Wonder Woman

The Wonder Woman movie opens on Friday and I can't wait to see it. But I won't see it opening weekend. I prefer to wait for the crowds to thin; usually midday the following week is good. I loved the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series, but a movie has been a long time coming. After all, Superman had movies starring Kirk Alyn, a TV series starring George Reeves, movies with Christopher Reeve, another TV series with Dean Cain, Smallville with Tom Welling, and another movie with Henry Cavill. Batman had a TV series and a bunch of movies, too. (I'm not counting animated versions here.)

Charlie Jane Anders, over on Tor.com, writes about her hero worship of Wonder Woman. And that made me think of my own relationship with Diana of Themyscira. I didn't start reading about Wonder Woman's adventures until I was in my teens, though I'd been reading comics since I was 7. My first real exposure to the character was in Justice League of America, which I started reading when I was 13 -- I was in junior high, so that age is approximate. I started buying her comic a short time later, maybe a year or two later as I needed a bigger allowance as I was already buying a lot of comics by then. And I loved her, but I'm an anomaly. I actually loved her more when she renounced her powers for a brief time and partnered up with the enigmatic I Ching. I loved, and still do, spy and adventure intrigue more than stories based in myths.

The character I idolized and looked to as a role model was not Diana, but Supergirl. She was the one closest to my age (until I discovered Donna Troy in Teen Titans). Kara Zor-El and I kind of grew up together. She was still in high school when I got there. We overlapped for a while in college, then grad school. We both grappled with indecision over our careers and our future. And while I doubt I'll ever see her get a movie, I'll always have the excellent TV show starring Melissa Benoist.

But on Friday, Wonder Woman comes to the big screen and that's a BIG DEAL. It's something I never thought I'd see. Marvel might be doing a Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers movie (Yay!) and maybe even a Black Widow movie someday, but DC is giving us a Wonder Woman movie, directed by a woman, NOW. And that means everything. So let's make this movie a success so we'll get more. Because in the current political climate, we need heroes, especially female ones, for all the kids -- boys as well as girls -- to see and admire, so they can all grow up to see possibilities, that girls can be heroes, too, and that's how it should be.

Reviews

This batch includes comics from a couple of weeks, maybe longer. I've lost track. I also noticed that even for an off week, I still have a lot from my pull list. It's a rare week, indeed, when I have fewer than six comics to read. DC's bi-monthly titles are part of the reason. Reminds me of the '70s and early-'80s when I was reading 35-40 comics a month. Also, no Saga this week because it was recalled over a bad printing of the cover. That makes me sad. It should be in stock this week. Which makes me happy. Anyway, here are the reviews.

Frostbite 4
I'm starting to wish I'd just waited for a trade with this. Things kinda hit the fan and now I have to wait another month for the next chapter. The story is fine, but I'm really enjoying the art.

Serenity 3
There's more going on than our team thought, which is no surprise. But River is in real trouble and the crew doesn't know it yet. And... wait til next month. Argh! Almost as good as having the show back. Almost.

DC Holiday Special
These holiday specials are usually rather frivolous and forgettable, but this one had some really nice stories. The Superman/Batman short was charming. They included Batwoman, to work in a Chanukah reference or two, and the Nightwing story was fun. And who wouldn't be charmed a good Detective Chimp tale, especially when he teams up with Batman! The rest were okay, so overall, a decent holiday special.

Flash 13
Barry and Iris go on a date and Kid Flash works overtime to make sure nothing interrupts them. A decent little story.

Titans 6
A conclusion, mostly, to the first arc, with Wally Flash finding his way home, again, and hopefully, for good. I'm really enjoying this, but it's time to give the rest of the team the spotlight. Not Nightwing, who has his own book, but definitely, the others.

Black Widow 9
Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier guest stars! And it looks like Samee and Waid are maintaining the continuity from Brubaker's Winter Soldier book, thanks to Bucky clearly lamenting that Natasha doesn't remember what they once were to each other. Some other story stuff happened, but it wasn't as important to me as seeing Bucky. In the current parlance, I ship Natasha and Bucky.

Wonder Woman 13
In light of her home being gone and realizing her visits there over the years weren't real, Diana has retreated into herself. Which is bad because people are after her for the secrets of Themyscira, leaving it up to Steve to save them both. I love this book.

Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special 1
Lovely cover, and some really nice art inside, with various artists and writers putting their spin on Diana. Plus, Lois Lane interviews Diana. It's a weird conceit that actually works.

Supergirl Being Super 1
I gave up on the continuity Supergirl title -- hated the art and was tired of the Kara as a high school student trope. Been there, done that years ago. Plus, the mashup of comics and TV SG realities was disappointingly annoying. So here I am, so far loving Kara as a high school student in this alternate reality story. I love that Kara is getting the Superman: American Alien, Secret Identity, and so on treatment that Superman has often gotten over the years. Told as some sort of Imaginary Tale or Elseworlds story, this supposes that Supergirl's pod crashed in a field on the Danvers' property eight years earlier and they took Kara in as their daughter. She's an average high school student who happens to have powers she keeps secret. The art is fine and the Danvers are just an average family. By the end of the first book, things are about to change. There's a lot of promise here and I'm looking forward to what happens next. I hope this truly is an alternate look at an icon who is regaining popularity thanks to the TV show, a story that really explores what makes Kara special as well as what makes her super. And it's about time!

I also read the latest Captain America: Steve Rogers. I'd hoped the story would've ended by now. I like the idea of it. The art is great. But this is just dragging on too long. I want to see Steve learn he's been manipulated, his memories replaced, by Kobik. I want to see the crap hit the fan. I'm tired of this overall foot dragging across the Marvel 'verse.

Well, That Was Fast

Nick Spencer is no longer the new writer on Supergirl. James Peaty is taking over and he wrote issue 33, so I have to go back and see if I liked it. If not, I might end up dropping SG. Which would be a shame after Gates and Igle made the book one of the best in the DCU. I know creative teams come and go, but this is ridiculous. And SG deserves better. She deserves respect and consistency. Here's hoping Peaty and Bernard Chang, who will still be on art, can achieve that. But I'm not counting on it. feh

Photo Post

If ever there was doubt Amy Reeder would be an excellent choice to draw this book, this should dispel it. Kara looks lovely. I didn't get the variant cover. Actually, I didn't know about it until I saw the credits inside on my ride home, so I checked it online and it's wonderful. But this cover rocks, too. The story started off great and it looks like Gates is determined to go out with a bang. There's just so much going on, and the toys are creepy, as creepy as clowns. Igle and Sibal's art is wonderful. Igle draws wonderful expressions, more realistic than Amanda Conner's but with the same level of emotion.

And this arrived yesterday. It comes with a handle! I included the action figures so you could get a sense of it's size. 75 Years of DC Comics promises to be an experience to read.

