The Return of Lex Luthor

Well, he's done it again. That bastard Lex Luthor has committed crimes on a mass scale -- and got away scot-free.

I knew that a presidential pardon was on the way. That cover of Lex in his snazzy suit telegraphed that move. And I knew he would do something to go against the Brainiac as well. It's only a matter of time before General Lane falls for that same trick -- if he hasn't already.

"I doubt they've even had time to think." That's classic Luthor, through and through. Twenty steps ahead and more, ready to take everyone out using only the strength of his intellect. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is why Lex Luthor is the most dangerous man on Earth.

Now, the question becomes... What will Lex due with his new found freedom? Obviously he's going to be back and LexCorp. But will the people of Metropolis (and the world) accept him back into the fold?

I'm guessing that's where Lex is going to betray General Lane. When the War of the Supermen comes to its end there's going to be one winner only: Lex Luthor. And the people of Earth will forgive him his crimes.

God help us all...

Thursday Night Thinking #145

The week is nearly over and I'm tired. What can get me through the last day? How about a soothing dose of Thursday Night Thinking?

Ah, Jimmy Olsen. You always know what to say. Er, I mean think.

Best of Luck

I'm going to be straight with all of you: I can't believe the current Azrael series hasn't been canceled yet.

It's not that Azrael is a bad book. Really, I have no idea if that's the case. It's just that books about lesser characters -- or unknown characters -- don't tend to last very long. Take the Red Circle launch, for instance. I can vouch for the fact that The Shield and The Web were both very good books. But where are those guys now?

Of course, this is coming from a guy who headlined his own series for one hundred issues. But those were different times. In this day and age a book has to have some serious star power (in either the writer, artist, or character department) to guarantee its long life.

Still, I'm hoping my poor, doomed successor has some success before the twisted shade of St. Dumas (his name be praised!) sends the new Azrael spinning into madness. Maybe a new writer will help!

Just The One

It has been over four years since I first begged the comics world to stop spelling Judd Winick's name wrong. It doesn't seem to have helped.

Just today over at CBR they have once again spelled Judd Winick's name "Winnick." It is well known among those who know well my idiosyncrasies that this drives me up the wall for no good reason.

Now, I expect this from ill-informed message board commenters. They are the most likely to spell his name wrong, after all. But I do not expect a site like Comic Book Resources -- which regularly has cause to actually interview Mr. Winick -- to make such mistakes.

This is my last warning, people. Get it right. There is only one "N" in Winick. Just the one. There has only ever been one.

The End Approaches

The story of the Kryptonian Nightwing and Flamebird seems to be almost over. It's been an interesting experiment, putting a couple of untested characters in the lead of what should be the premiere superhero comics. It's hard to say whether or not it worked; it's easy to say that it was never intended to be permanent.

The question then becomes: what happens to the two of them? I imagine they'll survive their scuffle with "Rao" and go on to play a part in War of the Supermen. Whether they make it out of that alive is hard to say. Chris is going to have to face his birth father at some point. That's a given. The confrontation has been brewing for a while and it's bound to be messy.

Thara is going to have to deal with Alura, too. After all, Supergirl's mother blames Thara for her Zor-El's murder. So that won't go well either. Still, both of these encounters will almost certainly happen.

But after War of the Supermen? It's hard to say where things will end up. It's distinctly possible that Kandor stays in the bottle. It's distinctly possible that it has to stay in the bottle for whatever reason. Really, I think when this is all over most things are going back to the status quo: Zod and his goons go back to the Phantom Zone, Alura and everyone else (save Supergirl) get stuck in the bottle, and Nightwing and Flamebird become the heroes of Kandor.

Still, I'd like to be wrong. I'd love for their to be a real shake up in the way things play out. But how often does something so radical -- not to mention permanent -- actually happen in comics?

Thursday Night Thinking #144

Once again we find ourselves a a crossroads... The crossroads of Thursday Night Thinking! (I'm not sure what that means either, but it sounded good when I typed it)

Anyway, see the astonishing feats -- and thoughts -- of a young Clark Kent:

Oh, Lana. Always doing... Things... That might kill someone if it turns out he isn't Superboy...

Young Justice Returns... To Television?

Wacky news out of the world of Warner Bros. animation. Apparently the next DC property to make the leap to cartoons is... Young Justice?!

I have to say I found this to be slightly unexpected. I mean, quite few of the major DC teams have gotten their own shows. We've had Teen Titans, Justice League, and Legion of Super-Heroes. And since we had Teen Titans Young Justice kind of feels like it's coming out of left field.

