DC Comics Reviews!

Another text-only post I’m afraid. Don’t worry, the Legion posts will be image-intensive enough to make all these rambles worthwhile.

Green Lantern #20 – I loved the last panel. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to have a character’s status quo be returned to ‘normal’ as I was when I read the word “divorce”. I thought it was a huge mistake when Johns decided to have Carol be married when Hal returned to life, but I accepted it because it seemed to make sense that Johns wanted to leave his own mark on the character. Of course, this was pre-OYL, since post-OYL has been nothing but a major reboot session brining Hal to almost exactly the same point he was at when Emerald Twilight hit. Of course, Carol’s freedom also adds a much-needed triangle element to the Cowgirl-Hal relationship and I can appreciate the soap-opera elements inherent in that. Btw, I commented on this here, but seriously…what’s with the “We must collect them all” schtick by the Zamarons? Are emotions truly the Pokemon of the DCU? And what emotion does the “green” represent anyway? I’m guessing courage and fearlessness…but I’m very rarely right on these things.

Countdown #51-48

So I read the Countdown. What did I discover? Quite simply…it sucks. I don’t really have a problem with the art (it isn’t exactly special, but its perfectly servicable) but everything else? Oy! Where to begin…First off…how the hell does the entire world not know that Batman is Bruce Wayne? I mean if Jimmy knows Jason is the Red Hood (and so does..Perry?!?!) and he knows that Dick is Nightwing…anyone with half a brain could figure out the next logical step. I’m sure this will be explained, but therein lies the major problem of this book: the pacing. 52 managed to side-step this issue by using “real-time” instead of sticking with DC-continuity time. Countdown works more like Action Comics Weekly, in that it showcases some stories of some characters which seems to have no resolution or any sort of direction and it all magically comes together in the end (I’m guessing with the last bit). Either way, bah…I’ll probably continue reading this for a couple more issues, but I don’t expect to get through the whole series.

Justice Society of America #6

Damn my inner-Legion fanboy! While it was fun for a while being ahead of the actual storyline (I swear…I knew Triplicate Girl was going to become Duo Damsel at the hands of Computo two pages before it actually happened…and no I did not flip through it) and then I knew it was Princess Projectra (yeah, I failed to take into account that this was the Legion of the baxter-era series where she was Sensor Girl.) and don’t even get me started on my theories for the Legion of Three Worlds (the way to reconcile the various legions, natch – Pre-ZH Legion, Post-ZH Legion and of course the current Legion) Of course it was nice of them to acknowledge that Thom went to Earth-22 before coming here. Although…and I’m not 100% on this…since when has Thom been schizo? I remember something about hospitals in his origin story, but IIRC, that was because the doctors were trying to figure out what gave him his powers, not cure him of being crazy. It just strikes me as a horrendously stupid retcon because Johns wants a crazy Legionnaire around. Also, I’ll probably make a whole post about this, but what the hell was up with Liberty Belle playing matchmaker? I know marriage makes you go nuts, but c’mon! This is Jesse Quick! She would never be trying to set Wonder Woman (WONDER WOMAN!!) up with guys on blind dates. I was seriously disturbed by those two pages. Overall though…interesting storyline, but the ending is where everything will be decided for good or ill.

Action Comics #850

I liked this. It was nice, sweet without being sappy, and I like the Legion Supergirl a lot more than the whiny little biatch everywhere else (although this issue is the first time I’ve felt sorry for the bad side of her) Nice issue and definitely makes me think Busiek should be writing both books.

Veronica Mars – The Bitch Is Back

 Damn…this is why I hate pictures that don’t take up the whole width of the page…now I have to come up some form of an intro before I start the spoiler-heavy actual review. Very annoying. So, uh…interesting how this blog started out as a place for me to vent on, evolved into a comic blog, became a music/personal angst thing, then back to comics, and now apparently we’re going through a TV phase. I don’t expect to completely leave comics behind (as is obvious from yesterday’s Cassie Sandsmark post) but I think this is more in keeping with my current free-time. I am probably going to start more books soon though (the best thing about summer? Very little TV to watch) and then I wouldn’t be surprised if this blog starts to evolve into a book review place…not to mention I’m reading Chariot of the Gods? right now and it has really made me renew my deeply buried belief in aliens manipulating humanity during its infancy. So…maybe something on that soon? Anyway, yay…on to the review…

Lost – Through The Looking Glass

 

Uh…wow?

Heroes – How To Stop An Exploding Man

Awful. Awful finale. Conclusive ending my $#!@. I would say the worst one this year…but well…no one can beat out Grey’s on that one.

Scrubs – My Point of No Return

Awww…that was probably the sweetest and least contrived season finale we’ll see this year. But did it work? Damn right it did…

Ugly Betty – East Side Story

In the battle of the season finales, Ugly Betty is definitely beating Grey’s Anatomy right now. Does that mean I have changed my mind and actually want to see the next season now? Maybe…

Grey’s Anatomy – Didn’t We Almost Have It All?

Well…that was underwhelming and oh so predictable.

Catch and Release – A Hating

Damn…this was a REALLy bad movie. I mean, based on the fact that I had no idea this was even released, I kind of figured that it wasn’t going to be the best thing I saw this month or anything, but this movie was really, really, really dumbfounding. I don’t really want to spoil anything because the whole damned thing is so predictable that you can tell the end within the first 10 minutes so I’ll try to explain (in VERY broad strokes) why this movie is as bad as it is.

