lost a daughter... toss-up which will drive him mad and maybe to drugs first. But Ollie? He's out there avenging an entire city. Why did a little girl have to die to further that plot point?
Shit. This just makes me angry. The story sucked. I did not buy it. I skimmed it in the store (don't tell FPNY, okay?), because I knew it was gonna suck. If, maybe, it looked like it wouldn't suck, or Lian wasn't dead, I would've bought it, but it sucked. SUCKED! If the idea is to get people to never want to read anything James Robinson writes ever again, congrats! Because I sure won't. I just don't trust him. (Yes, I bought the Starman books. Yes, I still plan to read those, as I have no emotion invested in that character.)
No, Mr. Robinson. I will not give you any credit.
No, Mr. Sattler, the story did not anger me because it was evocative. It angered me because it was crap.
Yeah, I'm pissed.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Ta Da!
New header is up. I'm now exhausted. That was hard work. Physical work. I had to move around and dig through short boxes to find just the right covers to scan. I had to have Roy and Dick, of course, and Supergirl, but that 4th cover was tough. I had Donna Troy on the old header, but there haven't been too many nice covers featuring her. I thought of a luscious Adam Hughes Catwoman cover, but ended up opting for Birds of Prey, with Babs featured, and settled on this nice Phil Noto cover. I hope folks like the results.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Not a Review, Just Some Thoughts
I can't do a proper review of Justice League Rise and Fall Special. I want to, but my thoughts about the issue run more toward feelings than any commentary on the actual story. First, J.T. Krul did a much better job with this monstrosity of a storyline than James Robinson did in the Cry for Justice (which I just skimmed) lead-in. But there's only so much anyone can do with this material. To be fair, Ollie's narration showed a semblance of self-awareness, as in he seems aware that he's being a complete jerk, a total douche, a self-serving maniac. But still, he's not stopping to take a deep breath and figure out what's really important, like, perhaps, being there for Roy. Oh, no, not Ollie. And in that sense, he's in character. Because, after all, this is the insensitive idiot who threw Roy out when he caught Roy shooting up heroin and this is the Ollie who more recently, when Roy was shot 5 times and which already seems forgotten, when some of the Titans formed a new Outsiders group, rushed out to find the bastard who was behind it all rather than stick around while Roy was in a coma (sound familiar?). So, in character.
Even the killing of Prometheus could be considered in character, because he is hotheaded, though I'm on the fence about him leaving the body to rot and waiting for the deed to be discovered and not mentioning it to anyone until he said something that led Dinah to realize the truth. Ah, Ollie. Such an asshole.
But then, I hope Krul keeps in mind that Ollie is, at his core following the loss of his fortune back in the Green Lantern/Green Arrow days, a bleeding heart liberal out to right the wrongs of the world (over population, pollution, racism, fanaticism, the ism of your choice), which led to some debates/arguments/fights with conservative Hawkman, until lesser writers just wrote Ollie as being argumentative without an actual agenda.
So, Roy doesn't actually appear in this issue, except for what seems to be a flashback, with him staggering down a corridor leaving a bloodtrail from the stump where his arm once was. Which led me to this bizarre thought...
Why couldn't they rip off his other arm instead? The left one, with the Navaho tattoo that no one ever remembers to draw in anymore. I remember when Barry Kitson took over the Titans book near the end of its run (that time) -- at least, my memory is telling me it was Kitson -- he was a fairly regular poster on the DC boards, as was I back then, and he was quite happy to draw the tattoo once we who actually remembered it, mentioned it on the boards. If they'd just ripped off that arm, then no one would ever be vulnerable to the accusation that they forgot/didn't want to draw the tattoo.
Here's another thought/omission. In the conversation Wally and Dick have, they discuss how it's been perhaps just luck that's kept them from being hurt the way Roy was. Never mind that Roy almost died from that shooting a while back, or that all of them have been hurt seriously -- especially Dick, in all the Bat books, including his own as Nightwing -- but not once do they mention Lian and how awful it is that Roy's six-year-old (or thereabouts) daughter was so horribly killed. Lian played with Wally's kids. Dick helped Roy get custody of Lian. Can they/did they not shed a tear for her? Are they not upset? Can they really calmly discuss Roy and how Wally "graduated" into his mentor's role before Dick, or Roy, did, without showing any sadness for Lian's death?
