Jessica Jones

While I await this week's comics, this news that Jessica Jones is returning to Marvel comics in the fall has me very happy. With DC's Rebirth giving me new comics to enjoy, Image continuing to publish quality titles I love, and Marvel giving female characters some respect with their own books, reading comics has hit a high point for me.

Wildstorm No More

The announcements re: DC and Warners is not encouraging, with all but DC Comics moving to California and jobs being cut at DC, and now the news that Wildstorm will end in December. I shouldn't be surprised. Sooner or later, it seems that companies bought by other companies get phased out. Or they split. AOL Time Warner didn't work out, and then there's FedEx Kinko's which recently eradicated the Kinko's name to become FedEx Office. So even if DC uses many of the Wildstorm characters, presumably on their own Earth in the Multiverse, it's still the end of an imprint that was once a company that's now a casualty of a declining market for print comics.

I never read a lot of Wildstorm books. I'm mostly a Wildcats reader, having started with Wildcats 2.0, but I went and got the trades available for the earlier version and I love those characters. I'd like to think this will work out for the best, but I'm not hopeful. I fear all the changes at DC will benefit only my wallet as I end up with fewer comics I want to read. Unless I start looking at the smaller companies and non-mainstream titles. I'm not sure about that as my love for comics has been firmly grounded in the superhero variety, especially of the DCU, and I can't imagine getting into Marvel, though in the '70s, I did read a few Marvel titles.

Ah well, I guess nothing lasts forever. Hopefully, we'll know soon where things stand with DC.

Good News

The news that there will be a Batwoman ongoing has me giddy with excitement/anticipation. I'm glad Williams will be doing the major art chores, still, and I hope that his writing is at least half as good as Rucka's. If so, Kate is in good hands.

May Solicits

There are a number of comics from DC in May that look interesting, even cool, but none has me as eager to read it as this one:

Secret Six 9
Written by Gail Simone; Art by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood; Cover by Nicola Scott
Not one, but two members of the Secret Six feel they deserve to wear Batman's cowl, and they return to Gotham City with a semi-delusional Ragdoll determined to be the new Boy Wonder! Unfortunately, everybody in Gotham has other plans!

Seriously! I can so picture Ragdoll as the Boy Wonder. Can't you?

Guess I'll Be Saving Some Money

This news has me almost as depressed as a McCain/Palin win would. Two of my favorite comics were canceled: Birds of Prey and Nightwing. The annoying thing is that both were starting to really hit their stride. Bedard has finally gotten the hang of the Birds and Nightwing is relevant again. Coupled with losing Catwoman and Manhunter and the dramatic fall of Checkmate after Rucka left, it's getting so I'm not gonna be reading many DC titles, anymore. And that 3 of the titles among my faves have female leads is rather disheartening.

True, Supergirl is improving, but really, how many good female books are we left with? The team books don't count because the women share panel space with male co-stars and are often outnumbered. Supergirl and Wonder Woman? Yeah, the two oldtimers. The former struggled mightily and is finally worth reading, if the improvements last. The latter is good, but not Gail's best work, IMO, and I guess that's mostly because her real skill is in writing quirky characters.

Yeah, I'm upset. I hope Obama wins. I could use the emotional lift.

 

Manhunter

Manhunter is back! Thanks to McBangle for the heads up. Okay, I'm psyched, and more than ready for the return of Kate Spencer and her wonderful supporting characters.

April Solicits

I so want this. And not only are they doing the All-Star Super Lois, they're doing the All-Star Batgirl, who looks great. I'm not reading the All-Star Batman and Robin, anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't like the action figures. I definitely like BG.

Nice to see Titans 1 listed. But no mention of Roy. Grrrrrr....

Manhunter in BoP sounds good.

Dan Didio's Gift List

A few items on this latest DC Nation to grace the last page of this week's comics are of some interest.

For Robin: A memorial for Stephanie Brown can't be done. Why? Because she won't be needing one soon? She should have gotten the memorial. Then, if/when she returns from the dead, Bats can take it down.

For Green Arrow and Black Canary: Getting Connor back. Not crossed out as impossible. Hmmmm.... He was shot. Doesn't mean he's dead.

Booster Gold: The Blue & Gold back in action. Hmmmmm.... Maybe we Blue Beetle/Ted Kord fans will have something to celebrate, but I don't want to lose Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle, either. Well, we've got 2 GAs, a handful of GLs, and 2 Wildcats. Multiple characters with the same codename can work.