That said, it's looking like this cartoon about teen superheroes is going to be closer to comics that Teen Titans ever was. In fact, you could almost say that this is a modern Teen Titans series (the majority of the team members on the previous Teen Titans series were members of the 80's Titan team).

Young Justice looks to be a sort of a mix between the actual Young Justice comic and the beginnings of Geoff Johns' Teen Titans run. We've got Kid Flash, Superboy, Robin, and... Miss Martian!

I am suddenly very excited for this series.

Bald is Beautiful

I wasn't sure what to think when they took Marc Guggenheim off of Action Comics and replaced him with Paul Cornell. After all, I'm going to buy Action no matter what. So in some ways the person who writes it doesn't really matter all that much. So in the end I was kind of indifferent

That's changed since reading this interview with Cornell. For whatever reason Superman is still going to be absent from Action after the events of War of the Supermen. But instead of Nightwing and Flamebird, the star of Action will be... Lex Luthor.

This is inspired. Lex Luthor is, undoubtedly, one of the best characters ever. Like Superman and heroes Lex Luthor stands tall above all other villains. He is the quintessential mastermind and one of the most fascinating minds in all of fiction.

So what happens when the author makes him the star? Almost anything, I'd imagine. I can't conceive of what Cornell has planned for a Lex Luthor headlined Action Comics. But I know that in June I won't just be buying Action Comics out of habit... I'll be buying it because I'll be dying to know.

Green Lantern #56

I continue to be mildly annoyed at one Geoff Johns. Consider the recent solicitations for Green Lantern. On the cover we are once again treated to the gruesome, drooling visage of one Hector Hammond.

Is this what you want to see when you pick up your weekly comics? Hector Hammond is neither attractive nor charming. He's not even a particularly effective nemesis. He just sits there whining about how he wishes he were Hal Jordan.

Know this: I have never wished I was Hal Jordan. Indeed, I would not wish the fate of being Hal Jordan on my greatest enemy. Incidentally, my greatest enemy happens to be Hal Jordan.

But I digress. My main point should be clear right now: why is Johns reusing Hammond and not Doctor Polaris? This "Brightest Day" gives ample opportunity to bring back the greatest of Hal Jordan's adversaries.

Instead, Johns gives us poor, deluded, sick in the head Hector. A travesty. Know this Geoff Johns: I have been patient with you. But even my compassion has limits. Do what you know you must do or face the consequences.

Four Dollars

Apparently people are complaining about the fact that comics are trending to four dollars apiece. I do not understand this complaint. At all.

Everything gets more expensive. Food, cars, movies, video games. This is just the way things trend. If you don't want to spend four dollars on a comic then, well, that's your choice. But you can't blame the publishers to for raising the prices. They're not trying to make you happy. They're trying to make money. If they calculate things out and figure that the only way they can make a profit/break even is to raise the price of the comics then they'll do that.

Again, if you're not willing to pay that much for a comic then don't. Take your money elsewhere. Buy something else. That is your choice. Screaming about it won't make the prices drop. Nothing will. Penny candy doesn't exist anymore. Neither do ten cent comics. We're all going to have to learn to live with it.

Thursday Night Thinking #143

You know the drill... Thursday Night Thinking!

Ah, Mon-El. The most reliable thinker of the modern age. I'll miss you when you're gone...

Brightest Day #0

Well well well. Look what is upon us. It seems that it's Brightest Day. I don't have a lot of time tonight, so I'm just going to hit my main thoughts on each of the twelve "resurectees."

Aquaman: Aquaman, afraid of the water? I never thought I'd see the day. Aquaman does see a disturbing reflection in the water. I fear that the scars of Blackest Night are not so easily healed...

Professor Zoom: We already know part of Zoom's destiny. That said, I fear there may be more to it if this week's issue of Flash is any indication...

Captain Boomerang: Old Boomer is certainly getting back into the Rogue business. But I wonder whether the other Rogues will welcome him back...

Hawkman and Hawkgirl: What power do those old bones hold? And who has found them? I wouldn't be surprised if it's our old buddy Hath-Set, back again to kill the Hawks...

Maxwell Lord: Here's Max setting things up to erase his memory from, well, everybody. I'm curious to see why those old members of the JLI are unaffected. Perhaps it's by design...

Martian Manhunter: I'm happy to have J'onn back, and even happier to see a smile on his face. It's clear that J'onn would love to get his hands on the White Lantern. I wonder if he'll remain the last of his race for long...