Jamal Igle on Leaving Supergirl

Jamal Igle posted about his choice to leave Supergirl. He told me this at NYCC and I understand the need to move on to new challenges. I wish Sterling Gates could've stayed as there are too many plot threads I'd like to see continued and any new writer would have his or her own ideas for stories and wouldn't be expected to continue what someone else came up with. Hopefully, the last Gates/Igle issues will finish off most of the loose threads, especially where Lucy Lane is concerned, not to mention Kara's relationship with Lana, and I hope Kara continues to live with Lana and that their relationship continues to grow.

New Team for Supergirl

When I chatted with Jamal Igle in Artists' Alley this morning at NYCC, he confirmed he was leaving Supergirl, but was very tight lipped about revealing his replacement. And now, we learn there's a new creative team taking over SG. I'm not familiar with Nick Spencer, the new writer on the book, so I don't know if he'll do right by Kara, but I can't argue with Bernard Chang on art.

Photos from NY Comic Con soon.

Recent Reads

See, I can change my review post titles! :)

Green lantern 44
Okay, we're now in Blackest Night. We know this because it says so on the cover and because the Martian Manhunter has risen to attack Hal and Barry. There were some nice bits in this, mainly the conversation in the beginning between Hal and Barry while checking out Bruce's raided burial plot, and just seeing Hal buddy buddy with someone other than Ollie. The main action is apparently going to be kept in The Blackest Night series, with the related titles showing risen dead attacking the lead character. A decent read and nice art, but the actual Blackest Night book promises the better entertainment for the money.

Speaking of which...
Blackest Night 1
This rocked. The art by Reis and Albert is wonderful, making the impossible look real. I liked how the book covered a number of fronts, quick looks at a number of characters. The... (don't read further if you haven't read this yet and don't like spoilers)... killing and raising of Hawkman and Hawkgirl (they're not quite dead yet at the end of the issue) makes sense because Katar and Shayera's souls are renewable resources in the DCU and they can live again after Blackest Night is over. Much as I liked Kendra, I'd love to see Shay come back as herself, so to speak. Ralph and Sue make for freaky undead, and I hope after this is over, they're either alive again (yes, fat chance) or they allowed to return to their peaceful, happy non-existence.

Power Girl 3
The end, mostly, of the brief opening arc. PG rules over Ultra-Humanite. So far, this isn't looking like a serious, somber title, which is okay. It was fun and Amanda Conner continues to be one of my favorite artists, excelling in facial expressions. Her art might be on the cartoonish side, but the characters look and act real.

Gotham City Sirens 2
Selina gets out of revealing Batman's ID by revealing it, along with other names, which was a neat take on the hide the truth among lies concept taught to her by Talia. It did come out of left field, not having been set up prior to the cliffhanger in last issue, but it was a nifty trick, and Harley and Ivy are so much fun, I didn't mind. And Hush as Bruce showing up keeps this book tied to the rest of the current Bat books. Fun read.

Streets of Gotham 2
Here's where we see Hush publicly take over as Bruce, and it looks like he's determined to give away the Wayne fortune. Decent story, but I'm reading this book for the Manhunter backup story, which was fine. I just wish the supporting cast from her book could've made the move east with her. I miss Dylan and the others.

JSA vs Kobra 2
Comic book spy/suspense at its best. Eric S. Trautmann does a good job building on Greg Rucka's recent run on Checkmate which, for me, set the gold standard for books like this. Kobra is one bad-ass organization, one of the nastiest in the DCU because they don't play by the usual bad guy rules or even the usual DCU religious cult rules. They really keep the heroes guessing without making the heroes look incompetent, which is a nifty bit of writing. Don Kramer and Michael Babinski do a wonderful job with the art. The opening page of Power Girl with her arms crossed under her ample breasts could have looked cheesy, but here, it's just the way she looks and the pissed off expression on her face is as dominant as her boobs. (I used the word boobs instead of breasts here to shamelessly encourage search engine hits. Heh.) In fact, the shading on the faces are quite nice.

Supergirl 43
I saved the best for last and I didn't think I'd ever be saying that about the latest incarnation of a Supergirl title. Joshua Middleton's cover is just stunning. He'd previewed it a while bag on his blog and I've been looking forward to seeing it in hardcopy. And I never imagined this book would bring a tear to my eyes. Many tears, which is what happened when I got to the last scene. Kara has been chaffing under her mother's apparently menial tasks and as a typical teenager, can't see beyond her own irritation. For her part, Allura is hardly the most communicable mother, and when she finally tells Kara, my annoyance with Allura, who has been horrid toward Kara since Zor-El was killed, took a turn for the better. Despite everything, Allura does love her daughter and wants her to make an informed decision about which Guild to pledge. Kara's decision is one of maturity and just made my eyes well up.

Jamal Igle's art (with Jon Sibal on inks) continues to amaze. His facial expressions are flawless, his rendering of Kara's costume is the best outside of Middleton right now, and I loved how his art brought to life New Krypton, enhancing Sterling Gates' story which gave us a look at the Kryptonese culture along with the more personal story of a mother and daughter, and the father who, although dead, remains a force in his daughter's life and that of her mother. Kal-El's appearance (I can't really call him Superman here) is well done, fitting perfectly into the story. I could read this beautiful story over and over and not tire of it. And I can stare at the lovely cover all day, and feel as if I'm soaring in the clouds among the birds with Kara. This comes as close to being a perfect comic as possible and it's a great way to intro young people to comics, even if they don't know the backstory that led up to it.

Short and Sweet

The stack of comics waiting to be read is now a mountain. Actually, two of them. *sigh* Here's what I read recently.

Titans 14
I skimmed this. It focused on Vic. He ended up deciding a social life would be nice and went on a date. For some reason, I feel as if we've been through this before. Plus, it was boring.

Trinity 51-52
Nice end to this weekly series that cut to the heart of what makes Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman tick, and why they're the mind, heart, and soul of the DCU.

Greem Arrow and Black Canary 20
GA and BC see a marriage counselor, Dinah flashes back to discovering her Canary cry when she was a teen, Ollie's crazy stalker is back, and some other stuff happened. I must still be reading this for Ollie and Dinah; it can't be for the stories.

Justice League of America 33
Some nice moments for Dr. Light don't make up for the complete mess this book became. I appreciate the frustrations McDuffie had on this book re: editorial issues, but I'm hoping the next writer finds a way to make this work, because really, when the main characters become a sidenote in their own team book, something's wrong. And when the best part of a book is a preview for another book, well, that's the end right there.

Supergirl 41
Now here's a turnaround that worked. Rather than try to fix the mess left by his predecessors and risk making something murky murkier, Sterling Gates started writing a superior version of Kara, gave her a whole new outlook, a supporting cast that makes sense, and worked her into the overall Superman storyline to give SG a cohesive storyline and solid place in the DCU. His characterizations, pacing, dialogue, and plotting are first rate. After the big reveal of last issue re: Superwoman, he didn't stop with the surprises, and gave Kara a real jolt that will no doubt resonate for the next story arc and beyond. Kara matters again, and I couldn't be happier.

