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Tuesday, September 19, 2006
DC in December
It's time to see what DC has coming out, and after the rather lack-luster last few months, it's a nice change of pace to see some interesting things on the slate this time.
Of course, they start out with a clunker like Batman Confidential. I've never warmed to Whilce Portacio's pencils, and I'm really struggling hard to see what the value of a "Year One" continuity title is for either the Batman or Superman franchises. Especially when we still have Legends of the Dark Knight running.
For some reason, John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake are doing a fill-in story on Batman. Huh. A fill-in. And not pushing back the books several months and killing momentum. Like a real business would handle a lateness problem.
Catwoman #62 promises to answer some of the "missing year" questions that have fueled the run of late. And the cover is very striking and pretty. I'll be very surprised if it survives intact to the stands, though. Someone, somewhere is going to panic over the idea of a naked baby.
Oh, if only this cover for Nightwing #127 wasn't a tease. Dick Grayson is right up there on my list of "Characters I Never Need to See in a Comic Ever Again." I think only Kitty Pryde ranks higher than Dick Grayson on that list.
Klarion the Witch Boy guest stars in Robin #157. So that's another Seven Soldiers spoiler.
And I've found my new desk-top wallpaper. DC? If you're paying attention, I would buy a poster of that. Or of the Frank Quitely Krypto/Superman cover from All Star Superman. Or of the cover to the first issue of All Star Superman. Yet another Alex Ross poster? No, thanks, honestly. No, not a Jim Lee Wildcats poster either.
Aw, Owen looks so sad on this Supergirl #13 cover. Don't worry, I'm sure Power Boy will turn out to be gay. I mean, look at the highlights.
Blue Beetle #10 contains more hints as to the badly and blatantly foreshadowed upcoming cross-over involving the New Gods, while Birds of Prey #101 spoils the new line-up.
I really like the idea of the DCU Infinite Christmas Special. The artists and writers are (generally, mostly) good, and it's the kind of updated idea that I think DC has been making good on lately. And I hate to say it after praising the dramatic improvement in Howard Porter's art I saw in Trials of Shazam. But... That's good old fashioned nightmare fuel, that is. Superman looks like he's about to do something unspeakable to someone who just wanted a Christmas present.
While I'm looking forward to the new Justice Society of America series, I really don't like the bland, lifeless Alex Ross covers they apparently plan on using. I'm also not thrilled at yet another variant cover. Nor does this line please me, from the solicitation: witness the return of the world's greatest hero, and watch another one fall. Is Johns just incapable of launching a storyline in this title without killing someone?
Cute cover for JLA: Classified #30.
While this cover for the fifth issue of Justice League of America so strongly suggests Amazo as the blanked-out villain to me I strongly suspect it's a bluff.
There are several much appreciated, at least by me, reprints coming in the December/January window. The first, The Justice League of America Hereby Elects, collects several issues where characters join the Justice League. I particularly like the detail of Black Lightning quietly sneaking away.
There's also a second volume of Showcase Presents: Justice League of America, and more importantly, Showcase Presents: The Brave and The Bold-The Batman Team-Ups. I'm not sure I can put into words how much I want this book.
Manhunter comes back, along with a second trade paper-back and a relist of the first trade. All the good hype you've heard about this series is true. But, man, more variants. Granted, you've got your choice of Art Adams or Phil Jiminez, so it's not like you're going to get a bad cover either way.
Apparently Supergirl does indeed have to choke a bitch. There, I made the obvious joke so no one else has to.
I'm not sure I'd want a fallen angel decorating my solstice tree...
Gail Simone's Tranquility about a retirement community for super-heroes, looks to have promise. And three variant covers. In fact, all the Wildstorm U titles appear to have at least one variant. This game of putting out variants to buff up initial orders is getting tiresome from both Marvel and DC. It's at the point where, for me, titles I'm inclined to buy are annoying me from the outset because of the variant. It suggests, backhandedly, that the publisher doesn't have confidence in the book without the sales bump from the variant. The only incentive variant I've ever purchased was the Turner cover for Justice League of America, and I only bought that because I didn't want half of a Benes cover interrupting a run of Turner covers in my collection.
As glad as I am that Alex Ross finally tried something different on a cover, boy howdy is that ugly.
The Boys #5 is a variation of the classic "full face shot" cover. Well, I like it, anyway.
This is just begging to be turned into Christmas cards.
Yes, I plan on buying this.
DC' Beefcake for December
Not much this month. It's sort of sad that the best I can scrounge up is Claw from the Red Sonja/Claw the Unconquered: Devil's Hands trade.
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