So, while what was there wasn't bad and some of it was pretty decent, I ended up not liking the book for all that wasn't there, the emotion, the sadness, the horror that a little girl was dead which is as awful as Ollie killing her killer or Roy lying unconscious and unaware the light of his life is gone. I'm looking forward to the Arsenal mini-series. At least in those books, the story should focus on Roy and all he's lost and will have to deal with, and not focus on Ollie, because so much of this so far feels like "all Ollie, all the time."
feh
---
Meanwhile, I'll be doing some template updating, so please bear with me if you visit and don't just read via a feed reader. Blogger's released a new Template Designer in Draft Blogger and I'm redoing all my blogs.
Even the killing of Prometheus could be considered in character, because he is hotheaded, though I'm on the fence about him leaving the body to rot and waiting for the deed to be discovered and not mentioning it to anyone until he said something that led Dinah to realize the truth. Ah, Ollie. Such an asshole.
But then, I hope Krul keeps in mind that Ollie is, at his core following the loss of his fortune back in the Green Lantern/Green Arrow days, a bleeding heart liberal out to right the wrongs of the world (over population, pollution, racism, fanaticism, the ism of your choice), which led to some debates/arguments/fights with conservative Hawkman, until lesser writers just wrote Ollie as being argumentative without an actual agenda.
So, Roy doesn't actually appear in this issue, except for what seems to be a flashback, with him staggering down a corridor leaving a bloodtrail from the stump where his arm once was. Which led me to this bizarre thought...
Why couldn't they rip off his other arm instead? The left one, with the Navaho tattoo that no one ever remembers to draw in anymore. I remember when Barry Kitson took over the Titans book near the end of its run (that time) -- at least, my memory is telling me it was Kitson -- he was a fairly regular poster on the DC boards, as was I back then, and he was quite happy to draw the tattoo once we who actually remembered it, mentioned it on the boards. If they'd just ripped off that arm, then no one would ever be vulnerable to the accusation that they forgot/didn't want to draw the tattoo.
Here's another thought/omission. In the conversation Wally and Dick have, they discuss how it's been perhaps just luck that's kept them from being hurt the way Roy was. Never mind that Roy almost died from that shooting a while back, or that all of them have been hurt seriously -- especially Dick, in all the Bat books, including his own as Nightwing -- but not once do they mention Lian and how awful it is that Roy's six-year-old (or thereabouts) daughter was so horribly killed. Lian played with Wally's kids. Dick helped Roy get custody of Lian. Can they/did they not shed a tear for her? Are they not upset? Can they really calmly discuss Roy and how Wally "graduated" into his mentor's role before Dick, or Roy, did, without showing any sadness for Lian's death?
So, while what was there wasn't bad and some of it was pretty decent, I ended up not liking the book for all that wasn't there, the emotion, the sadness, the horror that a little girl was dead which is as awful as Ollie killing her killer or Roy lying unconscious and unaware the light of his life is gone. I'm looking forward to the Arsenal mini-series. At least in those books, the story should focus on Roy and all he's lost and will have to deal with, and not focus on Ollie, because so much of this so far feels like "all Ollie, all the time."
feh
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Meanwhile, I'll be doing some template updating, so please bear with me if you visit and don't just read via a feed reader. Blogger's released a new Template Designer in Draft Blogger and I'm redoing all my blogs.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Lian Harper, 1986-2010: A Tribute, Part 2
Continuing a look at the short, sweet life of Lian Harper. Not that Lian's life was perfect. From the start, she was used as a by her mother against her father. And in the next appearance I read, she was kidnapped as part of a plot to control Cheshire.
The team-up of Batman and Arsenal in the Batman plus Arsenal (1997) one-shot was wonderfully played and with Batman (and Dick)'s help, Lian is rescued, Cheshire is captured, and "Uncle Batman" becomes an important part of Lian's life. The art was especially nice, even if there's no hint of Asian features in Cheshire, or Lian.