Wonder Woman 32
Gail Simone has really put Diana through the wringer since taking over this book and Diana is the better for it. She's stronger than she's ever been, physically and emotionally. She's a survivor, tough but fair, caring and determined, confident and capable, and when she's at her lowest, she claws her way back up, yet she never compromises her principles, no matter how frustrated, angry, or desperate she gets. As for where she and Tom might end up, who knows, but there's nothing simple or cliched about their relationship.

Batman and Robin 1
I haven't read an actual Batman book, other than the crossovers (notably The Search for Oracle and the gangwar storyline when Stephanie Brown was supposedly killed). I read the peripheral titles, mainly Nightwing, Catwoman, and Birds of Prey. I was getting tired of Bruce and as with Superman, decided, when I returned to comics in the mid-'90s, to not read the main Batman and Sueprman titles to help keep things manageable (yeah, that coulda worked out better). But I knew Dick won the cowl, so I picked this up, trusting Morrison and loving Quitely's art, and I was far from disappointed. This was fun. Creepy villains, strong dialogue, perfect characterization, and a sense of wonder put this title on my pull list. I don't know Damian well, and I don't really like him, but he's a good counterpoint to Dick. Personality-wise, Dick and Bruce were very different, and that holds for Dick and Damian. Dick and Tim would've lacked that byplay, as they have felt more like brothers when they've teamed up in the past. Dick and Damian have the feel of the old Bruce and Dick team, with a difference, a role reversal when their personalities are considered. Quitely's art is the perfect complement, catching nuances in expressions and filling in details in the backgrounds. The book is a perfect jumping on point and it's a great example of the sort of thing that made me fall in love with comics in the first place.

Zorro 13
This continues to excel, getting better and better with each issue, with its new spin on an old, beloved character. Solid writing and art keep this book on my list of favorites.

Reviews Weekly

Well, it seems as if I'm doing this by the week, not the day, anymore. I've had a nasty cold this week, but it's starting to get better. Anyway, here's what I read the last week or two. And I'm going to stop commenting on Trinity unless something super great or something I don't like happens, because it's been a nice, steady little weekly book and I rarely have anything interesting to say about it.

Titans 11
This has gotten rather tiresome. I buy it because Roy is in it. The whole day in the lives of the Titans seemed rather old, even as written by McKeever. And I didn't like the bickering between Roy and Donna. I don't like when she's written as meddling, even with people she cares about, and I don't like Roy sniping at her. If I thought this was going to build into something solid, like maybe them getting back together, fine, but I get no such sense. All it feels like is a hit-and-run bit among other hit-and-run bits of supposed character development. Sure, Donna can be a Mother Hen with her closest friends, but she's also been shown in the past resenting when they keep coming to her with their problems, which leaves her as a rather wishy-washy character and she isn't. Actually, this felt like a "let's mention Lian instead of actually showing her" kind of scene. Maybe a scene with Donna joining Roy and Lian at the park and having the discussion about leadership on the team might've been more interesting. Ah, well, we did get a glimpse of Lian in bed, so that's something. Meanwhile, the whole Raven/Gar relationship or non-relationship has me both confused and bored.

Secret Six 7
Wow. Gail really delivers with this story and this book. While I've found her run so far on Wonder Woman uneven, ranging from incredible to merely good, her work with this team has always been topnotch. This quirky band of villains and sometimes villains who may or may not give a shit about each other makes for entertaining reading and real emotion in her hands. And I think Tarantula nailed it when she theorizes that Lawton betrayed the team to save them, no matter his protestations otherwise. Lawton is definitely not a hero, but he's no villain, either. Like Catman, he's a complicated character who skirts the law for his own reasons. The climatic battle did not disappoint, nor did Scandal, at the end. And Scott and Hazlewood make for a super art team.

Green Arrow and Black Canary 18
I'd probably enjoy this more -- and the story is intriguing -- if Ollie wasn't acting more like a jerk than usual. Dinah's look of fear/horror on the cover didn't help, either, giving her the image of the "helpless female." Horror, fine. But anger and determination would've been better than fear. Actually, the whole pose of her and Ollie embracing with the body there made for a bizarre image that didn't fit the characters. I'd really hoped for more from this book. At least Judd got the banter right.

Booster Gold 18
This book continues to deliver the goods. Booster and Booster made for a potent team and the matter of having saved Michelle by pulling her out of the timestream is about to have its repercussions because there always are repercussions and I'm glad that hasn't been forgotten. Michelle now knows she was supposed to die and how. If ever a creative team knows how to keep readers wanting more, this is the team. Jurgens packs in the emotion without overdoing it, and his cliffhangers are neither melodrama nor stunts. They're simply compelling. And we get Blue Beetle as a back-up feature in an extended version of this book soon. I can't wait!

Brave and bold 22
Aside from Ollie's screwing up, he made up for it, and Hal and the Stranger did their part, and the ending was moving. I really cared about Cora and the resolution was a good one.

Green Lantern 38
Still setting up Blackest Night, but the exploration of Carol's character was much appreciated. Meanwhile, Hal's not himself. heh Anyway, I'm ready for the big event to begin. More than ready.

Supergirl 39
Real emotion in this title. Finally. The new direction has been great and really tying Kara in with the Superman characters and books, as she should be, given she's Kal's cousin. When she tells Lana that she wished her mother had been the one to die instead of her father, I felt that emotion. Well done. It's a helluva admission for a daughter to make, but one that, given the circumstances, rang true. And Lana, in providing support and comfort, finally gives this version of Supergirl a strong supporting cast, or at least, the start of one. Along with Jamal Igle, the regular penciller on the book, Talent Caldwell is also credited for that chore as well as sharing the inking with Jon Sibal, which might explain the wide variation in Kara's face, especially in 3-4 pages near the end with her mouth and eyes looking like an entirely different character, or one being drawn by a different artist in the middle of the story. In one panel, her lips seemed to be twice the thickness as the rest of the panels on that page, and in another panel on the following page, when she's looking at a picture of Superwoman, she looks like she was drawn by someone else entirely. It's rather disconcerting, but if Igle needed help to get the book out on time, I'm okay with it.

Jack of Fables 30-31
Such lovable lunacy with a point in a story where reading for your life is an imperative. Truly, comics don't get better than this.

End of NYCC

 

I think I mentioned that I don't do panels really, anymore, at cons, nor do I get autographs and sketches, as a rule. First, I won't pay for an autograph, and I can afford only so much for sketches, and I hate waiting on lines for that. But I do like to get at least one moment with a favorite artist, if I can. Last year, it was Amanda Conner who nicely posed with one of my little Star Wars Stormtrooper action figures. This year, it was Jamal Igle. 

He was very nice. We had a lovely chat about Supergirl. I explained my history with the character, growing up with Kara, boycotting DC for almost a decade after she was killed in Crisis, how happy I was to have her back, how frustrated I was with how she was depicted (the whole Super Slut period) and how I wanted to support the book and yet wanted the book changed to better reflect who she was (a teen girl!), which led to me telling him he saved Supergirl, because it isn't just the writing, but how normal and realistic she looks now. I bought the little booklet he had of his art and when I asked how much for him to do a quick headshot sketch of Kara inside, he said he'd do that gratis. He was super nice to do that, and I'm happy to add this to my collection.