Jade: Jade and Kyle aren't getting back together. That much is clear. They are going their separate ways and I think that's for the best. She always seemed to be in his shadow when they were a couple. Perhaps now she can shine her own light...

Ronnie Raymond: I hate Ronnie Raymond. This version of him is every guy I ever hated back in college. Jason, conversely, seems a lot more like me. I wonder if they'll be able to keep from killing each other...

Osiris: I think Deadman is right when he says "some men were better off dead." Maxwell Lord is tricky. The Reverse-Flash is deadly. But I think that of all those brought back Osiris has the potential to be the most dangerous of all...

Hawk: Hawk seems to be going to extremes. But then, that's what the character was created to do, isn't it? There doesn't seem to be much finesse there, but there has to be something else that what seems to be on the surface...

Deadman: Deadman is the keystone. He's at the center of whatever is going on here just like he was at the center of the miracle in Star City. Who is he tasked with helping to live? This is the question at the heart of Brightest Day...

Catman is Cold as Ice

There's a preview for the latest Secret Six up. Yeah, I know that by the time most of you read this you'll probably have the actual comic. Such are the trials of the fact that I post these things at night. When it's dark.

Anyway. I was really wondering how Catman was going to get out of the sticky situation he was left in at the end of the last issue. As far as I could tell there was no way for him to extricate himself from the situation.

I was wrong.

You see, this is why I love Secret Six. No matter what I think is coming Gail Simone still manages to surprise me. To shock me. To appall me. And still keep me coming back for more.

Is Catman's decision as cold as it seems? Or is he simply calling the bad (worse) guys' bluff? I'm not entirely sure... But one thing I'll say... Those guys have no idea who they're dealing with.

Strange Maneuverings

Apparently Mark Guggenheim isn't going to be writing Action Comics after all. I don't really have a horse in the race here; I've not read much by Guggenheim or Cornell (and I haven't checked yet to see if he's written any of my favorite Doctor Who episodes).

Mostly I just wanted to comment on the incredibly weak explanation for why Guggenheim isn't going to be writing the book. Because honestly? "My idea is too good for me to write myself" isn't particularly believable as an explanation.

I don't know why he's not sticking around; it doesn't matter to me one way or another. After all, Action is one of four comics I will never stop buying (the others being Superman, Detective, and Batman). I just think it's a bizarre reason why he left the book.

Who?

Are the rest of y'all reading JSA All-Stars? I like the book well enough, but... It seems kind off off at times. Like, take the most recent issue. The team was having some serious troubles with the King of Tears, King Chimera was almost dead, and things didn't look good. Then Anna Fortune showed up to save the day.

Wait, Anna who? I assume this is a new character; I've never heard of her before. But here she comes out of nowhere to save the day. Deus Ex Machina, anyone?

Really, I was completely flabbergasted. I didn't know how to react to this sudden appearance of a character I've never heard of doing things I've never seen before. I mean, magic spells in bullets? Ankhs on her eyes? Are we really supposed to believe that Doctor Fate sent here?

And yet... Despite it all I think I like Anna Fortune. Don't ask me why; it's one of those irrational things you sometimes get about certain characters. Will she be joining the team? I certainly don't know. I'm not sure I want her to. But I do hope I see her again. If the team survives the mess she's gotten them into...

Nominations

Whatever you may think of James Robinson's writing, there's no denying that the man is a class act.

After all, here's what he said about his Eisner nomination for writing Cry for Justice:

"To all who congratulated me for the Eisner nom, thank you. To all those vocally pissed that I got one, thank you too. The fact that you care enough about comics to have strong opinions at all is a good thing, ultimately. So bravo to all you Robinson haters, I love you all."

-- writer James Robinson, on reactions to his Eisner Award nomination for Best Writer for Justice League: Cry for Justice

Really, how often do you see someone thanking the people who hate him?

Anyway, congratulation to James Robinson -- and all the other Eisner nominees.

Thursday Night Thinking #142

Welcome to another edition of Thursday Night Thinking! When it comes to interesting thoughts there really isn't anything that can compare to old Superman covers. Take a look for yourself:

I don't know about you, but I really want to read that comic...

Another Return

Well, I'm alive again. Only St. Dumas knows why that's the case. But I suppose I'll make the most of it.

I know that they're back to having trouble over in Gotham City. With You-Know-Who still apparently "dead" a whole new crop of Morrisonian villains have shown their faces. Old Dick Grayson and that annoying new kid can't seem to keep up with it.

At least that's my way of looking at things. You know what else I guessed (long before the new Robin)? I guessed that that "Oberon Sexton" guy might actually be You-Know-Who. But then, it doesn't take the "World's Greatest Detective" to put those pieces together.