From here on, it was hard for me to choose comics to scan, or even pages/panels. I've tried to show an array of art styles, while keeping the total number of images presented in this two-part essay to ten.
The Arsenal 4-part mini-series (1998) is a classic. Rick Mays has a cartoonish style that worked nicely for Roy and Lian, and Dinah who appeared in key scenes.
There are so many wonderful scenes in these 4 issues, but this nicely showed how seriously Roy took his role as father. He's taken Lian to the hospital after she's fallen on her arm after crawling out of her playpen. Which makes her a bit younger than her previous appearances. No matter. Her age seemed to fluctuate from story to story and sometimes, panel to panel. Drawing children seems to be a problem for many artists. Some draw them too young, some get the proportions wrong, and some just draw them as short adults. But there were enough who got Lian just right.
Lian got to join Roy and his fellow former Teen Titans for lunch in Titans 1 (1999). She was cute as could be without being annoying. I loved when she called Aqualad "Gill-head," something she no doubt picked up from Roy.
This panel from Titans 24 (2001) is part of a alternate time/reality mashup that brought a grown Lian Harper into our reality where she and our version of her younger self meet. We'll never see our Lian grow up to be this beautiful young woman.
In the years since her birth, Lian was kidnapped a few times and had to cope with injuries to her father, the worst of which had him shot 5 times. She had to cope with having a mother in prison for blowing up a country, among other crimes. Through it all, she remained a sweet little girl who made Roy proud to be her father. He learned as much from her as she learned from him. She made him a better man.
Roy will have to cope with losing her and we might be treated to an excellent story, but however this turns out for Roy, wherever he ends up, Lian will still be gone and the unique view she brought to the DCU will also be gone. I can't imagine the PTB can come up with a plausible way to bring her back someday. Even if they would try, which I doubt. People who can kill off a child for no reason other than shock and effect, when other plot devices would have worked as well without being so cruel. J.T. Krul will have his work cut out for him, to make me not hate what happens with Roy.
I'll end with this lovely page from Justice League of America. Roy is introducing Lian to Hawkgirl, before things soured between him and Kendra.
Lian Harper. She'll be missed.
From here on, it was hard for me to choose comics to scan, or even pages/panels. I've tried to show an array of art styles, while keeping the total number of images presented in this two-part essay to ten.
The Arsenal 4-part mini-series (1998) is a classic. Rick Mays has a cartoonish style that worked nicely for Roy and Lian, and Dinah who appeared in key scenes.
In the years since her birth, Lian was kidnapped a few times and had to cope with injuries to her father, the worst of which had him shot 5 times. She had to cope with having a mother in prison for blowing up a country, among other crimes. Through it all, she remained a sweet little girl who made Roy proud to be her father. He learned as much from her as she learned from him. She made him a better man.
Roy will have to cope with losing her and we might be treated to an excellent story, but however this turns out for Roy, wherever he ends up, Lian will still be gone and the unique view she brought to the DCU will also be gone. I can't imagine the PTB can come up with a plausible way to bring her back someday. Even if they would try, which I doubt. People who can kill off a child for no reason other than shock and effect, when other plot devices would have worked as well without being so cruel. J.T. Krul will have his work cut out for him, to make me not hate what happens with Roy.
I'll end with this lovely page from Justice League of America. Roy is introducing Lian to Hawkgirl, before things soured between him and Kendra.
Lian Harper, 1986-2010: A Tribute, Part 1
Here's a post I never wanted to write, and it got long enough that I'm splitting it into two posts. Mainly, I present a photo essay on Lian, who in her brief life lit up the DCU. She will be missed.
I thought I'd start with her first appearances (the ones I have/know of, at any rate). Note her red hair, no doubt colored as such to make it clear that Roy was the father.
Cheshire dropped the bombshell about Lian in New Teen Titans 21 (1986). Roy had romanced Cheshire when he was a government agent and had no clue he'd fathered a child with her. At the end of the story, he goes to see Cheshire so he can meet his daughter. After a moment's hesitation, Cheshire relents, and Roy's life as a father begins.
