Title Undetermined

One Last Ride

2011-12-22T08:37:00.002-06:00

Reading the Leviathan Strikes! one-shot was bittersweet. It has the distinction of being the very last book to be published under the old continuity. I found certain stories in the book to be quite entertaining, and there were others that (like a lot of Grant Morrison's stuff) I didn't understand at all.

But the book mostly reminded me how much I loved Stephanie Brown's Batgirl. And Barbara Gordon as Oracle. And as I was reading the book I realized that this would be the last new story about these characters. I would never get to read about them again.

And that makes me sad. By and large I've been a supporter of the "New 52." Some of the books have been hits and others misses. But on a whole I think it was a good idea. Plus, if they can keep sales up it may be a good thing for the comic industry as a whole.

I'll still miss those characters. I'll miss the history built up for them over the decades. Those stories are still there, but in some sense they don't mean quite as much now that they're disconnected from the present.

I suppose I'll have to hang on tight and hope that this new continuity can build a history that means as much as the old one did. It's not impossible. But it still won't be the same.

Permission to Die

2011-12-21T06:49:00.004-06:00

A word of fair warning to you all: I'm going to talk about the recent trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. If you don't want to hear that or are worried about spoilers, now is the time to depart.

With that out of the way, let's start with the character that is (so far) arguably at the hear of the Dark Knight Rises stuff we've seen so far: Bane. I think it's safe to say that Bane is a controversial character. It's hard to say that he's popular, but there's no question that he's unpopular in a lot of ways. Having been created in the 1990's, Bane is lacking a lot of the pedigree you get from long term Batman villains like Two-Face or the Joker.

But being chosen as the main villain of Rises shows that despite his contemporary creation, Bane has cemented himself as an important part of the modern Batman mythos. Whether you like it or not, Bane has taken over a position that has been filled with numerous characters over the years in comics: the role of the anti-Batman.

It's easy to forget that that's what Bane was meant to be in the very beginning. Too often Bane has been employed as a simple, brutish thug (due in large part to his extreme musculature and luchadore look). But when Bane was first introduced he was more than simply a physical match for Batman: he was his intellectual equal as well.

Batman has had no shortage of intellectual adversaries. In fact, you can make the argument that most of Batman's villains are designed largely to test his mental and psychological strength. And there have been a few physical adversaries as well (Killer Croc being the most notable example).

But Bane was created as someone who could take on Batman in both the physical and mental arenas and succeed. In this sense, he's one in a long line of anti-Batmans. Even his origin is a dark, twisted mirror image of Batman's own. And Rises seems to be playing this up.

We get a glimpse of what is (presumably) the prison where Bane was raised (assuming, of course, that his origin hasn't been radically tweaked). But the most telling is the image of the camo tumbler: it's safe to assume that Bane has his own -- dare I say it? -- Banemobile.

In The Dark Knight we had a villain who "just wanted to see the world burn" in the form of the Joker. Bane unquestionably wants to see Gotham in ashes. But it seems that he doesn't want to do so purely to do so. Bane is driven. It's obvious that he has an agenda and perhaps even one that many people in this "Occupy Wall Street" world might find appealing.

This is all speculation, of course. And I'm admittedly running on speculation here. But I think we're going to see a Gotham City that on the surface is doing well: crime is down and people (at least the people at the top) are prospering.

But beneath the surface the city continues to rot. And if Bane is half the strategist he is in the comics he will exploit that for his own purposes.

I've wondered quite a bit why Nolan and co. decided to change Bane's look from his classic comic look. I think it's because of what I'd alluded to earlier. That look makes Bane seem like just another thug in a long line of thugs. And while it's effective for the pages of the comics, this current mask lets us see his eyes. And while his voice may be difficult to understand, his message is clear. I don't know yet what it means, but July 20 can't come soon enough.

Rebooted

2011-12-15T05:16:00.002-06:00

Well, it looks like I got rebooted after all. It took a while to kick in, but here we are. I can't believe they bothered.

Not that a whole lot is different... I think I'm about five years younger. Which is nice, I guess. I'm still old enough to drink. But I'm a bit of a teetotaler anyway, so...

One that that's changed is my costume. It's got a lot of extra lines and seams for some reason. Wasn't my costume already busy enough? And you should see these new boots. They're pretty ridiculous.

Well, I spent the last three months basically reliving the whole Sword of Azrael miniseries, because every time they give some a new origin they have to retell it again and again. I just wish they'd left the apes out this time...

America

2011-12-14T05:36:00.002-06:00

I, Doctor Polaris, have returned. You may be wondering, loyal readers, where I have been all this time. Listen well and perhaps you may even learn something.

Not long after the coming of the "New 52" I felt a sense of unease. I had not been rebooted, that much was true. But the coming of a self-described momentous event such as the relaunch should have brought with it real change.

And what did we find? Hal Jordan is still around and still an idiot. The only difference is his new, unflattering costume. And what of me, Doctor Polaris? I didn't feel that I had changed. Perhaps, I thought, I needed to change myself.

It was then and there that I made a decision: I would walk across America and reacquaint myself with its good, simple people. And so I began what I expected would be a journey from Coast City to Metropolis. I made my way through Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas, interacting with ordinary Americans.

Then I got to Saint Louis and realized that it's a terrible city and that I hate good, simple Americans. So I destroyed the Gateway Arch and flew back to to sunny Southern California.

And what about the adventures I had over these past few months? I will tell you this: there is not a whole lot to tell. For as Geoff Johns' Justice League has shown, three months can pass with absolutely nothing happening.

Grand Reopening

2011-12-13T05:29:00.003-06:00

No, your eyes do not deceive you. Of course, by saying that I make the dangerous assumption that there are any eyes to see. I have been gone a long time.

And before I go any further let me say: I am sorry. It was not right of me to up and leave the blog for three months without saying so much as a word or giving an explanation. But to make up for it I'm going to give you an explanation right now. Even if it means coming dangerously close to revealing my secret identity.

As some of you already know, I've been a graduate student for these past few years. You know I study Japan and some of you may even know that I'm in Japan right now. These things are all puzzle pieces in the reasons why I haven't been blogging. Here are the specifics, in bullet points:

First of all, when I moved to Japan at the end of August my apartment didn't have the Internet. The building is really old (which is why the doorways are all too low and I keep hitting my head) so it wasn't easy to get it set up. Finally it happened, but the damage was already done: I got used to not blogging.

Secondly, I am currently attending an extremely intensive Japanese language program. This is the kind of thing that barely gives you any free time. Hell, if I didn't find the time to sleep I wouldn't get any of that. Still, I would've had time for blogging if it hadn't been for...

The third problem. See, I'm currently between my MA and PhD degree. Originally I'd planned on staying at my current institution. But a few weeks before I left Japan my academic adviser dropped a bombshell on me: he was retiring. Which meant I had to apply to other schools. While in a super-intensive Japanese language program. In Japan.

So you can probably see why I haven't been around at all. But here's the thing: the applications are due on December 15, but I finished them today. Which means aside from the crippling homework I am free! Gloriously free!

You may also be interested to know that today, December 13, is this blog's Sixth Anniversary. All things considered, I'll hope you'll forgive me for a three month recess out of pretty continuous posting for six years.

What I'm saying is: I'm back. I probably won't be able to post every day, and maybe not more than twice or three times a week while the program is on. But I will post. Again, thanks to everyone who has stuck with me over the past six years. You can't imagine how much it means to have people read my writing and sometimes even comment on it. I hope to keep this up for a long time to come.

Oh, and as for my co-bloggers? I don't really have any idea what they've been up to over the past three months. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they show up soon...

The New 14-26

2011-09-14T00:04:00.004-05:00

Since I can actually post on the week of a batch of new number ones coming out I thought it might be fun to rundown all the new comics and give my general expectations for them (and yes, I am at least trying all the new comics). While it may be Wednesday here, that doesn't mean I can read my comics early. You all will probably see them long before I will.

Batman and Robin #1: Since the Batman world wasn't much upset by the relaunch, I don't anticipate seeing much of a change in the quality of Batman and Robin. Tomasi can still write, and we all know Patrick Gleason can draw. The big question is whether or not father and son will work well as Batman and Robin.

Batwoman #1: Many people have been waiting for this book for a long time. Assuming it keeps up with the pretty art and brings along a decent story to go with it, Batwoman should do fine.

Deathstroke #1: I can already tell you that I probably won't stick with this one for every long. I've never been a big fan of Deathstroke, even as an "anti-hero." I understand why they're giving the book a shot, and I applaud them for continuing to try and diversify their offerings. If nothing else, Joe Bennett can also draw.

Demon Knights #1: This is one of the new books I've been most excited about. I love the idea of exploring the DCU in different times and places, and when better than Medieval Europe? If Paul Cornell brings his a-game this will be a fantastic book.

Frankenstein #1: I love Lemire's Flashpoint Frankenstein mini, but the preview for Agent of S. H. A. D. E. makes me wary. We're not being given the same characters and the art isn't half as good. But Lemire usually seems to know what he's doing, and I'll still give it a try.

Green Lantern #1: See Batman and Robin above. DC does seem to be operating on a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. (and what does that tell us about everything outside of the Batman and GL books?) Geoff Johns' Green Lantern saga continues, for better or worse.

Grifter #1: This book is one of the biggest wild cards for me. I don't know anything about the character or the writer. So all I know is that the book will be beautiful. Funnily enough, this sense of not knowing makes me pretty excited to read this book. As well as I know the DCU, that's a rare experience.

Legion Lost #1: I'm actually really looking forward to this book. I'm very much intrigued to see how the members of the Legion deal with living in the present. They clearly won't fit in, even among the super-hero contingent. A good fish out of water story can be a lot of fun.

Mister Terrific #1: Here's another book that's a bit of a cipher. We know who Michael Holt was, but we don't really know who this Michael Holt is. Still, I think it's a great idea to get him out of the JSA's shadow and let the man shine on his own. The character has a lot of potential.

Red Lanterns #1: Peter Milligan writes some weird stuff. The Red Lanterns are kind of weird. I don't know what else to say about this book.

Resurrection Man #1: I never thought I'd see another Resurrection Man #1. As my affection for Resurrection Man is well known, I'm very much looking forward to this comic. If the team can capture at least a fraction of what made the original comic so good it will be a winner.

Suicide Squad #1: I'm not really expecting much from this book, honestly. It could turn out to be a nice surprise or it could end up being one of the first books cancelled. It's anyone's guess.

Superboy #1: Superboy is apparently being completely rebooted with a new history and everything. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I've never ready anything by Scott Lobdell so I have no idea what to expect. I did like the preview, though.

Whew, that's a lot of books! DC really is cranking them out. I wonder how many will survive past the six month mark?

New is Old Again

2011-09-13T01:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I talked about my favorite book of the relaunch. But what was my least favorite? That might be too easy... While there were certainly going to be good books there was no question that there would be some bad comics in the relaunch. It's a bit more fair if I discuss the comics that were the most disappointing.

I think that answer to that is, sadly, Batgirl. Now, you know I love Gail Simone deeply, and it pains me terribly to say that. I don't thing it's a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. But I just don't think it's what I wanted from a Batgirl book.

The first Batgirl comic starred Cassandra Cain, and it was about her trying to figure out how she could fit into a world that she wasn't trained for while at the same time trying to create a family out of the misfits that inhabit Batman's world.

The second Batgirl comic starred Stephanie Brown, and it was about putting a girl in a batsuit and letting her have as much fun as you possible can while dressed like that. And boy, if we didn't get that. I still think the most recent run of Batgirl was one of the best (and most overlooked) books DC was publishing prior to the New 52, and it's a real shame that Bryan Q. Miller isn't writing anything for DC now.

So what is this third Batgirl comic about? I'm not entirely sure yet, and I think that's some of the problem. This version of Barbara Gordon doesn't really seem to be having any fun yet, though she is certainly dealing with a number of issues. Indeed, right now The Killing Joke is looming large over everything that happens in the book.

That may simply be because this is the first issue. But honestly, we didn't see this much of a focus on The Killing Joke in Barbara's entire stint as Oracle in Birds of Prey. It was made clear that it happened and then everybody moved on.

I have enough faith in Gail Simone to expect that the book will improve. She's undoubtedly got to get some of this stuff out of the way so she can move forward with the story. But if this comic becomes a lot of looking backward at bad Alan Moore stories, then I may have to drop a Gail Simone comic for the first time ever.

