Still Alive

It's been over a month since I last posted anything. Time just slips by, you know? Here's the quick updates:

1) Turned down by the police. Doesn't surprise me, even though I made the first cut. I didn't make the second cut, however, so I'm back to trying to get BLET and the general job search.

2) Comics have been slowly becoming decent it seems.

-The Flash hasn't been nearly as entertaining as I had hoped, and as much as I'm not real fond of Acuna's art he should at least be allowed to finish his story arch. Maybe deadlines were rushed or something, but I don't like style jumps that drastic. Nice jab at Batman.

-Countdown has been pretty crappy since it began, but I honestly feel like the stakes are actually appearing and growing....finally....it's only taken maybe 6 monthes? It's not poorly written, but it hasn't read like it is important. I also don't really care about the characters as much as I felt like the characters in 52 (and I didn't really know the characters in either story very well, so that's not the issue).

-Teen Titans feels like it is just treading on old stories now. And, like with Countdown, I'm sure something important is happeneing, but I don't feel like it is. Maybe the art is too light for the story it's trying to tell or something. It just doesn't have a kick.

- Action's recent Bizarro trilogy has been probably one of the best stories I've read in the DCU in a long time, except for maybe the Sinestro Corps arch in Green Lantern.

- Sinestro Corps has been absolutely solid and the first thing I grab out of my comics to purchase. It has been awesome since it began, until the recent Corps issue. Jumping around with the artists having different styles is a bad idea - and the plot didn't advance much at all. it felt like a classic 'we need to tie all the strings together, and this book isn't as important so we'll use it' script. When the Corps issues are collected together it will probably work if they are seperating the titles for the TPBs, but whatever.

- Conan still is a core title for me and it is absolutely amazing. Best hard fantasy title on the market.

- IDW still is pretty solid with their Transformer title, but I just with they didn't feel the need to mark their books a dollar higher than standard price. Nicer cover, sure, but there's no justification.

3) On my writing front I've slowly grinded back into writing, but due to sheer lack of time I haven't been able to make any real progress on any book. Maybe once some things work out I can give a better update solely on that topic...

It's been a month now...

...since I've posted here. What's new? Well, I've been sick this week - on top of fatigue and exhaustion from work. I haven't been getting much done lately, and have barely written 2 pages on my novel.

Yes, I have been reading comics, and wondering if DC has noticed a slip in the quality of their print. The main titles barely stick to schedules, and the side titles are very average at best. I'm put off from Batman thanks to that Grotesk storyline and confedential fels very cookie-cutter and I dislike the art in it. Manhunter's been recanceled, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman might come out in a month. Where's Action Comics? Is Legends of the Dark Knight really ending?

Spawn wasn't too great this past week either, retconning in a craptastic reason why Al can't go home after remaking the world at his command.

Don't even get me started on Marvel...

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but seriously, things are not looking too bright this year. There's possible hope for Cassandra Cain, but with some of the choices DC's made recently have not reflected too well.

Comics!

Last two weeks have been rough, so theres my excuse for skipping the reviews last week. This week, I have little excuse to post something.

Batman #655 - Morrison writing, right? Should be good, right? In my opinion this issue is fairly good, but one thing bugs me. The main story in this issue deals with plot that contradicts what is going on with the Man-Bat miniseries. Maybe the mini is out of the canon storyline, or maybe Morrison didn't have the same notes to work from.

Aside from that the issue was fun to read. Morrison is aware that Batman had given up his playboy image for a long time. Bruce Wayne has to retrain himself to become a fun loving guy again, and Alfred has to keep reminding him to lose his growl. 7.5/10

Action Comics #841 - I want to like Busiek's Superman, but his run so far feels very "long." What I mean is that the issue drags along, and I think it is from so much text to read through. It's good writing, I'll grant it that, but sometimes it feels like it is a bit too much. I like the concepts of the robotic intergalactic auctioneers, and it serves as an interesting background. Sadly, that's all it really feels like. 7.5/10

Birds of Prey #96 - First I have to say I like Black Alice. She's just one of those characters that doesn't get enough panel time to become a favorite, but I like it when she shows up. Aside from that there is a good dose of character work in this issue, and what I think is the only nod to Ted Kord since Countdown to Infinite Crisis. Also, that bit about Ted Kord is really well done and should be one of the selling points of the issue. The rest, im simply biased towards, thanks to Black Alice. 8/10

Supergirl #8 - Everything from the OYL arch is finally starting to make sense. Just be warned, as fun as the cover makes this issue appear, Powergirl and Supergirl do not actually battle it out. 7/10

Nightwing #122 - Stuff happens, but if you've been reading this arch you pretty much know how this has been going. Still, I suppose watching Jason Todd going Tetsuo at the end was interesting (as interesting as anything can be right now in the title). 6/10

Blue Beetle #5 - The story is still building, and it is still holding my interest. The villains so far are interesting, which makes it fun. 7.5/10

The Spectre #3 - The acceptance and conclusion of the miniseries. This story wraps up nicely in the 3rd issue, unlike other minis (Battle for Bludhaven, for example). The twist ending isn't unpredictible, but it does hit hard. 7.5/10

52 #12 - Still on schedule, still going strong. Insane Captain Marvel is a lot of fun. 7.5/10

Things I picked up on today in comics

A few things grabbed my interest today as I read comics that were pulled today. No real structure today, just typing as I think of things per issue.