A year later, Roy tricked Dick Grayson into helping him get to Lian, wanting to see her for her birthday. The story took place in Action Comics Weekly. In issue 618 (1988), in the concluding chapter, Dick brings Lian to see Roy in the hospital where Roy is recovering from a dose of Cheshire's poison.
Dick was a true friend in this, forgiving Roy for his deception and helping him get Lian. At the end of the story, Cheshire has been arrested, and Roy is going to try for custody of Lian.
We'll forgive the silly, girlish bonnet; Roy was new at this and he probably figured a little girl should wear something cutesy and girlie. Or maybe one of the nurses picked it up for him. No matter. Lian was in jeans before long.
This is an important panel in Roy's development. He says he believes Lian is going to change him, and he was right. She made him a better person, a responsible person. He sure took his role of father seriously, more than Ollie did when Roy showed up or when he found out about Connor all those years ago.
The next appearance of Lian that I know of was in Green Arrow 75 (1993). I had stopped reading Green Arrow around issue 45, tired of waiting for the creative team to even acknowledge that Roy existed in Ollie's life. A few things are worth noting. Lian's hair is still red (the scan's a bit off) and Lian demonstrates a never seen again power of changing her height from panel to panel. She's barely at Roy's waist in the first panel above, but in the last panel, she comes to Roy's mid-chest. Holy growth spurts, uh, Batman.
And Batman played a role in the next story I saw that featured Lian, which I'll show in part 2.
I thought I'd start with her first appearances (the ones I have/know of, at any rate). Note her red hair, no doubt colored as such to make it clear that Roy was the father.
A year later, Roy tricked Dick Grayson into helping him get to Lian, wanting to see her for her birthday. The story took place in Action Comics Weekly. In issue 618 (1988), in the concluding chapter, Dick brings Lian to see Roy in the hospital where Roy is recovering from a dose of Cheshire's poison.
This is an important panel in Roy's development. He says he believes Lian is going to change him, and he was right. She made him a better person, a responsible person. He sure took his role of father seriously, more than Ollie did when Roy showed up or when he found out about Connor all those years ago.
And Batman played a role in the next story I saw that featured Lian, which I'll show in part 2.
Some Reviews
Some reviews to distract me. But I'll have a post about Lian Harper up either later today or this weekend.
Detective 862
Looks like we'll be getting a storyline with Bette. Cool! The current story is pretty good, too. But the highlight for me was The Question, with Renee meeting Helena's contact: Commissioner Gordon's daughter. Renee's jaw-dropping reaction was priceless.
Green Lantern 51
And we're in the home stretch for Blackest Night! This was a strong chapter and that ending gave me chills.
Blackest Night 7/8
Sinestro is probably Hal's greatest enemy, mostly because he's not evil. He truly believes he knows best what's right. He's a worthy adversary and his role in BN has been awesome. This is one universe-wide storyline that's delivering the goods.
Batman 696
Never let it be said that Dick's had it easy as Batman, but I hope, when Bruce returns, he's proud of how Dick filled his shoes, because I am. Never should Dick be considered a sidekick again after this.
Power Girl 9
The fun continues. I love how Amanda Conner finds ways to hide PG's uh, body parts while she's running around naked. Conner is one of the finest artists when it comes to bringing fun back to comics. And it's good to see Terra back.
Streets of Gotham 9
The Batman story isn't as strong as the one playing out in Batman, but it had heart and was well done. The Manhunter story was good, but in such short chapters isn't as effective as when she had her own book.
Supergirl 50
I got the Turner cover. Not my favorite artist, but it's a nice tribute. The main story was wonderful and it was fun seeing Lana as Insect Queen, and fortunately, not the campy version from the '60s. Kara walking out on Lana after Lana recovers might seem harsh, but it rang true to me. Sure, Lana had good reasons for lying, or rather, keeping the truth from Kara, but Kara was understandably hurt by that, given all the turmoil in her own life: her father's death, her mother's coldness. So, like the teen she is, she lashed out at Lana. The short that followed by Helen Slater and Jake Black was cute, a nice companion piece in a milestone issue and Cliff Chiang's art was nice, but it wasn't all that special, either.