Old is New Again

2011-09-12T00:55:00.005-05:00

My favorite comic of the relaunch so far? No contest: it's Action Comics #1

What we're seeing here is a real return to a character's roots. We're always hearing writers say they are taking so and so back to his or her roots by stripping away their supporting characters or wiping their memories of whatever.

But Grant Morrison is really doing it. He's taken us back to the Superman of the 1930's. How exactly has he done that? By giving us the Superman of the 2010's.

This is a Superman who is fed up with the establishment. He doesn't care what the corrupt cops or greedy businessmen say or do. He's going to take them out because it's the right thing to do. It highly effective during the Great Depression when people were losing their jobs and homes while the rich and powerful walked away with bags full of money. And it's equally effective during the "Great Recession" where people are losing their jobs and homes while the rich and powerful walk away with bags full of money.

So who are the villains? In this Action Comics #1 the villains are the establishment. Superman doesn't fight to defend the bullies and the crooks. He fights to defend the little guy, the person who -- and this is key -- has nobody else standing up for him.

This was at the heart of Superman in the beginning and I'm glad to see it back. We hear that woman cried every night because she was being beaten by her husband. What did Superman do? He did what nobody else would. Neighbors probably heard her crying. The cops probably knew what was going on. But nobody did anything. Not because they couldn't but because they wouldn't.

But Superman can. And more importantly he does. He's not invincible, this Superman. But that doesn't mean he's afraid. He stands up for the oppressed and forgotten. The never-ending battle continues.

I Might Not Exist

2011-09-08T23:34:00.005-05:00

I'm beginning to think that maybe I don't exist.

They say that most of Batman's history is still intact, but what about the Knightfall storyline? I have a hard time believing that it no longer exists, consider it introduces Bane and he's apparently going to be in a movie next year. So I hear. They didn't ask me to appear.

But there seem to be a lot of situations where characters still exist while at the same time stories don't. And vice versa. So do I exist or not? I'm beginning to think that if I do, I'm still never going to be mentioned ever again.

That doesn't really seem fair, because after all I was Batman and I did beat Bane. How many people have really beaten Bane? It's just not fair to retcon that out.

I guess it doesn't matter, though. No matter how the DC Universe changes they still can't take away the fact that I once starred in a comic that lasted for 100 issues. Not many people can say that.

Broadened Horizons

2011-09-08T00:16:00.004-05:00

I have largely remained in the confines of super-hero comics for as long as I've been reading comics. This is not because I am particularly opposed to non-super-hero comics (though they are my preferred genre). The reason why I've not ventured much outside of super-heroics is that I like immersing myself in a shared universe. I enjoy the DC Universe as a whole and so have stayed within its borders (though there have been the occasional exceptions, such as Jonah Hex).

But things seem to be changing with the "New 52." Or perhaps, as Scipio has noted, they are going back to their roots in the Golden Age. Rather than trying to ghettoize non super-hero stories in the Wildstorm or Vertigo imprints, for example, they are now firmly in the DC Universe. A year ago Men of War would have been a Wildstorm book, while Swamp Thing most certainly would have been in Vertigo.

But now that they're in the DC Universe, for good or ill I feel safe giving them a try. And that's a good thing, as they're both very entertaining books (Swamp Thing, incidentally, is probably the scariest thing I've read in years).

Will this diversity of genres help DC sell more books? I sure hope so. I do know that for every person out there with an iPad there has to be at least one DC Universe book that speaks to their interests. DC just has to make sure they know that.

In Time

2011-09-07T00:23:00.002-05:00

I can already see the surprise on your faces. You thought you were rid of me? You believed that the dawning of the "New 52" meant that Doctor Polaris had been wiped from the pages of history? Any who believed that I count as fools of Hal Jordan's caliber.

As I have discussed before, certain things have and always will remain constant. A reboot cannot take away the things that really matter. After all, has it not always been the case that Barry Allen is pathetic, single, and lonely? To imagine him in a stable relationship -- let alone a marriage -- is sheer folly.

Ha! For a moment I had you convinced, didn't I? You truly believed that I -- Doctor Polaris -- had succumbed to the same mind altering effects of the Flashpoint as the other villains and heroes. I am not so easily duped. I can only surmise that I retain a memory of the previous timeline due to the residual magnetic chronal resonance in my bloodstream. Or whatever other form of pseudo-scientific claptrap the Flash might decide to think up.

But I digress. What I am trying to tell you is that after a point you begin to forget that things were changed to begin with. Some may bemoan Superman's portrayal as an orphaned socialist crusader who cannot fly. They are indeed fools, for they are ignorant of the earliest history of the Man of Steel.

Change is constant, but after a while it stops feeling like a change. You will get used to Superman being a bachelor in the same way you got used to him being married. In time.

It Lives!

2011-09-04T22:51:00.002-05:00

No my friends, your eyes do not deceive you. I am indeed here, alive, and blogging. It has been exactly a month since I posted on the blog here and oh, an eventful month it has been.

I had the trouble of moving out of my old apartment and into temporary lodgings while preparing for the more long stay in Japan (which I am at this very moment). All of this (plus the temporary interruption of my comics) has led to a bit of a whirlwind.

That said, I do hope to be able to continue blogging here. I should be able to get comics again very soon, but right now I don't have the Internet at home (never mind the secret location from which I now transmit this message). But I may only be able to post once, twice, or mayhap three times a week.

So watch this space, friends. I suppose that the advent of a new era of DC comics is an appropriate time for me to get back into the swing of things again here.

Endings

2011-08-05T22:32:00.002-05:00

Of all the things I will miss about this version of the DCU I think I will miss Secret Six most of all.

There was something sadistically charming about that series -- and by extension the characters therein. Gail Simone and her collaborators should be commended for creating something fresh and different in an environment where all too often writers and artist go with the easy or safe thing.

The violence in Secret Six never seemed gratuitous to me, either. Sure, it was seriously violent. But it just felt like it had to be. These were violent, messed up people. But they were still people, and we got to see that even super-villains are human beings too (unless, of course, they are shark-men).

But for me the most remarkable thing was the strange journey of Bane. Indeed, in some ways this volume of Secret Six is Bane's story as much as anyone's. He joined the Six in issue one and the last issue ended with him destroying it.

I'd like to say that I'm looking forward to where Bane goes from here. But I can't say that, as I have no idea if Bane is going anywhere. I don't know what his place will be in the new DCU you. I hope he'll find a place -- and he hope he finds his kingdom.

Pants

2011-08-02T23:41:00.002-05:00

It seems that after a brief flirtation with pants on Wonder Woman DC has decided against it. It's kind of sad, actually. I'd really started to like the pants.

Now I'm not one to say that Wonder Woman wearing the swimsuit style costume is a bad thing. But I do think trousers on the woman was a good thing. If DC was looking to make her appear more "modern" and "hip" the pants did that.

Then again, the decision to not use the long pants may come from screaming from certain segments of the fan base. I can't say who these people might be, but I can only assume that they are male and receive the majority of their female companionship from Wonder Woman comics.

Okay, that might be taking it a step too far. But really, the pants looked good. I liked them, and for the life of my I can't figure out why they decided to backpedal on that particular costume change. Does it have to do with the JMS Wonder Woman storyline? Because I'm pretty sure that's going to stay out of continuity...

The End of Aquaman

2011-08-01T22:20:00.003-05:00

Let's try and get this thing going again, shall we?

Try not to be too surprised by the title of this post. I don't mean the end of Aquaman. I mean the end of "Aquaman." The end of the popular conception of him as a dork, a loser, and a joke. Because that's what I think is coming.

You've probably already seen the first few pages of Aquaman #1. Say what you will about Geoff Johns, but he does a pretty good job in those four pages of dispensing with a number of the popular misconceptions about Aquaman.

From the very beginning it's set up that people don't take Aquaman seriously -- the cops and the criminals both treat him as a joke. He's a guy who talks to fish! What can he possibly do in land?

And we get to see what he can do. We see Aquaman quickly and efficiently deal with the bad guys and show everyone that he's not someone to be trifled with. We're shown that Aquaman is a force to be reckoned with. And I assume we're off to the races.

We'll have to wait for the actual full comic to find out if Geoff Johns does as good of a job of rehabilitating Aquaman's reputation as he has with Hal Jordan's. Personally, I think things are looking good.

Five Years Later

2011-07-20T22:41:00.002-05:00

I honestly have no idea how DC expects their new timeline to work without a total reboot of the universe. The idea that super-heroes only appeared five years ago is certainly workable for most characters. There's no difficulty, for instance, in saying that the Flash, Superman, or Wonder Woman only appeared five years ago. It's pretty easy to streamline out most of their histories.

The problem, as usual, is Batman. Batman wouldn't be a problem if DC was really rebooting their universe. But according to DC all the Batman characters are still canonical: Dick Grayson was the first Robin, Jason Todd the second, and so on.

How exactly is that going to work? How are they going to fit all of that into five years? And the problem of Damien just raises further questions.

I don't know if they'll try to come up with a convoluted, not terribly convincing explanation or just go the Infinite Crisis route and hand wave it away with a "Superboy-Prime punched a wall!" Either way, I look forward to seeing the frothing Internet masses explode in rage and indignation.

Volume 2, Number 1

2011-07-18T23:17:00.004-05:00

I have no idea what DC is doing with Superman. They say they're going to make him "edgy" and "brooding." I guess that sort of thing has its place. And maybe there are some people who will enjoy that kind of Superman. After all, there is no single Superman. Since 1938 there have been dozens of different iterations of the character, and I suppose any one is as valid as any other.

But the Superman they're talking about for the new Action Comics isn't the kind of Superman I think I want to read about. That leads to the question: is it the sort of Superman that other people want to read about? Because everything DC has said indicates that they're trying to bring in new people with this relaunch. Is a solitary, brooding Superman what the general public wants?

Maybe it is. After all, Batman is arguably DC's most popular character. And people seem to think that he's a solitary, brooding character. Even though he's not really solitary. I mean, the man has a butler, four sons, police allies, a love interest who dresses as a cat, and is best friends with Superman.

Well, he used to be, anyway. Maybe isolating Superman and putting a spotlight on his alien origins will make him be a more popular character. Because putting him in a t-shirt isn't going to do it...

Sinestro

2011-07-13T23:54:00.003-05:00

It's safe to say that I did not expect the "War of the Green Lanterns" story to end the way that it did. We often talk about "shaking up the status quo" when it comes to comics. I think it's safe to say that Geoff Johns has done just that.

Sinestro is an interesting character. When he started out he wasn't really anybody. He was just a Green Lantern villain with a yellow ring, a ridiculous mustache, and an absurd set of clothes.

But over time he really has matured into a nuanced character. I'd even say that Sinestro is a more interesting and more complex character than Hal Jordan. And that's what makes giving Sinestro the starring role in the relaunched Green Lantern.

Sinestro vs. the Sinestro Corps. How is it that we're only getting this now?

Coloring

2011-07-11T23:19:00.002-05:00

All right. I'm back. I finished my MA exam and presumably now a Master of the Universe. I won't know for sure until I get the results back.

Now, while I was supposed to be thinking about the foundations of the Tokugawa Shogunate I was instead thinking about very silly things. Like Jason Todd's hair.

Here's the thing: it seems to change color every few years. Here's the timeline as far as I can tell:

Pre-Crisis: Jason's hair is blond; he dies it black to be Robin.

Post-Crisis: Jason's hair is actually black.

Hush: Jason's hair is black with a white streak.

Under the Hood: Jason's hair is just black again.

Batman and Robin: Jason's hair is red with a white streak.

Currently: Jason's hair is just red.

Now, I understand that editors have more important things to worry about that what color hair Jason Todd has. I mean, there's that whole relaunch and everything. I get it. But maybe, just maybe we could pick one and stick with it when we hit the New 52 era? Please?

Ignorance

2011-06-29T16:19:00.003-05:00

I find news such as this to be delightfully entertaining.

It appears that a series of DC fans -- currently amounting to a staggering 130 persons -- intend to stage a protest against the DC relaunch at the San Diego Comic-Con. They have the following to say:

"Are you utterly baffled, disappointed and just ANGRY to see how DC ruins your favorite character’s design and wipes decades of comic history out of the mainstream universe?"

Give me a moment to suppress raucous laughter. Then I will tell you that these people are complete and utter fools who have little to no understanding of DC's "decades of comic history."

The DC relaunch is by no means unprecedented. The history of the universe is tweaked regularly, like clockwork. It is true that some of these relaunches alter things to a greater degree than others -- see the first Crisis or Zero Hour -- but there are always changes being made.