Anyway, know that I'm going to try and get back into the vigilante business soon. As good as Dick is at stepping into You-Know-Who's shoes I sometimes think he's not willing to just thrash the bad guys within an inch of their lives (something they need from time to time). That's at least one thing the new kid and I have in common...

1000

Behold: Title Undetermined's 1000th post!

Can anyone out there believe I've actually kept this thing going as long as I have? If you do, your prognostication skills are better than mine. I never thought I'd manage to keep it going for a thousand posts. I wonder if I'll manage another thousand...

Anyway, shall we discuss Justice League of America? The book has been on rocky ground since, well, the current series started. Back and forth, up and down. Characters join only to leave in the next issue -- or sometimes the same issue.

That said, Robinson and Bagley finally seem to have hit their stride (well, Bagley had it all along but you know what I mean). The team seems to have solidified (or will soon) as James Robinson's "Big Seven." As you probably already know, the team is going to be Supergirl, Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Jade, Jesse Quick, Mikaal Tomas as Starman, and Congorilla. It is not the "Big Seven" that I know. But it might work, as this team has interesting parallels to the traditional "Big Seven." Let's examine each member in turn and what role they are playing.

Supergirl as Superman: A pretty simple replacement (at least on the surface). With Mon-El gone and Superman apparently unavailable, it makes sense for Superman's cousin to take his place on the Superteam. She can fill his role as powerhouse pretty easily. But can she match is power of inspiration?

Dick Grayson as Batman: Unfortunately, Dick Grayson is the only Batman we've got. Since the Justice League needs a Batman he'll have to do. Having been trained by the real Batman, Dick Grayson nearly matches his mentor in strategic skills (if not the meticulous planning that was Bruce Wayne's trademark). Plus, he has better relations with the other members of the team than Batman usually did.

Donna Troy as Wonder Woman: Another obvious swap, Donna Troy may not be Wonder Woman but she is an Amazon. So there's that. She can't match Diana for gravitas or, well, anything else. But I suppose she'll do as long as Wonder Woman is unavailable. Why is Wonder Woman unavailable again?

Jade as Green Lantern: With no actual Green Lanterns available it makes sense for the daughter of the original Green Lantern to take that spot. Though Jade hasn't officially joined the team, I think she'll fit in well. The Justice League has always had a green energy wielder and I look forward to seeing what Robinson does with her.

Jesse Quick as the Flash: For me, Jesse Quick was the biggest surprise in this lineup. I thought she had settled in pretty well in the JSA as Liberty Belle. That said, the Justice League does need somebody who can run really fast. With Wally West and Barry Allen unavailable, I can't think of anyone better.

Starman as Martian Manhunter: The Justice League always needs an alien who has sworn to defend his adopted home of Earth from evil. Mikaal Tomas -- Starman -- fits perfectly into the Martian Manhunter role. He may lack J'onn J'onzz's incredible power set, but that may be for the best. With the most recent Starman having gone back to the future Mikaal Tomas can embrace the role as his own. This is the character I'm most excited about in the new League.

Congorilla as Aquaman: This, of course, is the most tenuous fit. In some ways I might be better off saying "Congorilla as the Wild Card." Though Aquaman is a traditional member of the League, all to often that final slot has been filled by a diverse collection of heroes with a diverse collection of powers -- everyone from Plastic Man to Steel. Congorilla may be quirky, but he still fits the JLA just fine.

So that's the new lineup and my thoughts on it. What are yours?

Brightest Day Begins

No, your eyes do not deceive you. It is I, Doctor Polaris. Alive and well after so many years out of the spotlight.

Did you really think you wouldn't see me with Blackest Night at its end? Did you truly believe that the twelve resurrections on the four page foldout were the limit? Know this: I was the first of many off panel resurrections. Doctor Polaris had returned.

What does this mean for the DC Universe and this blog? First and foremost, my conspicuous absence in the case of the latter has come to an end. No longer will you be disappointed in coming to this site to seek my wisdom. Do not doubt this: Doctor Polaris will be here.

I will also grace the pages of DC comics in the not too distant future. What comic? I cannot say. When will it happen? Soon.

The Brightest Day begins here, loyal readers. For the DC Universe and for this blog. Doctor Polaris has returned. The world will never be the same.

Thursday Night Thinking #141

No foolin'... It's Thursday Night Thinking!

Tonight: the final issue of Blackest Night brings us some final thoughts courtesy of the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter.

What further thoughts will Blackest Night inspire?