Yup, things look interesting for the DCU in 2008. If only I could say the same about Justice League of America 16 (and future issues?). Reviews tomorrow night.

I So Want This

This figure is just what I need to round out my collection of Supergirl action figures (of the 6-7 inch variety). Isn't she lovely? She's due out in August 2008.

The solicits for comics look interesting, especially the (spoilerish) cover of Booster Gold for March. It looks like some exciting times are coming in the DCU.

The Good and the Bad

Welcome to Tranquility 12 was loads of fun, even if I got a bit confused because I should have reread the earlier installments as I'd forgotten a lot of what had happened already. Ah well. Still good. Gail Simone at her most manic. I'm not sure if that's the right word. I'm not sure what the right word is for this book. It makes even the New Atom that she writes seem calm. She just packs so much into a panel, let alone a page, dialogue-wise. The art by Neil Googe is a perfect match.

So I went through the February solicits for DC and nothing I saw there has me feeling any better about Roy's health. I've been worried about him ever since seeing the cover for Green Arrow and Black Canary 4, and the one for 5 is no better. There's no mention of him in the Justice League of America solicits, and I didn't see the new Titans book, supposedly coming out in January or February, listed, either. I can't believe they would kill Roy, but then, I also can't believe they wouldn't. It's gonna be a long couple of months til the January issue.

That's a nice cover, though. Damn.

January Solicits DC

Nightwing's new creative team includes Rags Morales. Okay, I can live with that. More than live with that.

Supergirl is getting another new direction. Oh, the suspense. *yawn* I just hope it's well done, whatever it is this time.

Green Arrow/Black Canary 4 has a number of folks wondering whose body Ollie is cradling. Speculation has included Mia, Connor, and Roy. I can't believe they'd kill Roy, but just in case, I think that would kill my love for most DC superhero titles, again. But this time, instead of dropping all comics when Supergirl died, there are non-superhero titles and a few that work well on their own, like The Spirit, that I could keep reading, but with so many storylines intertwined in the DCU these days, avoiding reminders that my fav character is gone would be difficult. Losing my favorite characters really does suck the joy out of the medium for me. Yeah, I'm probably overreacting, a lot, but given how little respect Roy gets, despite finally making it into the JLA, and yeah, dead isn't always dead (but I can't believe even Judd would try that 2 stories in a row). What bugs me even more tho, is that Occasional Superheroine doesn't respect Roy, either. It's like she's rooting for it to be him. *shudder*

On the other hand, it looks like Booster Gold is gonna be great, with Michael trying to save Ted.

Let's consider this listing for The Spirit 14 for a moment: "Written by Sergio Aragones & Mark Evanier; Art by Mike Ploog; Cover by Jordi Bernet " Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier. 'Nuff said.

Jakeem is back in Justice Society of America!

And another Manhunter collection. Could the promised revival of the monthly come next year?

Edited to add: Almost forgot to mention the long-rumored "lost" original Teen Titans Annual looks like it will finally be released! I'm really looking forward to that.

Do I Need to Start Worrying?

The new writer has been picked for Justice League of America after Brad Meltzer leaves this August: Dwayne McDuffie.

I'm not familiar with his writing, so I can't comment on that aspect of the book. I like Brad and what he set up, however, so the following gave me pause:

"Newsrama: With the continuation of the series, are you looking for Dwayne to take what Brad has established, both with the new set up as well as the team, and move it forward, or will he be rejiggering it to change things up a little?

Don DiDio: We’re going to shift the team a little, partly because the team that Brad set up is a huge cast, because Brad wanted to work with a lot of characters. So, we’re looking to bring things down to a more manageable size, we’re going to bring other members in also, and bring in that sense of high action and high adventure again – bring the big scale feel back in to the book. Brad did such a fabulous job on the book in telling a very personal story which established and reestablished the bonds between these characters, so we felt it was time for a little bit of a tonal shift and we’ve got someone who understands the workings of the DCU to do it, which will allow for the book to interact with a lot more titles now, because of Countdown and what we have planned for the year. "

So, who's out? I didn't think it was a huge cast. I always thought of JLA as a large group and this version seemed just the right size. Regular readers here know who I'm worried about: Roy "Red Arrow" Harper. Brad's got a thing for the Arrow family and he's shown an affinity for Roy that I've loved. I have no idea how the new guy feels about Roy and given his skill isn't exactly all that powerful and necessary to the group dynamic, I'm worried that Roy's elevation to the big group will end abruptly. And that will leave him without a home since he's off the Outsiders. I hope I'm worrying for nothing.