I was front and center during Crisis on Infinite Earths and I can tell you that not a lot has actually changed. Batman's parents were still murdered, Krypton still exploded, and Hal Jordan remains an idiot of inconceivable proportions.

Keep in mind as well that the only true reboot in DC's history was astonishingly successful. I am speaking, of course, of the advent of the Silver Age which brought us -- among other things -- a new Flash, a new Green Lantern, and yours truly.

Perhaps the 130 do not realize this. It would not surprise me. Ignorance of history is common enough among the modern populace. Still, I am truly disappointed. I expect as much from the Marvel fans. But I had hoped for better from DC readers.

Green Lantern the Movie

2011-06-27T21:09:00.004-05:00

I went to see the Green Lantern movie yesterday. I'd heard a lot about the movie going in. Mostly I was hearing bad things. People saying the movie was "terrible" or some such nonsense.

It should come as not surprise to all of you that I greatly enjoyed the Green Lantern movie. Was it the apex of humankind's cinematic achievement? No. Was it the best comic book move ever made? Certainly not. But it was exactly what a comic book movie should be: entertaining.

I had a lot of fun watching the movie. It was a little slow in the middle but mostly I had a blast. The special effects were beautiful and I felt that the casting was mostly very, very good. Mark Strong nailed Sinestro, Peter Sarsgaard was perfectly creepy as Hector Hammond.

And Ryan Reynolds? Reynolds got the role just right. He was cocky and a bit of an asshole which is exactly what Hal Jordan needs to be. But he also managed to add aspects to Hal Jordan that we rarely get to see.

There was a seen in the film -- I don't remember exactly where -- Hal was up against a major villain. He was gritting his teeth and wielding his ring and he recited the Green Lantern oath as he did it. I remember saying aloud (without thinking about it): "That's Hal Jordan." And I'd never felt that a comic character was so effectively portrayed on screen as he was at that moment.

I'm pleased to see that despite lackluster reviews and lower than hoped for box office receipts we'll probably get a sequel. There's a lot of territory to explore. Let's hope this film helps opens up a whole universe -- specifically the DC Universe -- to the movie going public.

No Time!

2011-06-22T22:47:00.002-05:00

I have my MA exam two weeks from tomorrow, so it shouldn't surprise you all that I haven't had much time for posting.

Plus, I've been mulling over this whole "relaunch" thing and have been having some disturbing thoughts. Among them was this: "Wouldn't this be a good opportunity to give the whole thing up?"

I pushed that thought away, of course. I couldn't give the comics up entirely. But part of me wants to save the money and the effort. After all, I won't be able to visit a comic book store for a whole year once I leave for Japan in September. And why should I spend the money on the floppies when I can't even read them?

Am I drifting towards digital? I'm not really sure. I'm not really sure what is going to happen. And I don't know if the new DCU is a good thing... Or a bad thing.

Thursday Night Thinking #187

2011-06-16T23:59:00.004-05:00

Thursday Night Thinking, once again! Take it away, Superman!

You know, I'm actually glad they're doing away with the Lois/Clark marriage. Maybe we'll see more stories like this...

Expectations

2011-06-15T23:09:00.003-05:00

I'm more than a little concerned about what's going to happen when the Green Lantern movie is released. I've high hopes, and some of the preliminary reviews trickling out aren't particularly glowing.

That doesn't mean the movie won't be successful, of course. Lots of bad films go on to make enormous amounts of money. But I really wanted to see a film that's both good and successful. A good, successful film based on one of DC's second tier properties would bode well for future films based on characters like Wonder Woman and the Flash.

What do you all think? Are you going to see the Green Lantern film? And does it really matter if it's good of successful?

Progress?

2011-06-14T23:31:00.002-05:00

Despite the loss of Oracle as a character, it is somewhat heartening to see the DCU diversifying in the new book line-up.

We've got at least three books starring characters of African heritage and a number starring women. Of particular note is the introduction of Apollo and Midnighter to the DCU in Paul Cornell's Stormwatch.

This is noteworthy because DC has suffered from a dearth of gay male characters. And a complete lack of them in any form of headlining role. It's somewhat puzzling considering the proliferation lesbians in DC's comics in recent years.

I suppose it's not particularly surprising, however. Though troubling, there is no doubt that a majority straight male audience finds homosexual female characters more palatable than homosexual male characters.

This is something that has bothered me for a long time. As good as it is to have characters like Batwoman, the Question, and Scandal Savage diversifying the DCU, it's problematic when your only gay man is occasional JSA guest star Obsidian.

Apollo and Midnighter taking a central position in the DCU is a step in the right direction. It's not far enough, but it sure as hell is better than having nothing but Extraño...

Last Days of the Justice Society

2011-06-13T23:43:00.004-05:00

These are the last days of the Justice Society. At least until they decide to bring them back. It's inevitable that some day they will, but for now the JSA is off the table.

I'm sure that many people will be unhappy about this. It doesn't really bother me. I haven't really enjoyed the Justice Society since prior to its most recent relaunch. The book has felt adrift for quite a while now, and I think that probably has something to do with the decision to "let it rest."

That said, I think there are better reasons out there for taking the JSA out of action. Indeed, I think there are some very good reasons indeed. First has to do with age. In the past, DC has remained firm in tying the JSA founders to World War II. Setting aside what role they may or may not have originally had during the war, they've been tied to that time period pretty consistently for quite a long time now.

That presents a problem for the new DCU. DC is trying to make their DCU younger and fresher. And that's somewhat difficult to do with a team tie so closely to World War II. After all, with every year that passes the war grows more and more distant. The original JSAers go from being in their seventies to in their eighties. And eventually their nineties. And that's a problem.

But it's not the best reason to take the JSA out of the DCU. Under the current post-Crisis chronology the JSA creates a fatal flaw in the DC Universe. In my eyes, there's a big thing that's been missing for the past twenty-five or so years. I think it absolutely vital that Superman be the first super-hero.

In the real world Superman is the first super-hero. There is little debate about that. He ushered in a new kind of fiction and changed our world forever. He did the same thing in the DCU: a world largely like ours existed until a man dressed in red and blue appeared in the sky and altered things irrevocably.

He was followed by many others, but there was no question that he came first and inspired those who followed him. And with the JSA as it has been conceived we can't have that. In order for Superman to be returned to his rightful place -- which it seems Grant Morrison intends to do -- the Justice Society must fade away.

The Challenge

2011-06-10T22:10:00.004-05:00

And so the 52 stand revealed... And the importance of that number to the DCU has been solidified. I feel a strange sort of excitement for what's to come, and a large part of me wonders if this is how DC fans felt when the first Crisis hit. We're rapidly approaching a new DCU -- one both comfortably familiar and refreshingly new. Is this what it felt like in 1985?

The biggest gamble coming along with this, of course, is DC's attempt to grab that elusive creature known as the "new reader." Apparently they're giving it a real go: there are rumors that DC intends to run national television ads to support their new DC Universe line. And while it's impossible to capture a new audience through the direct market, it may be doable via digital comics.

There are some, of course, who don't think that this will work. I've heard people say that the general public doesn't want to read about super-heroes. But I think that's ridiculous. Everybody wants to read about super-heroes. They just may not know it yet.

Kids, of course, love this sort of stuff. Brightly colored costumes, action, and excitement. But comics aren't geared towards kids anymore. Right or wrong, good or bad, they haven't for a long time. So who can we get to read these new comics?

Here's the problem: as people get older they often convince themselves that they need to give up "childish" things. They set aside toys and games and pay attention to the things that society expects them to pay attention to as they become adults. That's a tragedy, if you ask me.

One doesn't need to be a child to hold onto a sense of wonder. To ability to believe in heroes, heroism, and a world where they are possible isn't limited. Myths and legends have spoken to people of all ages for millennia. And even in a world where the gods of old have largely been forgotten, we can still believe in them.

But I don't need to convince any of you that. And neither does DC. It's everyone else out there -- the people who have told themselves that they don't believe in gods or heroes -- that need convincing. That is DC's challenge. I hope they're up to it.

Thursday Night Thinking #186

2011-06-09T23:54:00.002-05:00

Welcome again to Thursday Night Thinking!

The big question left for the week: in the new "dark" and "edgy" DC Universe what sort of Superman will we see? Probably not this kind:

More's the pity...

Just Throwing it Out There

2011-06-08T22:36:00.002-05:00

I was wondering if maybe I could get a new #1 as well.

I know the last Azrael book didn't do so well. But I wasn't in that. They could do a new one with me! They could call it Azrael Dark or just make me edgy and cool. Maybe I could get a tattoo of St. Dumas (His name be praised!).

I really can't think of a good reason why I shouldn't get a new series. Hawk and Dove are getting a new series. Drawn by Rob Liefeld! Surely they could find some one willing to write about my grim, dark, supernatural adventures.

After all, I've got an "in" to the world of wacky cults. Wacky cults play a central part of the DC Universe in many ways. Or maybe I could join John Constantine's Justice League. I don't know anything about him, but I imagine we have a lot in common.

If that's too much then maybe I could get a few issues in that new anthology title? I'd love to see me drawn by Ryan Sook. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Is it?

Doctor Polaris #1

2011-06-07T13:48:00.004-05:00

So, the fools at DC Comics are relaunching their line yet again. I recall numerous past attempts to do the same. How successful were they?

While I may find this relaunch ill-advised and indicative of comics' morbundity, I still want in. DC is launching books starring Resurrection Man, Batwing, and someone named "Voodoo." To top it off, villains like the Red Hood and that filthy cur Atrocitus are getting their own books.

So where is "Doctor Polaris #1?" You cannot say that I have less star power than Batwing. Batwing has shown up in one comic that was released this year. I am the original "Master of Magnetism!" I have a history that goes back decades.

If DC wants to throw money away launching books that won't last half a year they could at least try tie them to one of their big franchises. I'm one of Hal Jordan's enemies. You know, the fool who is starring in a movie this month? Slap a "Green Lantern's Greatest Foe, Finally in His Own Series!" caption on the cover and we're ready to go...

Disappointment

2011-06-06T23:30:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure that this is what I wanted from the DC relaunch.

I say relaunch because it's pretty clear now that this is not a complete and total reboot. A reboot I could have handled; like the Silver Age, the DCU would begin anew in a different way.

But that's not what's happening. This is no clean slate. This is nothing different from any other Crisis. A few things are going to get changed and some things will be back to the status quo. For me it was all or nothing; I don't want another half-assed reboot.

Last week I said I'd be okay with Barbara Gordon becoming Batgirl again. When I said that I meant it in a very specific way. I meant that if they turned back the clock and de-aged everybody then I'd be okay with it.

But I was wrong. Earlier today I read Jill Pantozzi's Op-Ed on Newsarama. I'm a fan of Ms. Pantozzi's articles. We seem to have similar tastes in comics, and I often find myself nodding along with the things she writes. Reading Ms. Pantozzi's most recent Op-Ed gave me perspective on Barbara Gordon that I'd never considered before.

I don't need more people like me in comics. I'm a boring middle-class white guy. There are dozens -- hundreds -- of characters like me in the DCU. Which is why I was so enthused about the idea of adding characters that could serve to make the DCU look more like the real world -- by adding people who aren't like me. More female characters, gay and lesbian characters, characters of different ethnic backgrounds and religions. I wanted to see characters like that in my comics.

And as Ms. Pantozzi put so eloquently in her article, Barbara Gordon as Oracle served as an heroic example of a group of people who seem to be sadly overlooked. I can't really speak to it myself, and can't do what she said justice. So I recommend you go read her editorial.

I doubt you'll ever see this, Ms. Pantozzi. But if you do I want you to know how much of an effect your Op-Ed had on me. It was like a punch in the gut -- a wake up call that I think a lot of people need. You said that Barbara needs to stay as Oracle so that the DCU can be a diverse place. She needs to stay there for everyone. And you're right.

This is not the "bold new direction" I was hoping for.

More on the 52

2011-06-01T22:54:00.002-05:00

And here I thought we were done with "52" as a concept. Yet here we are, gearing up for a clean sweep of the DC Universe and a reintroduction of the line with fifty-two new series.

Now, as an historian of the DC Universe I'm going to be more than a little disappointed if everything gets wiped out. But you know what? I think I'll get over it. There is far too much potential in a restart of this sort.

Even if some of my favorite characters get wiped out in this reboot I'll be okay with that. If Cassandra Cain goes away forever, well... I'll deal. Honestly, the idea that Barbara Gordon might come back as Batgirl is more than a bit appealing to me.