Green Arrow 30: Black Lantern Green Arrow
This was awesome. I could look at that cover forever. A nice homage to an earlier era in GA and GL's lives. Ollie trying to fight the BL part of him was nice, as was seeing Connor and Mia. And J.T. Krul has a nice handle on what makes Ollie tick, so I'm trying to remain hopeful re: the Rise and Fall storyline. But it was the art by Neves, Jose, and Cifuentes that made this issue.
Wonder Woman 41
Nice wrap-up. The art committee of Batista, Dagnino, Hazlewood, and Fernandez drew WW and PG as powerful, sexy women without oversexualizing them, always a plus, and Gail wrote a solid story. However, the shift in art toward the end was a bit disconcerting, especially when Diana's hair went from wavy to almost straight. Also, the rope holding on PG's cape changed into some sort of strap toward the end. Whoever drew the last few pages was a bit lazier, rushed, or less detailed oriented than whoever drew the first part of the book.
Gotham City Sirens 9
I love Selina, but I never thought I'd enjoy Ivy and Harley so much. And methinks Ed Nigma might return to a live of crime sooner than later, which would be a pity, because he makes a great PI.
Detective 862
Looks like we'll be getting a storyline with Bette. Cool! The current story is pretty good, too. But the highlight for me was The Question, with Renee meeting Helena's contact: Commissioner Gordon's daughter. Renee's jaw-dropping reaction was priceless.
Green Lantern 51
And we're in the home stretch for Blackest Night! This was a strong chapter and that ending gave me chills.
Blackest Night 7/8
Sinestro is probably Hal's greatest enemy, mostly because he's not evil. He truly believes he knows best what's right. He's a worthy adversary and his role in BN has been awesome. This is one universe-wide storyline that's delivering the goods.
Batman 696
Never let it be said that Dick's had it easy as Batman, but I hope, when Bruce returns, he's proud of how Dick filled his shoes, because I am. Never should Dick be considered a sidekick again after this.
Power Girl 9
The fun continues. I love how Amanda Conner finds ways to hide PG's uh, body parts while she's running around naked. Conner is one of the finest artists when it comes to bringing fun back to comics. And it's good to see Terra back.
Streets of Gotham 9
The Batman story isn't as strong as the one playing out in Batman, but it had heart and was well done. The Manhunter story was good, but in such short chapters isn't as effective as when she had her own book.
Supergirl 50
I got the Turner cover. Not my favorite artist, but it's a nice tribute. The main story was wonderful and it was fun seeing Lana as Insect Queen, and fortunately, not the campy version from the '60s. Kara walking out on Lana after Lana recovers might seem harsh, but it rang true to me. Sure, Lana had good reasons for lying, or rather, keeping the truth from Kara, but Kara was understandably hurt by that, given all the turmoil in her own life: her father's death, her mother's coldness. So, like the teen she is, she lashed out at Lana. The short that followed by Helen Slater and Jake Black was cute, a nice companion piece in a milestone issue and Cliff Chiang's art was nice, but it wasn't all that special, either.
Green Arrow 30: Black Lantern Green Arrow
This was awesome. I could look at that cover forever. A nice homage to an earlier era in GA and GL's lives. Ollie trying to fight the BL part of him was nice, as was seeing Connor and Mia. And J.T. Krul has a nice handle on what makes Ollie tick, so I'm trying to remain hopeful re: the Rise and Fall storyline. But it was the art by Neves, Jose, and Cifuentes that made this issue.
Wonder Woman 41
Nice wrap-up. The art committee of Batista, Dagnino, Hazlewood, and Fernandez drew WW and PG as powerful, sexy women without oversexualizing them, always a plus, and Gail wrote a solid story. However, the shift in art toward the end was a bit disconcerting, especially when Diana's hair went from wavy to almost straight. Also, the rope holding on PG's cape changed into some sort of strap toward the end. Whoever drew the last few pages was a bit lazier, rushed, or less detailed oriented than whoever drew the first part of the book.