Interrupting My Vacation

For this. First, it's strange seeing another writer listed for Birds of Prey. Second, will someone tell the cover artist that Babs does not have handles on her wheelchair?

Otherwise, the August solicits have me in a tizzy. Is it August yet?

Comics News and the Eisners

I usually don't pay much attention to awards, but having to vote for one of these would drive me nuts:

Best New Series

* Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
* East Coast Rising, by Becky Cloonan (Tokyopop)
* Gumby, by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard)
* Jack of Fables, by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Tony Akins, and Andrew Pepoy (Vertigo/DC)
* The Lone Ranger, by Brett Matthews and Sergio Cariello (Dynamite)

I love Criminal, Jack of Fables, and The Lone Ranger with all my comics loving heart. I would never be able to pick one over the other. I don't know the other two. Having three favs make the finals is enough. All three are great. If you're not reading them, what are you waiting for?

From the Blog@Newsrama, which also had the news that Hawkgirl's been canceled. No surprise, but a damn shame. That book was never given a chance. All it needed was a writer who understood the book and character and an artist who could draw facial expressions (we got the latter, but too late).

Yes! Wonder-ful News

It's all over the comics blogosphere. From Newsrama: Gail Simone is the new writer of Wonder Woman! Issues 11-12 will be fill-ins by someone named J. Torres, with whom I am not familiar, but they're a tie-in to Amazons Attack and sound interesting. Then Gail takes over. This is so true:

"NRAMA: Looking at your body of work to date, you've written Superman, you've hit Batman a time or two, as well as dozens of other characters. Where does Wonder Woman fit on that lineup in terms of difficulty to tackle?

GS: I just don’t see it as ‘difficult.’ It’s a joy, an honor, a pleasure, a thrill. It’s exhilarating, is what it is. She’s a dragon. She just kicks so much ass.

I think, and I mean this with affection, but I think occasionally people have tried to burden her more with message than with character, and you know, when a writer tries that with Superman or Batman, they’re instantly called on it. It’s not the whole of the character. But it’s a common approach with Diana."

I do admit I had a Say What? moment when I read this:

"I actually contacted a lot of my favorite Wonder Woman writers when I got the news. I knew very well in my heart what I wanted to do, but I wanted to share the wisdom of the people who got it right, as well. So I talked to the master, George Perez, I talked to the whipsmart Jodi Picoult, ..."

I'll just assume Gail hadn't read the two issues by Picoult yet when she said this, or she was being diplomatic, or she was thinking of Picoult the novelist, or...

But, I'm jazzed. And the rest of you should be, too.

DC Nation Panel

I ended up not being able to attend the NYC Comicon, which is okay because I had a lot to do here at home. Here's Newsrama's report on the DC Nation panel. Everything sounds intriguing and it should be an exciting year for the DCU.

Joy in the Comics Blogosphere

As Loren points out, DC will continue to publish Manhunter and will be bringing back the Freedom Fighters!

I'd put off reading all my Manhunters because I figured it was canceled (then back, then canceled again), and I had time. Guess I'd better catch up. And keeping Kate around in a regular book helps with that whole diversity thing DC keeps saying they're aiming for. Now we need to get people reading the book. Maybe if we all buy two and give one to a friend, each and every issue til the friends buy their own.... That would double sales.

I don't discuss diversity here, much, but at a time when adding readers is important to comics so they can stay viable, and with the desire to bring in more female readers, keeping and nurturing a book that or many books featuring minority characters is a good idea. And when the lead is also a strong female role model type, it's doubly a good idea.

I just think there are too many characters now in the DCU called "Kate."

As for the Freedom Fighters, I've been loving the mini and wanted a series so much, so this is great news. Now if they'd do a Creeper series, and one for Secret Six. Both of those minis deserve a regular series, too.

Now, I'm thinking action figures....

Wizard Says

From the new Wizard mag's Fall Preview, comes these fascinating tidbits.

52: It's an article about a meeting of the writing team.

"(Steve) Wacker brings up the day's first official order of business: the death of a major character to kick off the series' final quarter."

Meaning, we've got a major death coming up, because we are nowhere near the final quarter of issues. We've still got a ways to go to reach halfway.

Re: the unmasking of Supernova. Trying to figure out who he is has been a real challenge, hindered by my having gaps in my DCU knowledge from the late-'80s to early-'90s.