Perhaps we can purge Nightwing entirely; I'll certainly miss Tim Drake, but making Dick Grayson Robin again would go a long way to returning the DC to a state where it is at its most recognizable.

I think that the DC animated universe is the best example for this. In order to make things palatable to a mass audience everything got stripped down to the core of what made it work. And it was enormously successful.

Will they go this route? I don't really know. My biggest fear is that in making the DCU "younger" and "fresher" it will start to look too much like Marvel. That has never worked in the past and it won't work now. But if they go back to the core of the characters, then we may see something stupendous.

Anyone Call for a Reboot?

2011-05-31T18:35:00.004-05:00

Back from the long weekend and... Woo boy. Today is turning out to be one of the biggest days in a long time as far as DC Comics goes.

I'm sure a lot of people are going to have a lot to say about the immense reboot that DC seems to be undertaken. I'm not going to be one of those people, at least not today. There's too much to process and too little real information for me to be able to say what I feel about this right now.

All I know is that I'm going to be sad losing the history built up in the high numbering on Action and Detective. But that's a cosmetic thing, and doesn't really mean much in the long wrong.

Also cosmetic -- but potentially more worrying -- are the new Jim Lee costume designs. I've never been a big fan of his costume designs and I'm particularly wary about the new look of Superman. It just doesn't feel right.

But that's cosmetic, as I've said. And I'm sure people felt that the current Superman costume -- a far cry from the original 1938 version in a lot of ways -- didn't feel "right" either. Change is sometimes necessary. We'll see if this change works... And sticks.

Thursday Night Thinking #185

2011-05-26T23:21:00.002-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while. But I'm back, and so is Thursday Night Thinking!

That's our Superman; always thinking about others.

Question, though: what the hell was Barack Obama doing in that issue? Last time I checked, he's not president in the DCU...

The Death of a Certain Character

2011-05-25T23:27:00.003-05:00

I was sure that someone was going to die during the War of the Green Lanterns story arc. I just didn't expect that Lantern to die. This is your last warning for spoilers, by the way.

So they went ahead and killed Mogo. Now, once upon a time Mogo was just another interesting character in the GL universe. But in recent years Mogo has been built up to be something important and integral. Mogo was the keeper of the rings and decided who would get them.

Where does that leave the Corps? Without Mogo, who decides where the rings go? Who picks the worthies to wield them?

I feel like this story is shaping up to be one of those tales that really does change things. After War of the Green Lanterns there is going to be a change to the status quo. There has to be. Too much has happened in this story to have no repercussions.

I'm excited to see what happens next.

Begone, Stan Lee

2011-05-24T20:16:00.003-05:00

I am weary. Weary, I say! Weary of the constant and unending "news" about one Stan Lee.

Many, it would seem, believe him to have had a a great influence upon the world of comics. I disagree. By all accounts the man merely mooched upon the skills of his collaborators. Men such as Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby.

I know that many of you will call me a fool or a blasphemer. I don't particularly care what you Marvel zombies may thing of me. My point is proved by the power of science. Logic vindicates me.

Consider: most -- if not all -- of Stan Lee's creations for Marvel comics were created with the aid of collaborators. They have been largely successful. But what about the creations that he created without the help of collaborators? How successful have they been? Where is the massive popularity of Striperella? How many people are lining up to see the Governator?

Even if you claim that Stan Lee was responsible for the success of his Marvel creations then you must admit that the man has list whatever mythical "touch" he may have had. He is now little more than a joke. And so I laugh derisively at him.

Such is the way of super-villainy. And besides, he ripped me off when he created Magneto...

Green Lantern Trailer

2011-05-23T21:10:00.003-05:00

It has been about a week since I last posted here. That's mostly because, well, I needed a week off from everything after school came to an end for the semester. Now that I've had a chance to breathe I can get back to doing the things I normally do.

I would like to first direct you to the latest trailer for Green Lantern. Does anyone remember when the first trailer came out? Remember how the Internet howled at the apparent comedic aspects of it? How far we have come.

I think this movie has the potential to change the landscape when it comes to DC movies. If a film based around a clearly second tier character that stays close to the source material can make money (and Lord I hope it makes money) then any DC character can do it.

Keep in mind as well that Green Lantern is coming to the theaters a few years after Geoff Johns stepped in and revitalized the GL franchise. The case could be made that he's on his way to doing that again, only with the Flash.

Will we ever see the Flash on screen? Or Wonder Woman? Or any number of other minor characters? I really can't say. But I never thought I'd see the day where I'd see Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan as a cardboard standup at the grocery store.

Flashpoint #1

2011-05-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

Flashpoint somehow managed to exceed all my expectations.

Now, my expectations were always pretty mid-range for this particular event. I've never had any huge interest in Barry Allen as a character. But the way things turned out... I think even if my expectations had been high Flashpoint would have surpassed them.

The first reason is this: Flashpoint isn't just a story about the Flash. It's a story about the DC Universe and its history. Its about the things that make the DCU what it is. And everybody knows I love that kind of stuff.

Flashpoint gave me that in spades. A few "what ifs" and everything we know is altered... Mostly. Some things seem to be the same, but there are certain divergence points that have left a world a lot darker than the one we know.

Among the highlights were seeing a Barry Allen I could actually relate to. A man frustrated with the pace of life and his place in it. This isn't the life that Barry wanted... But it's the life he might have had if he'd never become the Flash.

Another cool bit was the chance to see Cyborg shine among a range of altered heroes and villains. Geoff Johns has talked Cyborg up for years. Let's see if he can really make him into a tip tier character.

The best thing about the issue for me was -- and this is a spoiler -- the identity of Batman. I called it correctly and I'm glad that I did. Because I know that this story will be richer and more interesting with Thomas Wayne as Batman. Because what wouldn't he risk to give his son a chance and life? And will Barry Allen risk that if it means the loss of his mother?

Flashpoint #1 has done exactly what a comic is supposed to do: it's made me frustrated as hell that I've got to wait a month for the next issue.

Knight of Vengeance

2011-05-10T21:05:00.004-05:00

The first issue of Flashpoint hits tomorrow. As is tradition, that means it's time for me to start making predictions.

The big one has to do with the Flashpoint timeline's version of Batman. I think I've figured out who he might be. Here's the thing: in the interview with Brian Azzarello he leaves us with a vital clue about Batman, Knight of Vengeance:

He's older than the Batman we know.

Here's the thing about changes in the timeline: they can't really make people older or younger. Everyone is going to be the same age, it's just going to change the way they've lived their lives. That tells me that this Batman is not Bruce Wayne.

If he's not Bruce Wayne, then who is he? Here's my guess: somehow the Reverse Flash intervenes on that fateful night in Crime Alley. As we would expect, Joe Chill shoots Martha Wayne. Who else does he shoot? Perhaps this time it is not Thomas Wayne, but rather his son Bruce.

How would that change reality as we know it? What would the loss of his wife and son do to the doctor/philanthropist? Would he turn his back on medicine and direct his energies to a war on crime?

We know that this Batman seems willing to help the Flash "fix" the timeline. Why would he willingly offer his assistance? I think it could only be the knowledge that the correct timeline means his own death... But the survival of his son.

Wouldn't that make for a hell of a story?

Flashpoint Fact

2011-05-06T15:42:00.005-05:00

Okay, this is just silly. There's a post over at Newsarama snickering about the fact that a Flashpoint image of Mera features her wearing the same helmet as Flashpoint's Wonder Woman.

It's pretty simple, really. It's originally Mera's helmet, Wonder Woman kills her (taking the helmet as a trophy), and that's why Aquaman really wants to kill Wonder Woman.

It's not that hard to put two and two together, people.

Thursday Night Thinking #184

2011-05-05T22:13:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick Thursday Night Thinking! Enjoy!

Trailer

2011-05-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

Another quick one. Here's the new trailer for Green Lantern. What do you think? It looks pretty snazzy to me...

Busy Week

2011-05-03T22:41:00.004-05:00

It's only going to be quick posts this week, I fear. This is the last week of classes and my first big term paper is due a week from today. So I'm going to have to keep this short and sweet for a while.

So rather than go into a long-winded explanation of what I think about the Superman "citizenship" thing I'll just point you to Scipio's post on the subject. He sums up my thoughts pretty well.

Surprise Surprise

2011-05-02T22:20:00.003-05:00

What is the most shocking news of the past week?

Might it be President Obama's surprise release of his long form birth certificate?

Or perhaps it is the astonishing announcement that terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden has been killed?

I submit that neither of these is the most surprising event of the past week. Here's the real winner: DC Comics won an award... for Rise of Arsenal.

You remember that story, right? It's the one where Roy Harper goes crazy, gets back on drugs, and then hallucinates that a dead cat is his daughter.

It was not a pretty story. But that doesn't mean that the award might not have been well-deserved. After all, it's a PRISM Award, and Rise of Arsenal got it for its "accurate portrayal of mental health/drug issues."

Is that an accurate assessment of Rise of Arsenal? It's hard to say, as I've never been addicted to heroin. When I say that I mean it in all seriousness: I don't have any personal experience with such a situation. I can only assume that the people who choose the winners of the PRISM Awards do have some expertise in that issue.

And if so, drug addiction is far scarier than I ever imagined it.

On Alan Moore

2011-04-29T15:51:00.004-05:00

So here's the thing about Alan Moore: I think he's an incredibly overrated writer of comics. I know that that opinion is simultaneously unpopular and popular. It's an unpopular opinion among the great multitude of people who think that Watchmen is the best comic ever, that Killing Joke is the best Batman story, and that everything else Alan Moore touches turns to gold.

It's also a popular opinion in that there are inevitably contrarians who will talk badly about the works of Alan Moore solely because the majority of fans and reviewers like what he does.

I don't fit into either of those camps. I don't think Alan Moore is great and nor do I think he's terrible. Watchmen is okay, but it's a bit too pessimistic for my tastes. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (at least what I've read) is excellent, but Moore's Green Lantern and Batman stuff mostly leave me cold.

But the thing we really need to be talking about (based on the events of the past few weeks) is Alan Moore's work on Swamp Thing. No doubt there are those screaming that DC has destroyed Moore's work on the character.

For those of you unfamiliar with Swamp Thing and Who He Is and How He Came To Be, I'll lay out the basic facts. The modern version of Swamp Thing was created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson in 1972. A scientist named Alec Holland is at work in the swamps of Louisiana when agents of a mysterious figure attempt to murder him with a bomb. He catches on fire and rushes into the swamp. Presumed dead, he is actually transformed into a hideous swamp monster and from thereon out must deal with the loss of his humanity.

It's a concept we've seen before, and one that works well. How does such a being deal with the loss of his humanity? How does he interact with those who will inevitably hate and fear him? We've returned to this concept with Aaron Lopresti's recent Garbage Man story in the Weird Worlds anthology.

But then Alan Moore comes along and completely changes the concept. Alan Moore seems to enjoy doing this; he likes to take things and graft his own ideas onto them without really caring about what may have come before. Alan Moore reinterprets Swamp Thing as a plant elemental who only believes that he's Alec Holland.

Now, admittedly I haven't read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. But I have a hard time seeing how you could continue with the original concept after that. If he was never a human being then there's really "dealing with the loss of one's humanity." There are a slew of other issues, sure. But we lose the original, key concept of the character of Swamp Thing.

Which brings us back to Brightest Day. As I noted, some people are annoyed that Alan Moore's Swamp Thing has basically been undone. In Brightest Day Alec Holland actually becomes Swamp Thing. While others may disagree, I think this is a good thing. They are basically undoing what I see as a mistake made by Alan Moore.

When you work in a shared super-hero universe it's important to try and respect and stay true to the core concepts of the characters that are shared. Geoff Johns adds a lot of stuff to characters and concepts, but he always builds off the core. Alan Moore never seemed to care about that. Who cares about the writers that come next when you can just change a characters origin completely or shoot her in the spine?

Personally, I'm glad Alan Moore is no longer writing for DC. And I'm also glad that Swamp Thing is back... And back the way he should be.

Thursday Night Thinking #184

2011-04-28T20:16:00.002-05:00

Welcome to a quick and dirty Thursday Night Thinking! I'm going to be working in my office all night, so I don't have the time to do a real in depth post or explanation.

But then, it's Hawkman. What more do you really need to know?

Too Much

2011-04-27T22:03:00.002-05:00

Holy crap. This week for comics was... Wow. Two anniversary issues (JSA #50 and Action #900), the conclusions to Brightest Day and Generation Lost, the second issue of Xombi, and the final issue of Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom (didn't even know I was reading that, did you?).