First of all, in JSA 85, I notice that Alan doesn't have anything wrong with his eye. I like the eyepatch and wish he had it still, or at least had it hanging near bedside. I also like Powergirl landing on Gent Ghost and knocking him low on the ground making him bamph out. Ghost's story is still mediocre, and still not explaining how he is what he is now. The dead realm was interesting and fun, but I am really curious and confused as to why Batman was there. Good moments with Jade.

Action Comics 838 - Really curious about what is going on. My first assumption is that the thing stuck in the earth could be something that allowed Krypton to know of Earth, like a scout probe or something. Supe's is slowly getting his powers back, and I think they are doing the slow recovery well. What really made me chuckle is that, if you look closely, Clark is reading Jennifer Government at the ballgame. I'm not sure what to think about that, but I think it is clever.

Detective Comics 819 - No! They killed Orca! I guess that was bound to happen, but that was a bit icky of a discovery (thanks croc). I liked that they developed her a bit more, and that she was one of the few that had a good one year after IC. Well, who am I kidding - I barely know the character aside from how absurd she was in concept. Still, good ending and still much to twist around in the final chapters of the story. Question though, is that former Comm. Akins turned villain?

Teen Titans 35 - Not a whole lot of plot progression, but a periodically fun issue. Robin is still playing mad scientist inbetween getting hit on by a nude Ravager, to which I grinned at both. Everything is screwed up for the Titans. Mystery surrounding human cloning stuff, and Tim's playing clueless. Interesting.

As for Infinite Crisis 7, no spoilers but it has one hell of a conclusion.

First Comic Experiences

I really liked the idea, and it made me start remembering my first comics.

When I was a kid, Nestle Quick had a mail in offer for the aniversary of Superman. You mailed in a bunch of UPC labels and they would send you a reprint of Action Comics #1 and the (then) brand new Superman #1. Now, you should know I didn't gather everything and do it on my own - I was too young to know how that stuff worked. I'm not really sure how they arrived, but I suspect I pressured my mother into getting it for me.

I remember leaving the Action Comics reprint alone for the most part, and I still think it is somewhere in my room stuck between two books. At least that is what I hope, but every time I have looked for it I haven't been able to find it.

Superman #1 on the other hand was read over and over. It is also the reason I remember these comics so vividly. You see, in the issue Metallo temporarily beats up Superman. As he stands on top of the rubble that covers Superman, there is a single panel of Metallo looking to the sky. His face is blacked out except for his eye, and you can see the "skin" hanging down from his profile. That image haunted me for many years, and was burned into my memory.

For a long time those are the only two comics I owned. Years later I actually spent my own money to buy Hunter/Prey #1 and #3. I didn't know a whole lot about the story, but once again what I read really freaked me out as a kid. This rock creature called Doomsday was killing people in very graphic ways and Superman looked like David Hasselhoff with long hair. I had no idea what was going on, but it was cool.

I didn't buy another comic for a long time, but in high school I became interested in Batman through the animated series. I then began to buy the graphic novel collections of Batman, and then began buying Batman comics - nothing continuous, just whatever looked cool. Now I subscribe to a number titles in the DCU, as well as a number of other titles.

Finally updated

So yeah, figured I should post now that so much craziness had come to pass and I have the time. Now that I'm posting, here's the run down of this week's comic run.

Birds of Prey #91
Good stand alone issue. Wasn't outstanding in anyway, but it flowed well and told a good story - and that's good for me. The ending where Barb hands down her ultimatum was a good ending.

Gotham Knights #74
Last issue, huh? Too bad since I liked this title for the most part. The story was jumpy and hard to tell what was going on chonologically. While I was reading I briefly thought there were two Jokers, and somehow one was going to be killed by Hush (being blackmailed person to play the part by the joker using the pacemaker plot). The flow was garbled by this lack of consistancy, which bothered me since this was supposed to be the explosive finale.

Still, as much as DC hyped the "all out battle" between Hush and Joker, I enjoyed the tension between them and Bats around the end. Though it was a good ending in my opinion....it's a cliffhanger....and that's very annoying in a last issue...

Action Comics #836
The "This was your life" story is getting good bit by bit, and I eagerly await the 3rd part of it. The covers themselves should sell the issues - well, at least this issue (I kept thinking I had sat on the first one). This story has the fractured timeline narritive laid out well, and it really held the idea through the issue. I liked the touching on Doomsday and the Death of Superman just enough to make the point it was trying to make, and not giving multiple accounts of what different Superman did. I enjoyed the string about how Superman turning dark, but I usually like watching characters slip against their nature into something worse (that's a thought for another day). I'm a little lost on the reason for having Jimmy Olsen tumbling through multiple realities, but I'm assuming it's part of the whole shifting aspect since Lois Lane was last time and Jimmy is Superman's pal afterall.


Other things to note, is that Transformers #2 came out last week and the series may be turning around. Might post tomorrow again after I get my Nightwing and Batgirl issues - screw up at the comic shop and I was unaware they came out.