Gotham City Sirens 9
I love Selina, but I never thought I'd enjoy Ivy and Harley so much. And methinks Ed Nigma might return to a live of crime sooner than later, which would be a pity, because he makes a great PI.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
It's Things Like This with Spoiler
That really annoys me. From DC's The Source:
I suppose it's in character for Ollie to be so self-centered, but this is more the PR spin from the suits than a character trait, unless when Rise and Fall issues start appearing, Ollie is this much of a prick. Because, really, this is a bit much for even him.
Surely, there could be better ways to word this to emphasize Ollie's role in the upcoming storyline without making the loss sound like his and his alone.
I really want the Rise and Fall story to be good and I really want to like it. I liked the story J.T. Krul wrote focusing on Roy and Lian and think he's a good writer. But the hype has me nervous. Sure, Ollie's the main character and Roy will always be secondary, so the focus should be on Ollie, but there's something missing here, at least in the teasers. I hope there's nothing missing, something emotional and meaningful for Roy and his place in the DCU, in the actual issues.
Sometimes, I wish it had been Roy who'd been killed. At least then I could be done with the Arrow Family. This way, I have to keep reading because Roy's my favorite character. Damn it, DC! You guys had better deliver the goods.
"...the Emerald Archer continues to seek out his own brand of Justice from those responsible for the tragedies that have befallen him."Uh, befallen him? Roy's the one without the arm. Roy's the one who lost his daughter. Really, people, let's get real.
I suppose it's in character for Ollie to be so self-centered, but this is more the PR spin from the suits than a character trait, unless when Rise and Fall issues start appearing, Ollie is this much of a prick. Because, really, this is a bit much for even him.
Surely, there could be better ways to word this to emphasize Ollie's role in the upcoming storyline without making the loss sound like his and his alone.
I really want the Rise and Fall story to be good and I really want to like it. I liked the story J.T. Krul wrote focusing on Roy and Lian and think he's a good writer. But the hype has me nervous. Sure, Ollie's the main character and Roy will always be secondary, so the focus should be on Ollie, but there's something missing here, at least in the teasers. I hope there's nothing missing, something emotional and meaningful for Roy and his place in the DCU, in the actual issues.
Sometimes, I wish it had been Roy who'd been killed. At least then I could be done with the Arrow Family. This way, I have to keep reading because Roy's my favorite character. Damn it, DC! You guys had better deliver the goods.
I Knew it with Spoilers
Do I need to repeat, SPOILER ALERT...?
So, having wasted my money last issue on Cry for Justice in the hopes of learning Lian Harper's fate, I wasn't going to spend more on that mess of a comic. But I had to know. So I skimmed. And it was there, just as I'd feared.
I'd been hopeful after folks mentioned the whole city vanishes gambit, but then, in my heart, I knew that wasn't what happened to Lian. Not with the blatant teasers and hints, both in the related comics already published and in related solicits. Roy has to face Cheshire who shows up to kill him in the upcoming Arsenal mini? Not if Lian's just missing? Cheshire would be demanding he find their daughter. She'd only want his head on a platter if Lian was dead and she blamed him.
And the whole "Roy's lost everything" situation, which has become Donna's lament. Let's face it, she doesn't mean losing his arm. Sure, archery is a way of life for Roy, but it isn't who he is, not now. Being Lian's father is who/what Roy is. When he got custody of Lian, he told Dick Lian would make him a better person. And she did. She made him responsible (well, more responsible as a father than Ollie ever was). Roy's job was to protect his little girl and shepherd her into adulthood. How could he not feel like a complete failure?
In fact, being maimed seems redundant or unnecessary. How could Roy be hurt more than losing his daughter? I don't see what that adds to the story arc? Not now. After Lian's death, hitting Roy with losing an arm just seems more like meanness, though I can't think of anything crueler than killing his little girl. But I can understand doing either, story-wise. It gives Roy something to overcome, a life-changing something. Either by itself would do that. Together, it's just piling on.