Honestly, I can't process it all. Check back in in a day or so. I may have things to say... Like how Alan Moore is the most overrated comic writer in the history of comics.

See you then.

Action #900

2011-04-26T21:48:00.003-05:00

Action Comics #900 comes out tomorrow. That's quite the milestone.

In the end, of course, it comes down to Superman and Lex Luthor. We should have figured out long ago that he was the one behind the "Reign of Doomsday." After all, it always seems to come down to the two of them.

It didn't start out that way, of course. Lex Luthor wasn't one of Superman's first villains. And the Luthor we know today bears very little resemblance to the one who first appeared (but then, the same could be said for Superman).

Sometimes things just coalesce in a certain way. As time went on, the Superman story became about pairs of things. Lois and Clark. Earth and Krypton. Luthor and Superman. That last one is the trickiest, of course. It's about two incredibly powerful forces stacked up against each other.

One of them is pure, undiluted human greed, cruelty, and ambition. It's the mind that dreamed the atom bomb and the voice that launched the Holocaust. It's the great gifts of humanity turned in the service of unmitigated evil.

And the other one? That's the mind that cured disease, the voice that called out against oppression. It's everything good in humanity taking a stand against evil. That has never changed, even if the story has. Whether it's a megalomaniacal space-god or a man beating his wife, good will take a stand against its evil. And it will win.

It's a bird, It's a plane... It's Superman.

Happy Batman Day?

2011-04-25T22:14:00.002-05:00

According to some, today may or may not be Batman Day.

The legend goes that perhaps on this day in 1939 Batman might have made his first appearance. Possibly. As such, some are celebrating today as thought it were a holiday of special note.

And indeed, the day of Batman's first appearance is certainly a worthy milestone. But is it really important to celebrate a specific day? After all, isn't every day a day we think about Batman?

Do we not remember Batman every day in everything we do? Isn't it true that we all try to live our lives as Batman might? To defend the innocent and fight against evil wherever it may lurk?

No, I cannot celebrate one specific day. Batman is ever present in my thoughts. For me, it is always Batman Day.

He is Risen?

2011-04-24T20:59:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, I'm Catholic. Mostly, anyway. Saint Dumas be praised!

Anyway, I'm Catholic, Doctor Polaris only believes in magnetism, and Diamondrock is real private about his beliefs. That leaves me as the only person willing or able to talk much about the fact that today is Easter.

You probably know that Easter is all about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That, of course, is a pretty big deal. Or at least it was. Sometimes I wonder if the wonder of Easter still matters in our world.

After all, Brightest Day began with a resurrection of the good and the evil. Green Lantern and the Flash returned from the dead. And of course there's Superman... I don't know of anyone else with as much Christian symbolism floating around him.

I guess I'm wondering if Easter is still important in our [DC] Universe. When Green Arrow can come back from the dead what does that mean for something that is hailed as a unique turning point in human history?

I guess in the end it comes down to faith. Even in a world where so many strange and terrible things happen I have to try and hold on to what I believe in. And I still believe in the Easter story, despite everything I've been through. I still believe that there is a seed of something special in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

I can't explain it and I certainly am not going to convince anyone else. But at the very least it gives me comfort. I've done some bad things in my life. And I'd like to think that even a sinner like me can get a second chance.

Read This, Too

2011-04-23T22:51:00.002-05:00

I know some of you won't necessarily be able to follow my advice from yesterday. Monies are sometimes in short supply these days, and comic books are expensive. So how about this? An excellent free comic.

Some of you may have read Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant before. I may even have mentioned it before. But I can't recall, and since I can't get enough of her work I thought I'd mention it again.

The most recent comic is especially pertinent as it's about the always complicated relationship between Lois Lane and Superman. Despite what anyone might say, Ms. Beaton understands those characters cold. Go check it out.

Please Read Zatanna

2011-04-22T17:28:00.004-05:00

Okay, this is one of those oh-so-common posts where I desperately entreat my minuscule readership to try a book that is fantastic but has low sales. Today, that book is Zatanna.

Zatanna is such a fun book that I don't really know what else to say about it. I don't know if it's inherent to the character or the little world Paul Dini has built around her or what. All I know is that I love every issue -- even an issue like this week's #12 that was done by a fill-in team.

Despite the fact that it's not being written by regular series writer Paul Dini, Zatanna #12 has all the things that make this book great. It gives us a sense of Zatanna's world (the "Magical City of San Francisco") and shows us some of the interesting things that she can do -- and face -- with her powers.

Zatanna #12 also serves as a really excellent entry point into the series. It comes on the heels of an extended story arc, is completely self-contained, and tells you everything you need to know about Zatanna and her world. Plus, it has a pretty Amanda Connor cover. What more can you want?

So if you haven't been reading Zatanna I urge you to go out and pick up this week's issue. I imagine that your local shop still has some copies. Read it, and if you don't like it you can come here and complain to me about what a jerk I was for suggesting it. But if you do like it then loan the issue to your comic-reading friends. Convince them to give it a try. Then go buy the trade paperback.

I really love this book and I don't want to see it disappear.

Thursday Night Thinking #183

2011-04-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

After a long absence we return once again to Thursday Night Thinking!

You can't. He's Superman. You're Red Tornado.

Laughter

2011-04-20T19:04:00.004-05:00

Warner Bros. continues to pump out the DC direct-to-DVD films. The next one coming up seems to be Batman: Year One. As much as I generally dislike the work of Frank Miller, Year One remains one of my all time favorite Batman stories.

My other big favorite? The Man Who Laughs. The great things about both of these stories is that they tell of meetings that define the character of Batman. Year One is about Batman meeting James Gordan. It's also about Gotham City meeting Batman.

These are enormously consequential meetings, and they'll make for some stupendous on screen action (assuming they do it properly). The Man Who Laughs is also about an important meeting: it tells the story of when Batman and the world first encounter the Joker. It would also make for a great animated movie.

Unfortunately, it will probably never happen. The DC animated films have to follow certain guidelines it seems, and I can't imagine how they'd allow The Man Who Laughs. The story works so well because it gives us the undiluted horror of the Joker. The body count is high and the carnage exceptional.

And without those things you can't really tell that story about the Joker (there are ways to tell stories about other versions of the Joker, but that's neither here nor there).

Still, Year One is no slouch in the violence department. And rumors are they're gearing up for The Dark Knight Returns as well. So who knows...

War Stories

2011-04-19T20:57:00.007-05:00

I am sorely displeased with the progress being made on this "War of the Green Lanterns." Wars are meant to be violent, messy things. The grim shadow of death follows war closely, and many are fated to die in tragic ways.

And yet... By all accounts somewhere around seventy-five percent of Earth's Green Lanterns will survive this so-called "war." Consider this "striking" cover for the war's aftermath:

There are a number of things missing from this image. Most pointedly is the conspicuous absence of Hal Jordan head wounds. But of specific note is the lack of one Kyle Rayner.

Now I am no particular fan of Rayner. He and I have tussled on more than one occasion and that art school dropout never once gave me the respect that my multiple degrees in higher scientific disciplines deserve.

But if you lined up the Green Lanterns and allowed me to choose one to kill... Well, Kyle wouldn't be my first choice. Probably not my second either. He's a stupid kid, but at least he seems to know he's stupid. Unlike Jordan.

I'm sure there will be many who weep and gnash their teeth about Kyle Rayner's impending demise. But I am less concerned with the ones they kill than I am with the ones they leave alive.

Forever Changed?

2011-04-18T20:18:00.003-05:00

Okay, let's try and get back in the saddle. It's been a while since I engaged in regular posting. This is a combination of my recent trip to Princeton, the approaching end of the semester, and the sudden onset of a really nasty cold.

I'd like to say that all of that is in the past, but it's really not. The end of the semester (and term paper due dates) gets closer with every day and I'm still doped up on cold medicine. That said...

Flashpoint isn't really going to change anything. They say that it will. They've pulled out the same old tired trope: "It will change everything you think you know about the DCU... Forever!"

Now here's the thing: it may in fact change the DCU. In fact, I'm pretty sure that it will. And it might even last for a little while. But if there's anything that recent years have taught us it's that nothing stays changed forever.

Remember when they depowered Superman or did away with Kryptonite? How'd that work out? How about the irrevocable death of Barry Allen? Some of these things may have taken effect for a long time. After all, it took them decades before they brought back Barry Allen. But they did.

Here's why: super-hero comics have a very limited fan base. You know it and I know it. We're a small (and diminishing) audience. Super-hero comic companies have reached the point where they're no longer trying to find a new audience (outside of the occasional film-going crossover). Instead they're just largely fighting over the percentage of the existing audience.

This existing audience is by and large not young. In fact, it's mostly the same age as the people who are writing these comics. It is an industry driven by nostalgia more than anything else. Risk-taking is not encouraged.

But risk-taking does happen, and Flashpoint is in example. If only because it is risk-taking in a completely safe way. When it's an "alternate universe" or "time paradox" the writers are free to do whatever they want. Because at the end of the day it's very easy pull a string and unravel everything back to the way it started.

I'm not entirely sure what Flashpoint is going to be about. I'm actually kind of excited about reading it. But I don't hold out a whole lot of hope that things will be "changed forever."

But then, I'm as super-hero fan. I'm not sure I'd want that even if it did happen...

It Lives!

2011-04-13T22:32:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm still here. It's just been a very busy couple of weeks. Things at school have been ridiculous, and I spent last weekend at a workshop in Princeton which I'm still recovering from.

That said, I'll try to get to posting again later in the week. But I can't guarantee that there will be any sort of regular posting in the near future. Every few days is probably all I'm going to be able to find time for. But you never know...

Necessary

2011-04-04T22:50:00.002-05:00

Back before they brought back Hal Jordan I didn't want him back. I had no real connection to the character. In some sense I still don't. In fact, I was pretty pissed off in the beginning. Now, I'll admit that a lot of that was the snide smugness of a great many Hal Jordan fans.

Time passed and I mostly got over it. The Green Lanterns I liked didn't go away even with Hal headlining the Green Lantern solo book. And admittedly Geoff Johns was doing some interesting -- if weird -- stuff with the character and the book.

Then they talked about bringing Barry Allen back and I wondered again if it was really necessary. After all, Wally West had a great run as the Flash. I haven't counted, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out he's gotten more page time the the "Patron Saint of the DC Universe" ever did.

But they brought Barry back and I learned what a lot of people had said was true: Barry is incredibly boring. But setting that aside I've also grown comfortable with having him as the Flash again.

I may have gotten used to it, but I sometimes wonder if was really necessary. And I've come to realize that it was absolutely necessary.

How many of you have seen this footage for the Green Lantern movie? There's some pretty impressive stuff in there and I'm quite hopeful that it will make an entertaining film. But it could never have happened if they hadn't brought back Hal Jordan.

Could a film have been created featuring Kyle Rayner? How about Wally West? As much as I love those two characters they are defined by the heroes that came before them. Whether you like it or not, Hal Jordan and Barry Allen are iconic as Green Lantern and the Flash. They even have the dubious honor of having replaced their Golden Age counterparts as the quintessential versions of those characters.

It isn't just limited to the movies either. The characters and concepts in comics and other media need to be at their most pure. It's hard to explain who the Flash is by telling people that he's the nephew of the first Flash. But it's easy to say that a scientist was granted amazing super-speed by a bolt of lightning. Or that a pilot was chosen by a dying alien to wield the most powerful weapon in the universe.

In the same way that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman can never really be replaced it was folly to think that the same thing could be done with Green Lantern and the Flash. Or Aquaman, for that matter. These are characters too powerful -- for good or ill -- to be overwritten. And when I go see the Green Lantern movie in June, I'll know that it was necessary -- and inevitable -- that Hal Jordan have the starring role.

Thursday Night Thinking #182

2011-03-31T22:35:00.002-05:00

Ah, it's good to be back again with Thursday Night Thinking! And what could be more appropriate for this week than a classic Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen cover?

Becoming Wonder Woman

2011-03-30T22:03:00.004-05:00

Occasionally I'll read a comic that -- for one reason or another -- really hits me. By that I mean that the comic gets into my head. I can't stop thinking about it. I read it over and over. Then I read it again. This week, that comic was Wonder Woman #609.

I've actually been looking forward to this issue for a month, ever since the Doctor Psycho reveal at the end. Doctor Psycho is one of those characters that once upon a time I never would have given much thought to. Then Gail Simone got hold of him during the old Villains United story and turned him into an interesting character. She has a tendency to do that.