Bunches of Comics

Trinity 25-26
Still fun.Wasn't overly hyped, and more than meeting expectations for an enjoyable read.

Blue Beetle 33
With the Teen Titans. Even without them, this is one of the best supporting casts in comics today. A fun romp with a cliffhanger that has me eager for next ish. Can't believe there are so few left to go. *sniff*

Brave and Bold 19
With Green Lantern and Phantom Stranger. PS has never been much of a participant, but he was reasonably busy here in what is shaping up as a rather creepy story. I'm intrigued, but that kid is spooky.

Simon Dark 14
I'm enjoying this and the new story seems interesting, but I'd give this up gladly to keep BoP.

Kingdom Come Specials: Superman and Magog
Both were a joy to look at and each fleshed out their featured character. The Kingdom Come Superman has even more pathos now and Magog's human face really fleshed out his character. Neither is needed to follow the storyline in JSA, but both are worth reading for good character development.

Final Crisis 4
More darkness. I really don't like the whole New Gods/Darkseid concept, but we're stuck with it, so if I want to keep up, I need to read this. Well done, but depressing. I hope there's something positive at the end of this.

Superman Supergirl Maelstrom 2
This must take place before the current storyline in Kara's book, because she's still rather whiny. At some point, I'd like to see the Kirby New Gods stuff put aside for a rest. Meanwhile, while this is better than the first issue, it's nothing special.

Supergirl 35
Part of the New Krypton saga, which I'm not reading elsewhere. I know there has been griping about this, cliches and nonsense, etc over the retconning or revision or whatever of Kara's background, but I like it. Sterling Gates is my new hero. Sure, Bats should've discovered the kryptonite poisoning when he first examined her, but I don't care if details are missing or wrong. What this does, without resorting to the worse cliche of a bad dream, is wipe out all the stuff I hated about the new Supergirl, the whole "sent to Earth to kill Kal" and that crap about the crystals or whatever in her body (that was wrong on so many levels). This brings her more in line with the original Kara, and frees her of a lot of angst. I love angst, but it doesn't suit Supergirl. She's got enough to deal with being a super teen. I want to see her start to grow, mature, become a symbol of hope. I know we can't get that innocence of the '50s and '60s back, or even the idealism of the '70s, but Kara, like her cousin, represents the good in life. Oh, and Jamal Igle can draw her forever as far as I'm concerned. She looks like a real teen. And I love the scenes with her parents. No matter what, she's still their daughter.

Flash 246
A solid issue. And I'm not sure what it means that I enjoyed Roy here more than in Titans. And it was nice seeing Lian again.

Birds of Prey 124
Love the cover with a pissed off Babs. And she breaks Joker's smile. Awesome. Bedard has really gotten into this book and its characters. It was great seeing Ollie and Dinah, too. I love what he's been doing with Calculator, too. What a bastard, more than usual.

Terra 2
Nice rapport with the new Terra and Power Girl. Very enjoyable.

Booster Gold 14
Ah, so convoluted. Remender has done a decent job filling in. His Starro story fit in nicely with what's being built here.

Manhunter 36
I'll really miss this book. Another great issue as Kate fights for justice on all levels. And what's going on with Ramsey? And the side story featuring Dylan has been good, too.

*whew* And I still have so much to read.

Wards and Cousins and Stuff

I was writing a comment to this post, The Supergirl from Krypton Meets Her Asshole Cousin, on Living Between Wednesdays , then realized it was getting long-winded, so I decided to take advantage of that and make it a post here!

First, I agree with the post. Superman is an asshole in the story. The point was made that Kal pretty much treats Kara shabbily, depositing her in an orphanage, instead of taking her in. I made an initial comment that at the time, a bachelor having a teen girl living with him would be suspect. That Bruce Wayne, in his 20s, had a teen boy living with him should have been more suspect, since Clark could've claimed Linda was his cousin and therefore, family, while it was known that Bruce took in a circus kid who was not related to him, seemed immaterial. Homosexuality wasn't even on the chart, even if a segment of the reading public -- not me, I was too young and it wasn't out there at the time, to even know what that was -- did think it and did snicker about it.

But the bigger issue, I think, is the differences in storytelling from then when compared with now, or really, starting with the late-'60/early-'70s when comics writers started fleshing out the characters instead of just coming up with plots, when writers worked as hard on making dialogue realistic instead of concentrating on exposition.

It's kinda fun I guess to view old stories from the '50s and '60s with today's sensibilities, but having grown up in those decades and having read DC Comics (from National Periodical Publications, of course!) from back then, I can say that none of this came to mind. Superman couldn't take in Kara because he was a bachelor, and Clark Kent having a cousin living with him when Superman also had a cousin just wouldn't have worked. It easily could've compromised his secret identity and that was a big deal story-wise back then. For a goodly portion of Lois Lane's own title, she tried to prove Clark was Superman. If Linda/Kara was in the equation, that would unduly complicate things. And no one likely wanted to write that scenario. Hell, they probably didn't want to deal with Kara regularly in Superman stories.

Supergirl's adventures were self-contained, first in the orphanage environment and then with the Danvers. It all made perfect sense to me at the time and probably to most readers. Kara was just a girl like me. And it was a thrill when Superman revealed SG's existence to the world. But he really wasn't part of the stories. If she lived with him, he would've been and vice versa. The crossover mentality that is common these days didn't happen back then. To build that sort of continuity, let alone cross stories from title to title when it happened was a big deal. The one I do recall was the changes to Oliver Queen in Green Lanter/Green Arrow that led to him having the beard and new attitude in other books, like JLA, and then, not being written by others as well as Denny O'Neill wrote him. I just can't look back at the early days of Supergirl's existence and picture her living with Clark and having them share stories. Nor would I have wanted to lose her adoption and finding out she had two sets of parents, the Danvers and her birth parents who were still alive. I loved that storyline when I was a kid.

As for Superman asking Batman's advice at the time, Bruce was as clueless as Kal was. Sure, he had Dick living with him, but despite the fact that Dick and he were both male and Bruce should have at least understood what teen boys are like, as opposed to Kal understanding teen girls (and what males do?), Bruce showed a remarkable lack of understanding of Dick's personal and social needs. They were crimefighting partners, after all: chums! There was nothing else in Bruce's mind most of the time.

It really was a different world back then. I look upon those old comics with great fondness, but I can't take them seriously. I suspect no one else here is, either, but the point is, putting today's standards on something from back then kinda misses the reality. I cringe now when I read some of those stories. The dialogue seems so stilted, so unnatural. The art is the same at times. But there were so many wonderful stories, especially for Supergirl, that bring back good memories.

I suppose I can never be analytical about those stories. I've just got too much emotion invested in them. I can be critical, but with the full awareness that this is the current, 55-year-old me looking back on something from decades ago that I remember from when I was a kid. As silly as they might seem now, they can't be as silly as they might be if I were first encountering them now. They're too much a part of me for that to happen.