"...(Mark) Waid tosses out a suggestion regarding the backdrop of the Supernova plot that hits the room like lightning. Everyone stops talking for a moment, taking it in.
'Wow,' says (Greg) Rucka. 'That's f---ing brilliant.'"

Guess they have rules about spelling out fucking. Or rather, not spelling it out. I don't have any such rule. However, now I'm really geared up for the last quarter of this series.

The new Justice League of America: The lineup listed is Red Tornado, Hawkgirl, Black Lightning, Vixen, Black Canary, Arsenal, and Green Lantern. Plus "...one more mystery member on the way." Brad Meltzer gave his rationale for all his named choices. Of Roy, he said, echoing points he made on his MySpace blog:

"'I've been setting this up since "Archer's Quest,"' boasts Meltzer of his memorable 2002-2003 Green Arrow story. 'As much as I love Ollie Queen, I believe it's Roy's turn. When you suddenly bring that sidekick into the League, it makes everybody stop and say, "Why are you here?" That new eye is vital for League evolution.'"

Damn right.

Lots more to go through, but that's enough temptation for now. I really need to redo my pull list for Forbidden Planet and for the sidebar here. Some reviews tomorrow, maybe.

It's Roy!

My first Roy Harper sighting, in DC's October solicitations. Green Lantern 15.
"Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert; Cover by Ethan Van Sciver

Part 3 of "Wanted: Hal Jordan," guest-starring Alan Scott, Green Arrow and Roy Harper! Wanted for murder and on the run, with John Stewart's life on the line, Hal Jordan struggles to clear his name once again. But who put a price on his head? And what do they want from Green Lantern? "

This better come out on schedule.

Otherwise, I'm a bit disappointed in the amount of missing covers for the October listings so far.

However, Catwoman 60 sounds very good and the cover is as usual, gorgeous.
"Written by Will Pfeifer; Art by David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez; Cover by Adam Hughes

Holly's in the slammer thanks to Catwoman's murder of the Black Mask! Selina's got to get her out, and fast. Problem is, there's a serial killer running amok in Gotham City — and Selina helped put him there!"

And the past year storyline is going to continue in Green Arrow, but I didn't see Hawkgirl listed. Now that I think of it, I didn't see Manhunter, either. I hope we can keep that book afloat.

But the real good news is that Bruce Jones is off Nightwing! The solicit for NW 125:

"Written by Marv Wolfman; Art by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund; Cover by Andy Clarke

Dick Grayson begins a new life and faces off with a new enemy as new series writer Marv Wolfman (TEEN TITANS) and art team Dan Jurgens (ACTION COMICS, 52) and Norm Rapmund (SUPERGIRL) take over NIGHTWING!

Raptor — a powerful new foe with an arsenal of deadly weapons — is wanted by the police and hunted by Nightwing. When he's found standing over a charred, dead body, the police call it murder, but Nightwing isn't sure. And even if it means an enemy goes free, Nightwing must uncover the truth! "

Well, I'm jazzed.

Reviews of stuff to follow, tomorrow night, maybe. The heat's supposed to break tonight and maybe my brain will start functioning properly again. Feels a bit melted right now.

March Solicits Spoilers for the DCU

Ragnell links to the DC March solicits and offers up some spoilers. I hate having movies or books spoiled, but I don't mind teasers for comics. Just don't give away the ending. Anyway, I took a look and uh, I don't know what to think about some of this. Don't continue reading unless you want some hints of what's to come.

Books/characters of most concern:
Dick Grayson. I'm not liking the book now, but he's locked in my mind as Nightwing and I want that character back. Doesn't look like I'll be getting him, but what we'll see instead might be worth reading. I'll give this a try, but I'll need some convincing.

Supergirl. Hmmm.... she and Power Girl as Nightwing and Flamebird in the bottled city of Kandor could be great or suck bigtime. After all the trouble to bring back Kara, is this the best way to use her? Again, I'm taking a wait and see view.

Birds of Prey. Change in lineup? Could mean anything. Gail Simone is still writing, so I figure I'll keep reading.

Outsiders. No mention of Roy. The book sounds revamped, maybe to get back to the original concept of the current series. Who knows? If Roy's there, I'll be there. Unless he's not. Or they've ruined him.

Given what I've read about everything else, there's nothing I can't live with and hints that good things might be ahead. I'll just need to do some real thinking about my pull list come March.