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this issue. But in my opinion Phil Hester (I don't think there's much Straczynski left) created something really special with this story. He's taken the character of Doctor Psycho to another, fascinating level. And he's done even more with Wonder Woman.

I will admit that sometimes I'm not very good at explaining what I like about a given comic. But this one has it. It has that something special that makes a comic more than just ordinary. That beautiful combination of word and image that can only be accomplished in the medium of comics.

Hopefully after this is all over Phil Hester will stay around. Because as much as I've come to enjoy it (and I'm as surprised about that as anyone) Diana's odyssey has to come to an end sometime. As Edgar says, she must become Wonder Woman.

There are other little treats hidden in Wonder Woman #609 as well. Diana Prince. "The music of a distant parade." Everything just comes together. And it reminds why I like comics. And why I love Wonder Woman.

Lois Lane Cast

2011-03-29T23:06:00.003-05:00

The other big news from last week? Amy Adams has been cast as Lois Lane.

Now I'll level with you: I've never seen a movie with Ms. Adams in it. I don't get to see a lot of movies at the best of times and I imagine that a number of her movies came out when I was in Japan. I almost never went to the movies there.

Ms. Adams is clearly a "real" actor, however. She's been nominated for some Oscars as I understand it. Now, that may not really mean anything but it should count for something.

She also doesn't look too young -- a problem I had with Kate Bosworth (among others). In fact, at thirty-six she's actually older than twenty-eight year old Henry Cavill. This also does not bother me. Indeed, I'm of the opinion that Lois Lane should be older than Clark Kent. She's an established reporter by the time Superman shows up.

If things keep trending the way they have been this Superman movie could turn into something great. Here's hoping...

A Rising Tide

2011-03-28T21:07:00.003-05:00

My spring break is over (though it never felt like spring) and I've got to get back into the swing of things. There were a great many comic related news events that took place over the past week. I think I'll take a look at them bit by bit over the course of this week to give me something to talk about.

The biggest story as far as I'm concerned? Geoff Johns on Aquaman.

I think Aquaman fans (among which I count myself) have been holding their breath ever since the beginning of Brightest Day. It's been clear that Geoff Johns likes Aquaman and wants to try to build something around the character. But did that mean he was going to actually write a new solo Aquaman series? Clearly the answer is yes.

This is undeniably A Very Good Thing. Aquaman has been the butt of jokes for a long time, and having a creator who was the architect behind the explosion in popularity of the Green Lantern franchise as a writer can only be positive for the character.

As far as I'm concerned the only real question is this: will Ivan Reis (who played a big role in the rise of Green Lantern as a franchise) continue on penciling Aquaman for the upcoming series? If he does, that would be doubly good for Aquaman.

All things considered, 2011-2012 is looking to be one of the best times to be an Aquaman fan since... Well... A long time. Here's hoping the King of the Seas finally gets some of the respect he deserves.

Costume Problems

2011-03-21T19:22:00.004-05:00

I never got around to talking about the Wonder Woman TV show costume because it premiered on a Friday. As you have all noticed, I am a terrible blogger and can rarely convince myself to post on Fridays.

Luckily, Scipio did talk about it. He's basically spot on. Every time I looked at the image I thought "that reminds me of something. And not something good." And it's exactly what Scipio says it is: one of those bad "sexy super-hero" costumes. Here are my main problems with the outfit, from top to bottom.

1. The Face: Now, this is not at all a remark about Ms. Palicki's looks She is certainly a very attractive woman. The problem is the way everything frames her face. There's something seriously off about the way her hair sits. The tiara isn't quite right, either. It's... Too insubstantial, if you know what I mean. And her lips are just a little too bright red.

2. The Bustier: Is that supposed to be metal on there? Because it looks like plastic. It should certainly look like metal. That's important because I don't think Wonder Woman is going to be running around wearing plastic. Same thing goes for the bracelets.

3. The Pants: The fact that there are pants isn't a problem. I like the pants. The issue is that they're too bright and shiny. The pants also look like they're made of plastic. That just won't do.

4. The Boots: First of all, the heels are too high. They can be a little high. But what she's wearing now is just ridiculous. Secondly: the boots must be red. This is not some slavish desperation related to the fact that Wonder Woman's boots are usually red. The problem is that there's not contrast with the pants.

Now, my opinions don't really matter. After all, I'm just one fan crying out in the wilderness. But for what it's worth, that's what I think.

Thursday Night Thinking #181

2011-03-17T22:22:00.002-05:00

All right, people; it's Thursday Night Thinking. I don't have time for a substantive post, so take this image from the most recent issue of Superman. He's thinking, am I right?

That's Not Terrible At All

2011-03-16T22:10:00.004-05:00

I'm sure that many of you have seen this image before:

That is an page from 1978's now classic The Super Dictionary, a children's book. Unsurprisingly, Luthor's nefarious deed is the entry for "forty."

Luthor's cake stealing has been something of an Internet "meme" for quite a while now as I understand it. It is a delightful image and I think I've featured it here on the blog at one point in the past.

But this week's Superman #709 takes it to an entirely different level and brings the cake thievery into DCU continuity:

Truly, we live in an enlightened age.

Try XOMBI

2011-03-15T23:18:00.002-05:00

I don't have much time for a post today, but I just want to remind everyone that the first issue of the new XOMBI series comes out tomorrow. I've talked about XOMBI before and I just want to reiterate what I said then: if this new books is half as entertaining as the original it will be really entertaining.

I know money is tight these days and it's a real stretch to consider a new comic. But I would urge you to at least give it a try. The worst thing that happens is that you're down a few bucks. But I think people will really like it if they give it a chance.

Flashpoint Futures II

2011-03-14T22:10:00.002-05:00

A bunch of new Flashpoint minis and one-shots were revealed last Friday. I haven't had the time until now to talk about them, so here goes.

Flashpoint: Secret Seven: Peter Milligan and George Perez? What did we do to deserve this. That's definitely Milligan's Shade, the Changing Man and that looks like it might be Enchantress in the background back in her old costume. I hope her scarf is back, too. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Flashpoint: The Outsider: A lot of people have been speculating on who the "Outsider" is. Many people in the comics seem to think it's Alfred Pennyworth because he once took the name "Outsider" in an ancient Batman story. But that's absurd. Even in an alternate timeline Alfred couldn't stand on the sidelines of whatever war they're talking about. Look at the picture. The Outsider is Lex Luthor.

Flashpoint: Abin Sur - The Green Lantern: Whew, after the Flashpoint: Hal Jordan reveal I was kind of worried that we wouldn't be getting the previously announced Abin Sur mini after all. I'm glad to see I was wrong. Abin Sur is a character that has been much mythologized, but about whom we really know very little. I'm excited to learn a little more about him.

Lois Lane and the Resistance: If there's one constant it's Lois Lane. She'll always go after the truth, no matter the costs. Obviously things are rotten in the world of Flashpoint. Thankfully Lois is there to air things out.

Wonder Woman and the Furies: I'm curious as to the role Wonder Woman will play in this timeline. I one sense she seems to be standing against something for the sake of the world. But the way she's dressed makes me feel that she's going to turn out to be no different than "Emperor Aquaman." Time will tell...

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost Starring Bart Allen: I was wondering what was going to happen to the other members of the Flash Family. Bart, of course, has his own history of time travel. In some sense Bart is from a future that doesn't even exist any longer. So it would make sense for him to be somewhat free from changes in the timeline. I expect he'll be instrumental in returning things to normal.

Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown: I'll be straight with you: I have no idea what to expect from this one. Still, I've enjoyed Jeff Lemire's work up to this point so I'll probably give it a shot.

Flashpoint: Project Superman: This, my friends, is the big one. What could be more devastating to the world and the timeline than the elimination of Superman? Very little, I'd say. Whatever the Reverse Flash is planning in his changing of time it's certainly a very bad thing that he's removed Superman from the equation. The world of Flashpoint is not a pretty place.

Tragedy

2011-03-13T22:34:00.005-05:00

I don't normally post over the weekend, and I wouldn't have been able to if I'd tried. I'm currently in a state of shock and heartbreak.

Most of you who read this blog know that I lived in Japan for a number of years until recently. I'm studying Japan, and was there are recently as last July. So as you can imagine the current disaster unfolding in Japan has hit a bit close to home.

Everyone I know in Japan is safe -- most of them live in the western part of the country, far from the epicenter of the quake. But that doesn't make me feel a whole lot better. Thousands of people in a place I love are dying and I can't do anything to help them but hope and pray.

Things like this remind us of how powerless we are sometimes in the face of the world. We can't move mountains like Superman. So when the world shifts we have to shift with it.

But that doesn't mean we're without heroes. Even in the face of all the destruction there are people from all around the world doing everything they can to help. They're heroes in the truest sense of the world, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

I spent most of my time in Japan living in Kobe. In 1995 Kobe was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake. But by the time I arrived in 2005 you could barely tell. Kobe had been rebuilt, stronger and more beautiful than ever.

And so I have faith that the people of Sendai, Miyagi, and all the other places devastated by this earthquake will rise up and rebuild their homes. They won't be able to forget the pain or the people they've lost. But I know the spirit of the Japanese people. It won't be easy, but they'll make it through this.

頑張って、日本。

Thursday Night Thinking #180

2011-03-10T23:08:00.001-06:00

Here we are again at Thursday Night Thinking!

Not much time for a proper post, so here's the chilling (and thought provoking) final page of Superboy #5.

Advice

2011-03-09T22:36:00.002-06:00

As you no doubt know, from time to time I receive emails. Often these are quite mundane and pedestrian. Some of my fellow super-villains also have a predilection for mass emails of an insipid sort. Enough with the adorable kittens, Kanjor!

I do however receive intriguing emails from time to time. It was not long ago that I received the following missive from one apparently seeking employment in these trying times:

Hello,

Further to my telecon with Ms. Manju am attaching my resume.

I have been working with a shpping company from home as book-keeper for the past 4 years and have thorough knowledge of quickbooks.

If given this opportunity shall prove myself.

thanks and regards

Lakshmi Ramesh

I find this particularly curious, as I am not acquainted witha Ms. Manju. Now, it's possible that I do know her. She does indeed sound like a super-villain of some sort. But I meet so many villains that sometimes it's hard to keep track. Perhaps she was the arch-enemy of someone ridiculous like Aztek or Maxima.

Regardless, I have this to say to Ms. "Lakshmi Ramesh:" I'm not looking to hire right now. As a semi-retired super-villain I rarely find the need for flunkies, goons, or tagalongs. That said, perhaps I could point you in the direction of a villain who does need some hired help.

Having worked with a shipping company you might consider employment with our old friend Oswald Cobblepot. The Penguin generally does a brisk business in contraband. That said, he is not the easiest employer to work for, and you mus be prepared for the constant scent of fish.

Of course, as a former "book-keeper" you might be able to find work with one of the more financially oriented villains. If you're any good at hiding money and funneling it into sinister, secret projects you might look into applying with LexCorp.

Finally, I don't know what "quickbooks" is, but I can only assume it has to do with those interminable speedsters! Now, Professor Zoom usually works alone, but if you can find yourself a suitable villainous theme you might be able to hook up with the Central City Rogues.

I hope I have been of help to you in your search for employment, Lakshmi. Now, never contact me again. You may want to work for a super-villain, but you have a long way to go before you make it in the big leagues. I mean, did you really think I was going to open that pdf?

Flashpoint Futures

2011-03-08T22:24:00.002-06:00

I just realized that I haven't talked at all about last Friday's Flashpoint teasers. It pleases me that after I complained about the poor quality of the previous week's Flashpoint Friday that we were given eight covers from Flashpoint spinoffs. Holy crap, that's a lot of stuff! Perhaps I should go through them one by one?

Flashpoint: Batman, Knight of Vengeance: Here we get nothing more than a splash of red and the word "vengeance." Here's the thing: Batman has never really been about vengeance. If that had been the case he would've stopped his fight after Joe Chill was captured. Batman -- our Batman -- fights not to avenge his parents but to see that no other child must suffer through what he did. I imagine that "Batman, Knight of Vengeance" will be motivated by other things...

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold: What would it take to turn Captain Cold from a villain to a hero? Lack of the Flash, for one. But what else? I don't know, but I'm eager to find out.

Flashpoint: Deathstroke & The Curse of the Ravager: Yaaar, pirate Deathstroke be not much of a stretch. Other than that, I don't really know what to expect from this one. The ship seems to be called the Ravager, but what treasure could he be searching for?

Flashpoint: Deadman & The Flying Graysons: It's immediately a darker DCU without a Robin. And references to "gladiator slaves" do not reassure me...