Reviews in a Timely Fashion

Too much to do and not enough time to do it all. But I did read some comics over the last few days, so let's get to the reviews.

Trinity 18
After a few who cares issues, things are picking up again. I'm a sucker for alternate realities and parallel time, so this altered reality is intriguing me. I love this version of Lois. What a bitch! And even the backup story had some zip. Just when I was wondering if I should keep reading, they gave me a reason to keep reading.

Manhunter 35
Love the cover. Ramsey is quite a kid, the Dylan storyline gets a new wrinkle, and Kate, with help from Huntress and Zinda, kicks ass. Nice.

Supergirl 34
Love love love the cover. I'd seen it previewed online, but it's really sweet to hold it and gaze upon it. Jamal Igle has a nice feel for Kara; his pencils with Keith Champagne's inks are very nice, and even though new writer Sterling Gates is, as all the writers before him on this book, reeamining Kara and her place in the DCU, he did it faster and better than any of them. and it took me more than 2 minutes to read it! While I applaud the move to make Supergirl more connected to the rest of the Superman titles, I don't read those, not since I gave up comics for a while back in '85. Still, I followed along well enough and I love bringing Lana in and giving Kara a secret ID that feels right. This book was fun and rang true. And Kara seems to actually have a regular cast of characters. I'd like to see one or two who aren't from the other Superman titles, but I can't expect everything to be fixed in one issue. Still, I am allowed to get excited and hope that this time the book will be good. Right? Right!

Nightwing 149
Still in the Batman RIP tie-in mode, and though I'm not reading the rest of the RIP books, this stands on its own and was a good, solid installment. Dick's having an awful time, but he's still handling it all like the mature pro he is.

Justice League of America 25
Well. This was unexpected. I actually enjoyed this. The Red Tornado bits were well done, personal bits were handled naturally and didn't bog down the story, and things actually happened. I'm not really up on how Vixen and Animal Man got their powers, but the scenes inside the totem with the trickster were nicely done. I actually want to know what happens next. Cool. Oh, and the first page, with the 3D-ish art of Wonder Woman, Supes, and Bats was awesome. Made me want to see an entire book drawn like that.

Rann-Thanagar Holy War 4-5

Y'know, if I didn't like Comet and the Weird so much, and Hardcore Station and the art, I don't think I'd keep reading this. It's all rather loopy and I'm rather sick and tired of both Rann and Thanagar. I'm just short of wishing they'd just annihilate each other. But I'll keep reading, for all the fun bits trapped in the bigger story.

Flash 244
Decent book, likeable characters, nothing special, but a nice, fun read. 

Jim Mooney

Aw, damn. Another comics artist has passed away. Jim Mooney drew the Supergirl I grew up with. While I might've liked later art more, Kara will always be in my mind the way Mooney drew her.

I'm behind with posting my reviews. I'll try to get them up tonight or tomorrow.

Reinventing Females in the DCU

First, a disclaimer. This is a somewhat rambling, unedited essay I threw together over a week or so, with thoughts I've been having about Wonder Woman and her place in the DCU, in light of the new weekly series, Trinity, scheduled to start in June that will focus on her, Batman, and Superman. And when I think of Wonder Woman, I can't help but think of that other iconic female DC character, Supergirl.

Not quite retconning, revamping tired characters is nothing new. Akin to putting a fresh coat of paint on an old house, it's the sort of thing every new creative team engages in when they take over a book, whether the ideas are theirs or dictated by the editor(s). Sometimes, it involves characters that headline many books. The decree will be that Batman stories in Detective will focus on his detecting skills while his stories in Batman will focus on his going head to head or fist to face with larger than life villains.

Other times, things are more drastic. The reworking of the Golden Age characters of DC to the Silver Age, for example, along with creating new versions of old characters (Flash, Green Lantern), dusted off and polished up others (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman). And then there's the outright retconning, changing origins, revamping the universe after such events as Crisis on Infinite Earths, and so on.

There's been a lot of blogging recently about the old which is better, Marvel or DC? And much discussion of how DC treats females and minorities in its comics. And in general, I think DC has done a decent job, once the inequities have been pointed out to them, oft-times with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but still, they do seem to try. While infrequently creating new minority or female characters that stand alone, when it comes to legacy characters, more and more, a female or a minority group has a fair chance of being included. So, after a white male replaced a white male Atom, we now have an Asian in that role. Along with the white Green Lanterns, we also have a black male. And of course, there are GLs of all alien colors and cultures. Other planets have been better represented for years in comics than the diversity here on Earth.

There is, however, still room for improvement. While DC has many strong, female characters, they seem to have a spotty record when it comes to creating a solid identity for them. And it's two of the iconic female characters who seem to have been revamped more than any other, female or male. They're Wonder Woman and Supergirl.

I understand that there was a time that female characters were treated less seriously than the males. Growing up, I wasn't all that bothered by Wonder Woman or Supergirl facing less than all-powerful enemies or worrying about their hairdos and outfits or whether the guy of their dreams will notice them. Those were things I was worrying or wondering about, too, so it seemed perfectly normal. And meanwhile, they were kicking butt. Even Lois Lane got to shine, especially in her own book, and she didn't have powers. But looking back, I can see that no one could ever decide what the essence of these characters are. It isn't so much as focusing on one aspect of a character, the way Batman's detective skills might be emphasized or Superman's inner goodness. At least with them, the rest of their traits were included, if not in a given story, than in others. And they headlined more than one book, so they could have a different focus in each. Batman had Batman and Detective. Superman had Superman and Action. And for a long while, they shared World's Finest. Supergirl got stories in other books, before finally getting her own. And Wonder Woman had just the one title.

Let's look at some of the revamping by character.

CAREER of Secret Identity

Superman: Newspaper reporter. For a while, tv reporting was part of the mix. With all the changes in his life over the years, the Clark Kent identity has been very stable, other than his adopted parents being brought back from the dead during one of the reboots (the time period I wasn't reading comics, so I'm fuzzy on the details).

Batman: Rich person, philanthropist, runs Wayne Enterprises. For a time, the business end was featured, with Lucius Fox (a character I really liked, and a minority, at that) introduced. He ran the everyday operations. While Batman has had his darker, brooding side emphasized some years and his lighter, detective side emphasized in others, Bruce has remained essentially a rich ladies man.

Wonder Woman: She's been in the military, lost her powers and became an adventurer (with I Ching and Patrick McGuire as her helpers; I think of this as her Modesty Blaise phase), and somewhere along the line got her powers back and the focus at times has been on Diana the Amazon Princess and ambassador from Paradise Island to "Man's World." I missed some versions of her during my boycott of comics in the '80s. And now, Diana Prince works for the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Her love life has been a mess, not that Batman's has been much better, but at least, his affairs have the feel of reality while hers barely rise over schoolgirl crushes in tone and treatment.

