Thursday Night Thinking LVIII

This is Thursday Night Thinking!

This week, let's celebrate the return to comics of the old Archie superheroes!

Verily; Scipio is right. I really do want a superhero named Flygirl...

JSA Annual

Now, I know I said I wasn't going to read this. But I was far too intrigued to not pick the book up and give it a try. And woo boy if I haven't turned out to be real pleased.

I just want to thank Geoff Johns for -- once again -- taking one of the things I hate about DC Comics (though there aren't many) and doing something cool with it. Geoff Johns takes that multiverse I can't stand sometimes and tells a story that starts out exactly as you think it's going to.

But then he turns the damn thing on its head. Gives us a violent twist that's positively "mwahaha" worthy. I know I felt a bit of a maniacal laugh rising up in me.

"Escape From Earth-2"? That's exactly the sort of story I want to read. I know I'd never want to be stuck there...

Integration

Well, a lot of news has come out of San Diego this week. For me, the biggest news (at least in the DC Universe) is the folding in to the DCU of the Milestone and Archie superheroes.

On the one hand, I think this to be a very good thing. More superheroes usually equals better. But part of me finds itself mysteriously skeptical. Which is strange, considering that previous fold-ins have been more or less successful. Though the degree of success does vary...

The Charlton characters have probably been the biggest success in that sense. It took a while, but Blue Beetle, the Question, and Captain Atom have been fully integrated into the DC Universe. And they, along with their compatriots, have had huge roles in a lot of DC's recent events. Blue Beetle kicked off Infinite Crisis, the Question played a huge role in 52, and Captain Atom went crazy and tried to kill the multiverse in Countdown(though we won't talk about that).

Now, whatever you may think of these storylines (they killed two of the characters and made the third crazy) you can't deny that the Charlton characters have vital, important roles in the DC Universe. The question is, can the Archie and Milestone characters make the same jump? Can they become players in the DCU?

I think they can, if handled well. DC has, in recent years, been very good about making use of everything in their toolbox. Hell, Geoff Johns alone'll probably add half these new characters to the JSA...

"Jet Lag" Sounds Like a Bad Secret Identity

Okay people, here we are: I'm pretty much back back.

They say it takes a number of days equal to number of time zones passed through for one to get over the rigors of jet lag. Which means I've probably got another two days or so.

That being said, tomorrow I'm going to start sorting through all the delicious comics that have piled up over the past three years. And maybe -- just maybe -- I'll find something interesting that I can write about here.

Wouldn't that be something?

Vacation's End

I, Doctor Polaris, have returned!

I will spare you the astonishing stories of my vacation... For now. Instead, I wish to discuss the recent October solicitations for DC Comics.

Behold! Blue Beetle #32:

BLUE BEETLE #32
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art and cover by Rafael Albuquerque
The man behind all the recent mayhem comes out of the Super-Villain closet. Meet the new Doctor Polaris and find out what else he has in store for Blue Beetle!
On sale October 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

It would appear that someone -- perhaps myself -- has come out of the "Super-Villain Closet." I do not know where this closet is located. Though I imagine that in addition to storing incognito super-villains and their costumes, it also stores copious quantities of gimicky weapons. (razor boomerangs, umbrella machine guns, etc.)

But I digress. The important point here is that come October Doctor Polaris is featured on the cover of a major comic book. This, gentle readers, is cause for celebration. Let the word ring forth from this time and place: Polaris is pleased.

But know also that I will be considerably less pleased if it is revealed that the "new" Doctor Polaris is not another of my personalities, awakened during alcohol-induced blackouts.

Admittedly, that doesn't happen often. But it does happen on occasion, and I did spend some time in Mexico on my vacation. Perhaps tequila explains my appearance in Blue Beetle...

Thursday Night Thinking LVII

I. Am. Back.

Such as it is, anyway. I safely arrived in Chicago yesterday morning. That, mercifully, was the end of a long, strange journey. I have already regaled you with the epic tale of my being stuck at Narita Airport for twelve hours. But here's a fun fact: did you know that I was also stranded at Atlanta airport for ten hours? Overnight? It's true!

So I'm sure the lot of you can imagine that with the jet lag and the fact that I've had almost no no sleep over the past seventy-two that I'm a little... Out of it. But that's okay, because tomorrow is Friday and I'm going to see the Dark Knight. And if tomorrow is Friday, then today is Thursday... And that means...

THURSDAY NIGHT THINKING!

Ahhh... It's good to be back. Let's hope those fluffy white balloons never die...

A Poem, Delivered From Tokyo's Narita Airport

Alas! Columbia's Promise Unfulfilled

by Diamondrock

I beg you friends to listen

To a story not yet past

Of a long epic journey

That just will not go by fast

The scene: Narita Airport

Our hero: good Diamondrock

The enemy a monster!

A brutal unmoving clock

Desperate to see his homeland

Its beautiful shining shore

A layover: six hours

Doubled to six hours more!

A friend found unexpected

Ally worthy of the Bard's!

The way they know to waste time

By playing with Magic cards

Half time gone; companion lost

Diversion was found and bought:

A crappy Star Trek novel

Starring villain Gul Dukat

Still, four hours left to waste

Then twelve hours of the flight

Can man survive such evil?

Know he strives with all his might!

The end will come, dear listener

So pray to Saint Maria

That our hero sees The Dark Knight

In our dear Columbia!

Anybody There?

Is anyone still checking this blog? I hope so. In a week I'll be back in America -- land of flags and comic books. And I'll be able to do some genuine flag-waving comic book blogging. It'll be nice. Very nice.

As it stands, I've got pretty much everything packed. I've got very little left that I actually need to do. Which is a good thing, considering how little time I've got left to do stuff.

There probably won't be Thursday Night Thinking this week as (regrettably) Thursday is going to be my last chance to get my Internet disconnected. Something that is very vital. So, I'll try to post every day until then -- possibly on things related to comic books.

But then you'll have to expect a definite lull from Thursday until the following Wednesday -- serendipitously enough comic book day --when I will return to the golden shores of North America and be reunited with hot dogs, flat land, and the two-party system.

Wish me luck.

Thursday Night Thinking LVI

I may be busy, but there's always time for Thursday Night Thinking!

I love Hawkman's thoughts. They always end with an exclamation point.

Steady... Steady...

I'm still in the process of moving myself and all my belonging across the Pacific Ocean. This is taking a long time, as that is a very large ocean.

As such, I continue to not have the time for much posting here. Though I will try to do a few post this week at the very least. See you all in the funny pages...

4th of July

232 years ain't a bad run...

Thursday Night Thinking LV

So I'll admit I haven't been posting much. Well, that's because I've been doing lots. Still, no matter what I'm doing I'll always have time for... Thursday Night Thinking!

Tonight: our returning champion Superman in his civilian identity of Clark Kent. Here, Mr. Kent reveals the terrifying secret of his awesome psychic powers:

Glasses? What a thought!