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan: I... Yaaawn. Sorry, I started to doze of there for a secondzzzzzzzz. Ahem. Hal Jordan is boring enough. But I can't imagine how boring Hal Jordan will be when he doesn't even have a Green Lantern ring. What happened to the Abin Sur mini?

Flashpoint: World of Flashpoint: We've already seen that the "World of Flashpoint" isn't necessarily a pleasant one. My guess is that this mini will give us a general overview of the world and the changes in the timeline made by the Reverse Flash.

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman: It sure looks like Aquaman will be one of the main villains of the Flashpoint timeline. That's pretty damn scary, because despite the jokes people make there is nothing funny about Aquaman. Okay, there are a few things. But not the things that people usually think of. In reality, Aquaman is quite the badass.

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom: Now we're talking! I'd been under the impression that DC didn't own the rights to the term "Legion of Doom." Now, I was either wrong or that's changed. Either way, it's good to see it: "The Society" and "The Injustice Gang" never held quite the same ring. And an apparently female Heatwave sure makes things interesting...

For All Your Security Needs

2011-03-07T22:34:00.006-06:00

Consider: someone you care about is in serious danger. You have a series of options. Perhaps you'll call the police. Do you hire security to protect that person? There are any number of options given the circumstances. But what do people in the DC Universe use to protect their loved ones?

When you need to be sure your parent, sibling, or child is safe from villains, super-science thugs, or alien menaces only Hawkman will do.

Thursday Night Thinking #179

2011-03-03T22:58:00.003-06:00

Ah, again we find ourselves at the linchpin of the week... Thursday Night Thinking! Tonight: a look into the future fromt he pages of Superboy #5.

Does it, Lori? Does it really?

A Quick One

2011-03-02T23:44:00.003-06:00

Alas; I had no time to write a proper blog post this evening. I had to spend it writing a review of a book on women's detective fiction in 1990's Japan. Since it's a review, you may wonder what I think of the book. I'll let the incomparable Wild Dog answer for me:

Source of the Problem

2011-03-01T21:09:00.004-06:00

Consider: the title of this post on the Source is "It's Man vs. Machine on the Cover of Action Comics #899." And here's the thing... Neither of the characters on the cover is a machine.

While certain former iterations of Braniac have been robots or androids in some form or another, this Geoff Johns' retooled "Ultimate Braniac" is not a machine at all. He's from Colu and is much flesh and blood as Luthor. Perhaps this may be some sort of reference to the fact that Braniac employs a lot of machines, but any way you slice it it's just not accurate.

It's true that I'm splitting hairs somewhat. But this all comes down to the fact that there's some pretty sloppy stuff going on at the Source from day to day. Don't get me wrong; I love the site and it's one of my most frequent destinations during the day. But things don't seem particularly tight over there these days.

I remember last week or so when a preview for an issue of Zatanna showed up. I was a bit surprised, as I was pretty sure I'd read that before. And I had. Because this was a preview from August. There's also a tendency to get the names of artists or writers wrong.

And don't get me started on "Flashpoint Fridays." When I heard about that I figured we'd be getting some tantalizing peeks at the story to close out our working weeks. But what did we get last week? As short interview with Andy Kubert. That's nice and all, but one interview does not a "Flashpoint Friday" make. The Action Preview doesn't make Tuesday "Action Comics Tuesdays" after all. You need more than a little thing to make a day of it.

I say this all out of love. I want the Source to be the best it can be. I want to get a lot out of the site regarding the characters and concepts that I love so much. Step up your game, DC web jockeys! And when it comes to "Flashpoint Fridays" at least let us see some art.

In Praise of Winick

2011-02-28T22:25:00.003-06:00

I come here tonight to sing the praises of one Judd Winick.

Now I know this is probably not going to be a particularly popular thing to say. Judd Winick is a heated topic among comic fans. Apparently you either love him or you hate him. Unless, of course, I'm thinking of the mysterious "Judd Winnick" that I keep hearing about...

Seriously, though... Justice League: Generation Lost is a really fun book. I don't know about the other people reading it, but I find it consistently entertaining. What's more, I find that I look forward to it even more than I do Brightest Day. I think that's saying something.

Now it's true that Generation Lost has brought back the villainous Max Lord. I know that a great many people don't like that turn for the character. I can understand that; I still have some trouble seeing it myself. But at the very least Judd Winick seems to be making the best of it (through liberal use of retcons).

Speaking of retcons, you know what else is great? Power Girl. While it's true that nobody can replace the style of Palmiotti, Gray, and Conner, Judd Winick and Sami Basri have managed to make their version of Power Girl work in their own way. It's just flat out fun super-heroics.

Now, I'm sure I haven't convinced anyone one way or another. If you already liked Judd Winick then you probably agree with what I've said. And if you don't like him then nothing I say is going to change your mind. I just thought I'd share the why and how of the fact that I really dig what he's doing right now.

And to remind everyone that it's spelled "Winick."

Thursday Night Thinking #178

2011-02-24T22:14:00.002-06:00

It's Thursday Night Thinking, and that means another crazy cover from the depths of the Silver Age!

They say it's Lois Lane... But it feels like Jean Loring to me!

Calculations

2011-02-23T22:33:00.002-06:00

I am sick to death of the Calculator. It's true that Noah and I go back a long way. We were in the Society together and I used to look down on him when he still wore those ridiculous outfit.

Noah is undoubtedly clever. He's nowhere near the "genius" he's billed at but he's a smart guy. He knows his way around computers and whatnot. But no one who relies on computers can ever really be that much of a threat. After all, a simple electromagnetic pulse and his precious hard drives are only so much metal and plastic.

This being true, why is he showing up in so many comics? In the past few months Noah has been a featured villain in Red Robin, Teen Titans, Batgirl, and Birds of Prey. I think we can all agree that that is more than a little excessive.

There are a great many more interesting villains -- with better senses of fashion -- that wait on the sidelines for a chance to shine even against lesser super-teams. I also worry that Noah is beginning to believe his own hype. He's starting to think that he really is this genius master manipulator.

It won't work. You can't fool me Noah. To me you'll always be the geek with the LCD on his forehead that got beat up by Ralph Dibny.

Dwayne McDuffie, 1962-2011

2011-02-22T22:07:00.002-06:00

Dwayne McDuffie's influence on the modern DC Universe may not be immediately visible, but it is deep and abiding. The man was a towering talent and his loss is a great one for the comics community and an even greater one for his friends and family. I would ask only that you take a moment to keep them in your thoughts or prayers.

The New Superman Movie

2011-02-21T22:03:00.002-06:00

Apparently all the people who make comic news take Presidents' Day off. That's not really fair. I mean, I don't get the day off. I still had to go into school and try to instill a joy for 17th century samurai culture into a bunch of kids who would rather be doing keg stands while dressed as Abraham Lincoln.

But I digress. The only remotely comic related news I can find is this article mentioning that Kevin Costner -- yes, that Kevin Costner -- has apparently been linked to a role in Zack Snyder's Superman reboot.

Let us consider this for a moment. Set aside the fact that I'm not sure that's a good idea. Consider another fact we know about this film: all rumors point to Zod being the villain.

Now before you stop me, I'm not suggesting that Kevin Costner is up for the role of Zod. I'm just saying that there seem to be some serious deficiencies in some of the things we hear about this film (setting aside the apparently excellent casting of Henry Cavill).

Here's my problem with all signs coming from this film: It seems to be making some of the same mistakes that Superman Returns (which I liked well enough) made. One of these problems is connecting it too closely to the original Superman movies. Superman Returns did this by making it an explicit sequel. This new movie almost seems to be doing the same with having Zod as the villain.

Why would they make Zod the villain? There are a lot of Superman villains (good villains) that have never made it to the big screen. Zod has had his shot. And that's exactly the problem. Zod has probably been chosen because the general public is aware of the character from Superman II. A lot of people who know nothing about the Superman mythos know the phrase "Kneel Before Zod."

That brings me back to Kevin Costner. There's a real problem in my eyes with casting actors that are better known as themselves than they are as their characters. Superman Returns had this problem. Never once while watching this movie did I ever think of Kate Bosworth as being Lois Lane. She was always just Kate Bosworth pretending to be Lois Lane. I was never able to suspend the disbelief and think she was really Lois Lane.

Kevin Costner is that same kind of actor to me. It's always "Kevin Costner as Robin Hood" or "Kevin Costner as Elliot Ness." Those characters were never simply those characters when I was watching the movies. They were always Kevin Costner playing those characters.

Now, I'm not saying this new Superman movie should have all unknowns or anything. But it needs actors that I can believe. Despite not having a great script to work with, Kevin Spacey was a believable Lex Luthor. I was able to forget that I was seeing Spacey on the screen.

And when I see the new Superman movie I don't want anyone pulling me away from the story. I want to believe that Superman and everyone around him are real for an hour and a half. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Thursday Night Thinking #177

2011-02-17T21:31:00.003-06:00

With typical fanfare we return again to Thursday Night Thinking! Gaze upon the wonders of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen!

Yes, Jimmy... Your "good looks." I'm sure that's why they did it...

Instability

2011-02-16T23:35:00.002-06:00

Well, it seems that the "Guardians" of the "Universe" have finally figured out what I've known for years: Hal Jordan is seriously unstable.

If you had cause to read the little "War of the Green Lanterns" preview in the back of this week's DC comics you might have seen the little snippet. The "Guardians" wax on and on about all the serious mental deficiencies that the various Lanterns have. They finally conclude that Hal Jordan is "emotionally unstable."

I believe it is safe to say that that is the understatement of the decade.

Hal Jordan has always been unstable. And as a deranged split personality, I know unstable. That fool Jordan can't seem to figure out what he wants out of life. He's always going this way and that, never settling on any one thing. When a man doesn't know what he wants out of life he is adrift. And potentially a danger to himself and others.

This, I believe, is what we have seen in Hal Jordan all these years. The fool can't seem to decide who he loves (if he loves at all) or where his heart is. And if he doesn't figure it out soon, he may have a complete mental and emotional breakdown.

I'm looking forward to that.

Disappointing

2011-02-15T22:20:00.002-06:00

I know that series get canceled. There are very few comic books that will run indefinitely. But that doesn't make me feel any better when a comic I like gets the axe.

This time around, it's Freedom Fighters. I knew Freedom Fighters wouldn't last forever, of course. But I did hope that it might last longer than nine issues. As it is, that's only one more issue than the previous two Freedom Fighter mini-series ran. And since the first (and now only) arc was an eight issue story anyway they might as well have made it another mini-series to begin with.

Still, I feel like they could have given Freedom Fighters a little longer to find its legs. The book had some great story (no surprising given the writing team) and some really stellar art. The same cannot be said of books that have lasted longer -- things like Azrael or Magog.

I'm not happy about this, but I doubt it means that the Freedom Fighters will disappear. That is one of the great things about the shared comic book universe concept. After all, I was similarly bummed when Shadowpact got canceled... And look who's showing up in Superman/Batman this week.

Some Sort of Day

2011-02-14T22:53:00.002-06:00

As Gail Simone has said, "Valentine's Day is just a made-up day." This is true; but only on made-up days do people give me chocolate! So I suppose it's worth celebrating. Happy Valentine's Day!

Thursday Night Thinking #176

2011-02-10T21:20:00.003-06:00

It's Thursday and that means Thursday Night Thinking!

I've been seeing a lot of thought balloons in comics lately. That makes me more than a little happy. And Superman seems to be improving slightly too. That also makes me happy...

Turn Off the Dark

2011-02-09T21:42:00.004-06:00

I do so enjoy the theater, and I've found the Spider-Man Musical to be utterly delightful.

Now, do not take that the wrong way. I have neither attended nor do I intend to attend a performance of the Spider-Man Musical. No, the theater of which I speak is the theater of the plummeting disaster that is multi-million dollar excuse for art.

It should come as no surprise that I often take delight in the suffering of others. After all, before my semi-forced retirement I was an active super-villain. Super-villainy is not something you simply give up. It stays with you, like being a doctor. Which I also am.

But I digress. I have eagerly watched as the house of cards that is "Turn Off the Dark" collapsed in the stiff breeze that is reality. There is no greater pleasure for one such as myself than watching the work of conceited directors and self-important rock stars fail -- and fail spectacularly.

There is also the additional joy that is the Marvel connection. I have always despised Marvel and its pathetic attempts at villainy. There is little to be impressed with there; Marvel's villains don't seem particularly bright. I have often wondered why those excuses for "super-villains" do not simply move. After all, nearly every single one of Marvel's "heroes" are in New York).