Supergirl: High school student, college student (a nice, natural progression I liked), reporter (upon graduation, also nice because she was actually growing up), then back to college as an advisor because it was decided she worked better in an academic setting. Then she got killed off. And we've had varied versions of a Supergirl til Kara was brought back a few years ago and she has no secret identity to speak of and every writer on the book has been emphasizing a different aspect of her to the point she's undergone personality transplants. She's younger than she's been since the original graduated high school. And while I don't expect her to be the sweet, innocent character she was way back when, I would like some consistency. Today, Kara has been a different character depending on who's writing her.

Note that there has been far more changed about the 2 best known female characters than the 2 best known males.

And then I got to thinking about some major plot developments for the two main males during my comics boycott/hiatus. Batman had his back broken and was replaced for a while. And Superman died, but he came back and after some nonsense, he was still Superman. The major change in his life was marrying Lois and it was about time. That was such a natural progression for his character that I would have been disappointed if they hadn't gotten married.

But the thing that stands out for me, the impression I get, is that when things are written to shake up Superman and Batman, it's out of a writing perspective, the thrill and challenge of doing something interesting with them, the chance to have circumstances screw up their lives and with them in character, act upon whatever, cope, even die as the hero they are if need be.

I don't get that sense from the changes in Wonder Woman's various iterations and especially not with Supergirl. With them, I sense a bit of desperation beneath the chance to do something new. And the something new doesn't seem a natural outgrowth of the characters. Even when Diana renounced her powers and became human, I still got the sense back then that it was a plot device and Diana was coping as best she could. The only male character I read regularly who'd had circumstances thrust on him for editorial reasons that changed his very nature was Oliver Queen. But since the new Green Arrow was so much more interesting and sexier than the old version, I quickly forgave the powers that be and would never want to go back to the old, boring Ollie.

I even forgive the silliness of the '60s. The male characters weren't immune to it, but it was the females and their silly pursuits of the male of the species (or sometimes, humanoid aliens), in stories full of stereotypes, that suffered more indignity and faced a greater risk of becoming irrelevant.

Killing Supergirl and keeping Power Girl after Crisis on Infinite Earths made some sort of sense, I guess, because PG had her own look and a strong personality, a good female role model for the '80s and '90s. Bringing in a new version of the old Supergirl would've cheapened the original's sacrifice and would have complicated things unnecessarily. And when the need to keep the Supergirl name active, I suppose, a new character was created. I read a few of those issues and couldn't get into them. I couldn't see why she had to be Supergirl. She could have had her own name and identity. And when Kara finally came back, in the previous Supergirl book, she retained enough of the original's sweetness to bring cheer to my heart. And then, she's taken away, a new version shows up, and things just get ugly.

It could have been great. The potential was there. I was ready to love her. But the writing wasn't up to the challenge and Kara came across like a spoiled brat. As her youth on Krypton came to light, things just got uglier. And every writer since then has tried to "fix" her and has done little more than confuse and complicate what should be one of the most basic characters to write. A super-powered teen who shares a bloodline with the greatest hero in the galaxy: Superman.

After some similarly muddy attempts to revive Wonder Woman's iconic status, Gail Simone has taken over and in her first story arc has done what I was starting to think was impossible, though I had faith she could do it. After all, she elevated Birds of Prey to a must-read. Gail writes Wonder Woman and Diana as capable women, each with a role to play. She's deepened the character's background without negating anything, has made everything she's written come naturally and out of Diana's personality and place in the DCU. Nothing seems forced or imposed on the character for plot purposes. Finally, Wonder Woman is being treated as a true member of the Trinity and not as a character who needs to be fixed.

I'm still waiting for someone to do that with Supergirl. Someone who won't keep trying to reinvent her and will simply enrich her background and character (without resorting to silly implanted crystals and himbo would-be boyfriends). Oddly enough, the most endearing scenes in the book have been between Kara and Boomer. One thing the book needs is a set of supporting characters who would have a natural place in Kara's life who are not Superman or Batman or characters who live in other books. Diana has her Department of Meta Human Affairs colleagues and the Amazons. Who does Kara have? In the old version, it was her adopted family and school friends (well, mainly Dick Malverne), plus Streaky and Comet. They chose to not go the adoption route, but she's not working, either. She has no other identity. And that has hurt the character and the book because it forces everything to be about the powers and not the person. And that identity doesn't have to be a traditional secret ID. It can simply be a life out of the spotlight that isn't about sitting home and moping about what happens every time she goes out. Yes, we've seen how Kara is dealing with those powers and the responsibility that comes with them, but still, everything seems to start with the powers.

Let me repeat that.

Kara has no other identity. And that has hurt the character and the book because it forces everything to be about the powers and not the person.

When was the last time -- and has there ever really been a time? -- when we said that about Superman?

Where are the Panties?

Quite the haul today, thanks to the latest Modesty Blaise collection and the Heroes hardcover I've been eagerly lusting after and finally own. However, while there was much to enjoy in today's batch of regular comics (and reviews will appear soonish), including the latest Criminal which ends the second arc, there was uh, well, see for yourself.


Now, I basically liked the art on Supergirl this time. The skirt on her costume didn't look like a long belt. But, but, but... well, look at her. This was just one of several shots of her about to lift off, one leg raised, revealing... well, no sign of panties, that's for sure. And it is still a bit low at the top, barely staying on her hips.

I don't have a problem with sexy art. I like Ed Benes' work, after all. I do have problems when teen characters are sexed or tarted up and I do have a problem with anatomically incorrect characters, but sometimes, well, there really is no excuse, especially when the art is otherwise fine, to peek under the skirt of a teen girl who has been established to be under the age of consent. And while nothing anatomical was on display, other than upper thigh, more or less, there was certainly enough shown to indicate no underwear. So, either drape the skirt better or show panties. Neither can be all that difficult to draw.

I might have considered that the skirt was just long enough to make it unclear, in that the panties were a bit higher than shown, except for the way Kara's leg is curving and for the number of such shots designed to reveal what's under her skirt.

I'll get to the content later, because, really, I need to time to decide if it was me or the story, but it made no sense, even for an opening chapter.

Recent Reading

In no particular order.

Atom 13
I'm still liking this book, and Ryan. While Ryan embarks on a search for Ray Palmer, we see a hint, or two, of Dean Mayland's true self. And of course, the book ties in with Countdown, with Donna Troy, Jason Todd, and their new "friend" showing up at the end. In between, we get the land of the little people and some old-fashioned fantasy-type realm battle to the death, plus a Ray Pama wannabe. The crisp dialogue keeps this from falling into cliche.

Outsiders 49
Finally. The crossover with Checkmate ends and I'm free to drop this ridiculous excuse for a team book. I think Bats taking over is just another way of saying the experiment of this book, to create a new team with a couple of Titans and some new characters and make them badass didn't work. It was a decent read, but OYL, it warped into something unrecognizable, and with the explanation of the missing year coming so late, due to the desire to not spoil developments in 52, the book became a muddle of sloppy characterization.