I wonder which was decided first? To maim Roy or to kill his child? I can imagine someone thinking ripping off Roy's arm would lead to lots of story angst. The whole need to overcome adversity, relearn things with a prosthetic arm. Will his aim be true? As good as before? Worse? Better?
And killing Lian? Well, that would surely lead Roy to utter despair and what's more powerful than a father coping with the murder of his child? Except I can't help but think someone just figured writing a character with a young daughter was getting tedious. No one wanted to deal with her. And this isn't a soap opera where children get aged rapidly into adulthood while the parent is left the same age. No one could figure out how to use Lian, so she kept getting shunted aside, mentioned now and then, or trotted out for an appearance, as in the recent Titans issue, to remind us she existed. And now I think that sweet little story was setup for her being killed. I suspected as much before I glanced through JLA: Cry for Justice 7.
When the original Supergirl was killed, I boycotted DC (and comics, with a couple of exceptions) for 10 years. I can't do that now. Roy's still there and so many other comics are too good to give up. And damnit, I want to see where this is going. I'm going out on a limb here (pardon the pun) in trusting J.T. Krul to write a helluva story for Roy. But let's face it, unless there's one of those weird DCU quirks or reboots or whatevers, at the end of The Rise of Arsenal, Lian will still be dead, and I will miss her.
I have some reviews to write, but not now. I'm really too upset.
So, having wasted my money last issue on Cry for Justice in the hopes of learning Lian Harper's fate, I wasn't going to spend more on that mess of a comic. But I had to know. So I skimmed. And it was there, just as I'd feared.
I'd been hopeful after folks mentioned the whole city vanishes gambit, but then, in my heart, I knew that wasn't what happened to Lian. Not with the blatant teasers and hints, both in the related comics already published and in related solicits. Roy has to face Cheshire who shows up to kill him in the upcoming Arsenal mini? Not if Lian's just missing? Cheshire would be demanding he find their daughter. She'd only want his head on a platter if Lian was dead and she blamed him.
And the whole "Roy's lost everything" situation, which has become Donna's lament. Let's face it, she doesn't mean losing his arm. Sure, archery is a way of life for Roy, but it isn't who he is, not now. Being Lian's father is who/what Roy is. When he got custody of Lian, he told Dick Lian would make him a better person. And she did. She made him responsible (well, more responsible as a father than Ollie ever was). Roy's job was to protect his little girl and shepherd her into adulthood. How could he not feel like a complete failure?
In fact, being maimed seems redundant or unnecessary. How could Roy be hurt more than losing his daughter? I don't see what that adds to the story arc? Not now. After Lian's death, hitting Roy with losing an arm just seems more like meanness, though I can't think of anything crueler than killing his little girl. But I can understand doing either, story-wise. It gives Roy something to overcome, a life-changing something. Either by itself would do that. Together, it's just piling on.
I wonder which was decided first? To maim Roy or to kill his child? I can imagine someone thinking ripping off Roy's arm would lead to lots of story angst. The whole need to overcome adversity, relearn things with a prosthetic arm. Will his aim be true? As good as before? Worse? Better?
And killing Lian? Well, that would surely lead Roy to utter despair and what's more powerful than a father coping with the murder of his child? Except I can't help but think someone just figured writing a character with a young daughter was getting tedious. No one wanted to deal with her. And this isn't a soap opera where children get aged rapidly into adulthood while the parent is left the same age. No one could figure out how to use Lian, so she kept getting shunted aside, mentioned now and then, or trotted out for an appearance, as in the recent Titans issue, to remind us she existed. And now I think that sweet little story was setup for her being killed. I suspected as much before I glanced through JLA: Cry for Justice 7.
When the original Supergirl was killed, I boycotted DC (and comics, with a couple of exceptions) for 10 years. I can't do that now. Roy's still there and so many other comics are too good to give up. And damnit, I want to see where this is going. I'm going out on a limb here (pardon the pun) in trusting J.T. Krul to write a helluva story for Roy. But let's face it, unless there's one of those weird DCU quirks or reboots or whatevers, at the end of The Rise of Arsenal, Lian will still be dead, and I will miss her.
I have some reviews to write, but not now. I'm really too upset.
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