Again I find myself drifting off-topic. My point is this: I do not like Spider-Man and am glad to see him fail. And not in a "hero" versus "villain" kind of way. Spider-Man is beneath my notice. He would not make a worthy adversary, even compared to Hal Jordan. I am simply pleased by the sheer entertainment value of seeing people I hate suffer thanks to their own hubris. Truly, are there any finer things in life?

Unfairness

2011-02-08T22:05:00.003-06:00

More than anything, I think I'd like to be on TV.

I'm not looking for my own show or anything like that. I'd just like to gueststar in one of Warner Bros' animated DC series. Or they could do a Knightfall direct to DVD movie. That would be okay.

Of course, that last one is pretty unlikely (even if it's no stranger than a Under the Hood movie). So I think I'd just like to be on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. We could have a whole episode where You-Know-Who and I team up against Bane or somebody.

Or they could just put me in the pre-credits opening in a non-speaking role. I'm not picky. Either or anything would be okay, really. I'd just like to be on TV. I mean, how many times has Bane been on TV anyway? And this will what, be his second big screen appearance. It's not like I'm asking to be in Dark Knight Rises.

It just doesn't seem fair that Bane -- a guy I beat gets to be in an ongoing series and a movie while I don't get to do anything at all.

Secret Six Versus...

2011-02-07T21:09:00.002-06:00

So, you want to know which team of heroes or villains I want the Secret Six to face? Honestly, the Doom Patrol would probably have been my first choice. Luckily, I've already been given the chance to enjoy that.

Secondly? I'd like to see the Secret Six go up against the 31st century's Fatal Five. Now, I know that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense on its face. After all, the two teams are separated by a thousand years.

But I think it's just the absurdity of it all that makes such a match-up so intriguing for me. Imagine a story where the Six get caught up in some twisted mercenary job -- maybe they're supposed to rob Rip Hunter or something. The end result is their being flung forwards in time.

This would not only give us a great and glorious fight between the Secret Six and the Fatal five, but a chance to throw the Legion into the mix. The result is culture shock at both ends.

Thursday Night Thinking #175

2011-02-03T21:20:00.003-06:00

I took the last few days off (mostly because the weather made me not feel like posting). But if there's one thing I won't miss it's Thursday Night Thinking!

There was a lot of good stuff in this week's Superman 80-Page Giant. But for my money the Jimmy Olsen story was far and away the best. It really encapsulates the madness that life must be when you're Jimmy Olsen...

Man of Steel?

2011-01-31T22:43:00.003-06:00

It seems we have our Superman.

I'll admit, I don't know much (or really anything) about this Henry Cavill guy. He's been in a few different things, none of which I've seen. He might be a good actor -- or he may be terrible.

One thing I find interesting is that he's British. Now don't get me wrong; that doesn't bother me. I just think it's an interesting bit of trivia that our Batman (Christian Bale) and our Superman (Henry Cavill) are both from the United Kingdom.

I imagine some people might have a problem with that. It doesn't bother me that Superman is going to be played by a British actor. Others may not be so open minded. I remember how some people were getting bent out of shape when they didn't say "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" in Superman Returns.

But here's the thing: Superman may be an American, but he doesn't belong to America. Superman is far being than any one nation. There are fans of Superman all around the world, from Kansas to Canada to Japan. Superman belongs to the world, and anyone can be Superman.

Here's hoping Henry Cavill is the man for the job. Here's hoping he can be the Man of Steel.

Flashpoint

2011-01-28T22:37:00.003-06:00

Apparently Flashpoint is going to be a bigger deal than I thought.

When I first heard about Flashpoint I figured it was going to be a self-contained story in The Flash. Maybe a mini-series with repercussions for the rest of the DCU. But fifteen different mini-series? That's excessive even by Marvel standards.

I mean, we got a lot of minis along with Blackest Night. But for some reason that felt more like a big event than this feels like... At least right now. There was an extended build-up for a very long time to Blackest Night. But I don't think we've seen that with Flashpoint, and there are only a few months remaining until it kicks off.

Or maybe there has been build up. Maybe when Flashpoint hits we'll look back at things like Wonder Woman's history change and say "that was a key to Flashpoint."

But right now Flashpoint doesn't feel like anything. Like I said, Infinite Crisis and Blackest Night felt like big events. I'm not sure yet what Flashpoint is going to be...

Thursday Night Thinking #174

2011-01-27T22:53:00.001-06:00

Though I can barely find the energy I'm still prepared to bring you... Thursday Night Thinking!

I can't be the only one who finds this cover a little bit creepy...

Death, Revisited

2011-01-26T22:48:00.003-06:00

The guys in the comic book store today asked me if I was "excited to find out who dies." I just sort of looked at them then replied "have you seen my pull list?"

Unsurprisingly I don't care about which member of the Fantastic Four has or hasn't kicked the bucket. But then, I rarely care when a DC character dies either. Usually it isn't someone I care about, and if it is -- like say Batman -- I still can't muster up outrage/sorrow/interest.

I know this topic has been overdone (I almost said "done to death") but I it bears repeating again. Despite what the mainstream media seems to think whenever a comic book character dies, death in super-hero comics is not news. Death is simply another storytelling tool in this genre.

Now, we could argue on an on whether or not it's crass or clever or whatever. But the fact of the matter is that "death" is in the super-hero writer's toolbox. It's not going away and that's fine. And generally I think they use it sparingly enough for it not to get too crazy.

Still, at some point writers need to ask themselves if a major death is really the most effective tool for whatever story they want to write. There are so many tools that nobody uses any more. Just look at the Silver Age... Inter-dimensional criminals, alternate future doppelgangers, super-pets... It's a wide world out there.

Wonder Woman Pilot

2011-01-25T21:59:00.002-06:00

Most of you have probably already heard that NBC has ordered a pilot for a Wonder Woman series. I'd like to say that I never know what to expect with this kind of thing. But the truth is we always know what to expect. In fact, modern adaptations of comic book properties inevitably follow one simple rule:

Stray as far from the source material as possible.

Apparently this new "Wonder Woman" is a corporate executive in Los Angeles. Of course she is. Does anyone remember the short lived Birds of Prey? television series? Of course not. It was terrible. And it was terrible in large part because it strayed heavily from the source material.

Why do people in TV do this sort of thing? It's as though they don't understand basic things like cause and effect. If something survives for sixty or seventy years with certain core elements intact it must be because those core elements are unappealing to the masses. Right? Right?

Maybe this TV Wonder Woman will be good. I'd love for that to be see. It would be pretty amazing to see a modern Wonder Woman on the small screen. But even it if it is good, I'm not sure it will be Wonder Woman.

A Quick Post

2011-01-24T21:16:00.002-06:00

I'm going to be quite honest with you: I was pretty sick over the weekend and am not feeling fully recovered. As such, you can expect little more than a truncated post about the day's events.

For starters, does anyone really care that Wizard Magazine has shuttered its doors (I mean, other than the people who work there)? I think the demise of the Comics Code was a bigger deal than the death of Wizard. And the Comics Code has been a dead man walking for years.

Secondly: DC hasn't put up anything interesting on their blog today, which is kind of a drag. I always look forward to seeing interesting news and announcements. I guess I've been spoiled by the past few weeks of non-stop news. But today we just got a bunch of previews.

That said, one of those previews was very exciting. We got to see a little more of the Lex Luthor/The Joker encounter that was teased with a single page last week. And it's shaping up to be better and more interesting than I expected.

Also, am I the only person who'll be sad to when Robo-Lois inevitably goes away?

R. I. P. Comics Code Authority

2011-01-21T16:55:00.002-06:00

The Comics Code is dead.

In ancient days the Comics Code almost killed comic books. But it seems that in the the end comic books have emerged from the dust as the victor.

The comics code has been pretty toothless and irrelevant since 2001, when Marvel decided to stop putting it on their books. But it carried on -- albeit in a limited form -- as long as DC (and to a lesser extent Archie) continued to use it.

Earlier this week DC announced that they would stop putting the stamp on their comics. Archie followed suit today. DC is instituting its own ratings system and Archie never really needed such a system in the first place.

What does this all mean? Honestly not a whole lot. In all honesty, the death of the Comics Code will make it easier for people to decide what comics to pick up from a company like DC. The Code had become so toothless and nebulous that there was no way to really tell what its being on the cover boded for the inside of the book.

Still, finding the Comics Code stamp on the cover of your comics was an iconic part of reading for around fifty years. Heck, there have even been Comic Code t-shirts. But in the long run, I'm not sure many of us will miss it. Or even notice that it's gone.

Thursday Night Thinking #173

2011-01-20T21:21:00.002-06:00

Tonight: a very special Jimmy Olsen Thursday Night Thinking!

Here's the thing: I've seen a lot of Jimmy Olsen stories over the years. This one? Not the wildest by a long shot. Not even in the top ten.

The Dark Knight Rises

2011-01-19T22:11:00.003-06:00

The next Christopher Nolan Batman movie is apparently going to be called The Dark Knight Rises. That seems like an odd title to me, as they already did a movie called The Dark Knight. You'd think they'd want keep the names clearly delineated.

Anyway, there's word about the film in the news today: apparently Nolan has picked someone to play Catwoman and -- get this -- Bane. Catwoman is not really all that big of a surprise. She's an integral part of the Batman mythos and it's not surprising that she'd show up before Nolan finishes his little "trilogy."

But Bane is a big surprise as far as casting news goes. I have some difficulty figuring out how he'll fit into the "realistic" world that Nolan has created. I could see Hugo Strange or Black Mask being made to work -- and I figured one of them was going to be the villain. In some ways Bane doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

That said, when you look at it another way it makes perfect sense. When we last left Nolan's Gotham City Batman was a fugitive. He's outside of the law, not trusted by anyone but Gordan. In the process of ostracizing himself Batman has cleaned up Gotham.

But what happens when someone comes from the outside to stir things up in Gotham City? Surely Gotham's "Bat-Man" has become famous by now. I can see Bane as a character who comes in from the outside to stir up trouble, forcing the people of the city to rally to Batman again.

Still, I can't help but think that Hugo Strange would make a better villain, considering the point we are in this story arc. It's very similar to where one of my all time favorite stories Prey starts out. That story, unsurprisingly, features Prof. Hugo Strange.

Regardless, Nolan clearly has some interesting plans for The Dark Knight Rises. As much as I might like certain things, I can say I'll be happier in the long run if I'm surprised...

Jazz Hands

2011-01-18T20:39:00.002-06:00

Though we've seen them interact -- as enemies and allies -- many times, it's safe to say that Cornell and Woods' "Lex Luthor vs. The Joker" will make quite an entertaining read.

Cornell has a better handle on Lex Luthor than almost anyone I can think of in recent memory. The calculation... The arrogance... The utter disregard for human life... Cornell (ably assisted by Pete Woods) give me a Lex Luthor that is as perverse and twisted and evil as any character ever. And yet... I can't look away. Because he's also as fascinating as any character ever.

Paul Cornell has proved that he can write villains. In addition to Luthor we've seen Gorilla Grodd, Vandal Savage, and a host of others. But what will happen when Lex Luthor meets his "polar opposite?" The Joker can't be reasoned with. He can't be intimidated. He can't be bought. None of Lex Luthor's usual tricks will work.

So what happens when Lex Luthor meets the Joker?

Jazz hands.

This is going to be a contest for the ages.

Max and Lex

2011-01-14T21:09:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure I understand how Maxwell Lord's vaguely defined powers work. I know he can "push" people into believing certain things. He can convince them that things never happened or that they happened in a very different way. The two big examples are the death of Blue Beetle (murder vs. suicide) and the OMAC Project (Max Lord vs. Lex Luthor). My big question has to do with the latter.

If the world thinks Lex Luthor was responsible for the OMAC Project then... Who does Lex Luthor think was responsible? I won't buy that Max can even convince a mind as powerful as Luthor's that he did something he didn't do. That just won't fly with me.

As I see it, the other explanation is that Lex Luthor knows he didn't play a part in the OMAC Project. And that that inconsistency also means that he knows who Maxwell Lord is.

Luthor, of course, doesn't care what Max is up to. He's got his own agendas and couldn't care less at this point what the world thinks of him. He got his pardon and is back in control of his company. As long as Max doesn't butt heads with Luthor there won't be a problem.

Of course, this is all just idle speculation; clearly we aren't going to see any connection between these two stories. But how much fun would it be? After all, Max Lord seems to want to rule the world. And as far as Lex Luthor's concerned that's his job.