Kalinara hit on the head what's been bugging me about Nightwing. Unlike her, I've been a longtime fan of Dick Grayson. But I haven't been happy with him in his own book, though Marv has improved things somewhat, even if Dick is still coming across as clueless half the time or weak-willed when it comes to his first love (more about that in a minute). But he's wonderful there when compared to this book.

On the one hand, he's acting all tough and badass, but on the other, the part of his personality that made him stand apart from Bruce and that put the two of them in conflict on more than one occasion is sorely absent. The compassion. So Dick is having a hard time listening to Boomer scream during the torture sessions? As Kalinara says:

"If a teammate was in danger or being hurt, there would be NOTHING keeping Dick from trying a rescue. Even if it wasn't the wisest course of action. "

Because no matter what, Dick often does wear his heart on his sleeve and he isn't capable of being so ruthless that he sits on a way out until the "right time." Give me a break. The right moment was when the cavalry arrives? Why need to do anything then? As in "our ride's here." I'm sorry, but that isn't being hardass; that's being a jerk. If he'd delayed breaking out and trying to rescue Boomer and Sasha had been for a real purpose to further the mission, maybe I'd buy it, but instead, it was simply to wait for the others to get there. What good did that serve?

Also, somewhere off-panel, Boomer must've acquired a pair of pants, because he left the cell in his birthday suit, and next time we see him, he's wearing pants with a belt. Did I miss something? They're in the fight for their lives, and he's scrounging up clothes? He was hurting pretty bad, but recovers quickly, so I'll assume the torture was more pain than actual damage.

I also agree with Kalinara about the page with Bats swooping up Sasha in his arms and her not wanting him to look with her. However, due to their history, I'll forgive it. Even tough gals are allowed a moment of weakness when the fighting's done.

But the part that bugged me the most was this:

(Dick to Bruce) "Roy had the idea for this team. He said it'd be all about the work, this time. We wouldn't fight alongside friends or family. It would be about the job."
(Bats) "And?"
(Dick) "I don't like it very much."

Uh, hello? It hasn't been just work for a long time, or haven't you been paying attention, Mr. Nightwing who's been too busy screwing up his personal life in his own book. And my feeling has always been that Roy told him that simply to convince him to join, because he knew he and Dick both needed it after Donna died. But Dick and Roy were like brothers and Roy got shot -- 5 freakin' times in the chest! -- and nearly died, and that was just about the work? It's bullshit is what it is. Has Judd forgotten what he wrote back then? We've seen over the months of the book before OYL how these characters have come to care about each other, as I suspect Roy knew would happen. Because that's the kind of man he is and that's what kind of man he knows Dick is.

I ended up really liking Boomer. I hope I see him again in other books where I can enjoy him. This book isn't it.

No reason to comment on the art. It was fine. It didn't matter. The story, despite its entertaining chapters, ultimately fell flat on its ass.

Nightwing 134
A new Vigilante. An old flame of Dick's who he doesn't trust yet still goes along with like a lovesick puppy. Yeah, a lot has changed. Well, at least now he's aware he's acting like an idiot. But I'm intrigued enough to keep reading.

Supergirl 19
In which Kara tries making amends with all the people she dissed/hurt/insulted/offended in some sort of 12-step help plan for super folks. She kinda looked like a kewpie doll or something with the headband. The scene with Lois, then Clark was nicely done at the end, but I'm still left feeling "huh?" about the whole crystals/dad background story. What exactly happened and why does she have the freaking crystals in her? Are we gonna keep seeing the damn things? Because I think they're a waste of time, add nothing to her character, and are unnecessary for someone with her powers. Kelly picked the book up a notch, but I'm still waiting for it to get good. And when the advertising insert, featuring MAD creators, is more entertaining, ya gotta wonder.

Wonder Woman 10 and Amazons Attack 3
Have to read these together, maybe alternating pages or something, to keep track of what's happening when, like the whole Nemesis hurt and near death bit. In between, we once again have Wonder Woman out of character and mainly acting like an idiot. (She and Dick should get together for group therapy or something.)

I think this story is being stretched over too many books. We get a lot of fighting, but the clues are far between and almost nothing actually happens in the WW book to further the plot. Diana dropping Nemesis on Dinah is so out of character to be unbelievable, especially during such dire circumstances as a freaking war that has her mother and the Amazons slaughtering humans.

Nice moment: Nemesis revealing he knows Wonder Woman is Diana. He's not the idiot he's been acting like around her. Good. I kinda like the doofus.

Meanwhile, in Amazons Attack, we see some dissension in the ranks. Nice to know not all the Amazons are sheep.

This story may have ramifications down the line for the DCU, but this story is losing me after a strong start, at least in Amazons Attack. The Wonder Woman chapters have been lame from the beginning.

Black Canary 1
Strong start for this mini. The appearance of Dinah's obnoxious, scheming ex was a nice surprise, as is learning this is about Ollie, not Dinah. I don't think that will sit well with her. It was also fun seeing Sin try to relate to other kids. Dinah really needs to tell her to ixnay on the talk about having been trained as Shiva's backup.

Countdown 44-43
Still confusing, still entertaining, still engrossing. We are learning things, bit by bit, but I'm mostly interested in the characters. Jimmy Olsen is experimenting with the super powers thing and Mary Marvel has legit complaints. I don't want to see her corrupted by power the way Black Adam has been, but if it happens, it'll make sense and hopefully, she'll live to learn the folly of it. We may not like what's happening to some characters, but they're getting their chances to be in the forefront now, and it's good to see. Especially Donna Troy, who looks to be more important here than in the Crisis story which supposedly was the reason to bring her back. She barely got to warn a few people then, before becoming just another hero in the battle. Here, she's got stuff to do and her scenes with Jason, who's becoming almost likable (I'd voted to kill him when he was Robin), actually sizzle.

The funeral for Bart was wonderfully handled. It got more pages than I expected and showed real sensitivity, real emotion. It's so nice to still have a weekly book that is actually entertaining.

-----
Still have lots to read, doubt I'll ever catch up.

Now this is a Supergirl I Want to Read

This interview with Tony Bedard who is taking over on Supergirl includes very nice sketches of Kara. I can't wait for this version of the new version.

I'll be home soon and hope to pick up my comics before next Wednesday's batch. Normal blogging should resume here shortly.

Reviews on the Fly

52 48
Super cover. The whole Manheim/Intergang/Twice named Daughter of Cain bit is probably the weakest of the storylines in 52, but this wasn't without some tension, mostly focused on Renee and Kate. Renee does look good as the Question. And it's nice seeing Nightwing in this book. The Birds of Prey origin at the back was nicely done.

Atom 10
This continues Ryan's not happy trip down memory lane, a trip full of really nasty old, now dead boyhood enemies. As they say, this time, it's personal. It's also loads of fun and very good.

Buffy: The Long Way Home, part II
Everything I'd hoped it would be and more. A true continuation of the show, with nice art and the snappy banter that helped make the show special. Buffy's in danger, Amy's being a dangerous nuisance, and an old friend turns up to help. Great stuff.

Jack of Fables 9
Another book I really love and one that never disappoints. Jack finds himself in a heap of trouble with Lady Luck and Hillary and Mr. Revise are closing in. But even better than the story is the note at the end about the Next issue. That has become one of my favorite parts of the book.

Nightwing 131
The Bride and Groom storyline has been rather creepy, and Dick has taken the deaths of the Lorens family personally. Nice cliffhanger ending. Not my favorite run of Nightwing, but much better than what we've gotten the last couple of years. And I like how Marv is working in secondary characters who might end up as supporting cast.

Supergirl 16
Well, uh, the weird crystals are explained and Kara's father was either a misunderstood genius or insane. The story conceit that allows him to fill Kara in about the past, "correcting" her memories of her growing up, felt forced to me. Garza's art is nice, but I hate how he draws eyes, as if they have an overabundance of eyeliner. And his limbs are drawn rather lean, almost like Ralph Dibny's on gingold.

My main problem with the story is that, aside from not knowing how this fits with the Superman books which I don't read, the whole Phantom Zone villains being attracted to Superman so Kara had to kill the baby Kal-El. But all this time, Kal grew up and nothing awful like Zor-El feared happened, but we're to believe that now, with this all revealed, the danger is HERE! Or rather, in Supergirl 17? Puh-lease. That really begs coincidence and believability. I applaud Joe Kelly and Marc Sable for trying to do something meaningful with this book, and Kara's confusion and feelings of inadequacy play out well, but the revelations and the whole squabbling El brothers bit just doesn't work for me. I'll keep with the book in the hope that after the fallout from this settles, maybe this will be a solid book. But I'm not overly confident about that right now. Darn thing just feels like it's treading water right now, which is better than drowning, but hardly worth getting excited about.

Welcome to Tranquility 5
Fun art, snappy dialogue, serious themes and storylines, and neat plot twists make this a must-read. This is one of those books that when someone asks, what should comics be, you can point to it.

Short and Sweet

52 46
The end is in sight. I don't know about anyone else, but is there anything more fun than an island occupied by a bunch of loony evil scientists? I feel so sorry for Black Adam, but I'm sure that won't last. Oh, and there was some other stuff in the book, too, with Luther.

Anita Blake 4-5
Definitely a "Guilty Pleasure." Aside from sometimes being unable to tell the male characters apart, other than by their hair, and not always by that, I've gotten quite hooked on this. Anita has a nice narrative voice. I've never read the novels, so the comic will do nicely.

Birds of Prey 104
The current Birds and the Secret Six. Can it get better than that? Lovely cover with Big Barda. Now, here's a cover with a large-chested woman posed so her boobs are leading the way, yet they don't stand out to the detriment of the woman, herself. This is a nice rendering of a sexy, confident female warrior. Scott and Hazelwood did a great job on art chores. The facial expressions inside were wonderful. Helena and Thomas Blake were wonderfully funny together, and he never looked sexier than in a tux and five o'clock shadow. "Did you just hit me with a meatball?" Priceless.

Brave & Bold 2
With GL and SG. And some more with Batman, along with Blue Beetle to hint at next issue. I like that this version of B&B is featuring a long story with characters weaving in and out instead of the single issue stories with new pairings each time of the old version. I've read a few reviews of this, some positive, some negative, especially regarding the portrayal of Supergirl. I can see that, in light of all the other questionable or objectified portrayals of Kara recently, that her flirting with Hal can be viewed as more of the same. But for me, it isn't quite that. She comes across as a 17-year-old girl who has serious issues about belonging somewhere and being properly socialized, an area in which she's lacking. Clearly, her upbringing wasn't the best and since arriving on Earth, she's been the object of Batman's suspicions and Superman's overprotection. She's spent some time with the Amazons, and had a lot of crazy things happening to her. She's trying to fit in. Sure, she sounds dumb, but 17-year-olds flirting with older men usually do. Yet she used her ingenuity and flushed out the bad guy. And her costume looked a lot better, too. I enjoyed this, both for the art (kudos to Perez and Wiacek) and the fun banter between Hal and Kara.

Checkmate 12
A good conclusion to a solid, personal story. Two members of the team with personal vendettas deal with their issues in very different ways. Tommy had every reason to want Bane dead, yet he shows restraint, putting the mission first. Beatriz however, doesn't, putting her father above the team and the mission, but owns up to it at the end. Nice, complicated, messy. Just like real life. I'm looking forward to seeing Amanda Waller getting her comeuppance. At least, I hope she does, the bitch, but not until she puts up a good fight.

Grifter/Midnigher 1
First off, I don't know Midnighter, except for a few things I've read, ie that he's gay. I'm not even sure where he normally appears. I'm getting this mini-series because of my obsession with Cole Cash. I enjoyed what I read, even if it took a while to see Grifter. But I am confused. In the WildCats books I've read (all of the last series and much of the first via compilations), I don't recall him having this mental ability to control others. Can anyone enlighten me? I also suspect this series will conclude before we see WildCats 2. Well, I hope that's not true.

Justice Society of America 4
Gosh, what a beautiful cover. This book is just gorgeous to look at. I really like Ted's son and I hope we learn about his meta abilities. He's a wonderful character, complex from the gitgo. The scenes with Damage were very moving, especially the bit about his mask and his need for it. Nicely done. Also, Jesse is far better in this as Liberty Belle than she was in the Titans as Jesse Quick by Grayson, Faeber, etc. That was her, right? The character folks on the DC boards happily dubbed a "skank"? And I for one love that Power Girl will be leading the team. Sure, some of the men would be great leaders, but Mr. Terrific is busy with Checkmate, Alan and Jay are getting a bit out of touch with the younger generation, and Carter can be a stubborn jerk at times. PG, as the veteran female on the team, will be great in the job. This level of responsibility is just what she needs, for her personal evolution as well as her place in the DCU as more than just a pair of boobs. Oh, and can we get better teasers for the upcoming stories?

Shadowpact 11
Another fun book. I love these characters. They're not the top tier, or even the second tier, but they work hard, they care about each other, and they're willing to sacrifice. The temporary new members did fine. And I love Etrigan as a coat rack.

The Spirit 4
Aside from having the best cover of the week (sorry JSA), this issue broke with a tradition by having Silk Satin, the guest female agent, narrate the story. At first, I thought it was the Spirit's narration because it's his book, but I should've known better by the cursive font. Ah well. I'll try to remember that Darwyn Cooke isn't above tweaking our expectations by playing with conventions. After all, he put our hero in the role of lad in distress, with Silk needing to rescue him, then sacrificing herself to get the bad guys and keep him safe. But all is not lost. It looks like she'll be back. At least, I hope she will. She's too much fun.

Supergirl 15
A real WTF? issue. A typical teenage abusive relationship story that Buffy, the Vampire tv show did much better. At least, Kara wised up and got back at the jerk. I like when she kneed him. Someone really needs to give her some dating advice. Donna Troy, maybe? But someone needs to. Soon.