First off, Jennifer Garner is incredibly wooden in this (yeah, yeah…I’m sure some of you are thinking…”so, what’s new?” but I tend to like her acting!) It’s like she’s sleepwalking through the part and her heart just doesn’t seem to be in it. Secondly, Timothy Olyphant sucks…I just don’t like the guy. He’s pretty much a one-note actor who has been playing the well-meaning asshole in so many movies that I’m sure they all tend to blur together for him as well as for us. And let’s not even get started on Juliette Lewis who plays the stereotypical Trailer Trash woman. To the movie’s credit though, Sam Jaeger and Kevin Smith shine. Smith especially works incredibly well in the “best friend” role and it was…strange? pleasant? weird? seeing him not swearing like a sailor for once.

Now, the script…ugh. It’s a pretty typical tale of dead man’s fiancee finding out that he may not have been as perfect as she thought he was. Oh, and of course…her ‘rediscovering’ love in the process. I was hesitant to watch this movie based on the premise alone, but being a huge Alias fan, I figured…what the hell…Jennifer Garner should keep me amused. She didn’t. She was boring, crying more than she did in Alias season 4, and overall making me cringe whenever she related to any other actor in the movie.

Now, the story was dumb, but the direction was unbelievable. We are supposed to buy that Garner’s character does not realize that Dennis is head over heels in love with her. I mean, c’mon! I could tell that in the first scene between the two. Hell…if this movie had tread a slightly more conventional territory, it could have been more amusing and I would’ve had that warm fuzzy feeling you get from decent romantic comedies…instead this movie left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied and quite cranky. Also, the stupid…really stupid…thing with Smith’s character and the second leading lady…ugh. That right there made me want to grab the dvd and throw it out and stomp on it. Fortunately, I was too lazy to get up and do that…but I’m planning on sending the movie to the nether-depths of DVD-organisation soon enough.

As I was saying, Jaeger is awesome as Dennis…you really buy into his character. Same with Smith. Both of them feel like real best friends and have great chemistry onscreen. They were the only thing that kept me watching the movie (well…partially watching…I stopped paying fulling attention to the dreck halfway through I think).

Ugh…even this post has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Horrible Movie. Avoid at all costs! Get Music and Lyrics instead…not great, but very, very amusing.

Wonder Woman #6: Or I Go On About the Wonders for FAR too long

Ah, Jodi Picoult. I had such high hopes for you. Unfortunately all you’ve managed to do is make me miss Allah Heinberg’s run…something I was sure was not possible. I’ve been hesitant to talk about the whole Wonder Woman fiasco because it was actually getting to be painful what was being done to a book that had been one of my top reads during the Perez, Messner-Loebs, and Rucka runs. So…since Picoult’s much-awaited (I hate how sarcasm cannot be conveyed through the internet…) run is finally here…I thought I’d discuss what I like about the book and the character. Also…since this a blog…I thought I’d say where I think DC went wrong with the handling of the character.

I think the best Wonder Woman was probably the one under Greg Rucka. Admittedly it took me a long time to realize this because I adored the Perez Wonder Woman. She was just perfect. Naive until the time came for her to finally grow up. She also had the most awesome villains ever. The new Silver Swan, the revamped Cheetah, Eris, the frackin’ God of War himself, Ares!! It was an excellent time to be a Wonder Woman fan I’m sure, and I’m sorry I was too young to appreciate it when it was first coming out (I think I was 4, maybe 5…) But Rucka…I was front and center for that run. It introduced the grown-up version of Perez’s Diana. She developed into a novelist preaching her message of peace to the world. Themyscira wasn’t outright destroyed by an incoming writer for once (I mean seriously…Perez endangered it, Loebs messed it up, Byrne obliterated it, Jimenez tried to improve it but it didn’t take…) It was nice to see a Diana who was confident of her role in ‘man’s world.’ Also, Rucka was the first writer since Perez to actually bother developing and maintaining a supporting cast (I don’t count Byrne because…well…his supporting cast sucked. It was horribly one-dimensional and were used only as foils for Wonder Woman rather than characters in their own rights).

Anyway, Infinite Crisis ended Rucka’s run. What could’ve been an incredible battle between the US and the Amazons (as Rucka had been hinting since the start of his run) was merely a fizzle and something that just cheapened his whole run. Diana’s backbone, the Amazons, were gone and she was left alone in man’s world (something that NEVER worked in the past, so of course it’ll work fantastically now!) And she had a secret identity…the one thing that I did not miss at all from the silver age stories. That was the main contention I had with Heinberg’s run. It’s beside the point that I did not agree with Donna being Wonder Woman. She had abandoned all rights to the name when she accepted her role as the new Harbinger. If anyone deserved to be the new Wonder Woman, it should’ve been Cassie. I know people believe she’s too young and under-developed as a character to truly exist in that respect, but she was the best character during PAD’s Young Justice. If anything, I think Johns messed her up. What was a vivacious character with the potential of leadership capabilities and good confidence in herself suddenly became a whiny little girl who was obsessed with playing dress-up with Raven and house with Superboy. Johns un-evolved the character such as it were…she became ridiculous. (Ok…moving on…my problems with Johns Titans shall wait for another day…)

Anyway back to Heinberg. I’m a child of the late 80s-early 90s and thus have no affection for the Wonder Woman tv show. And while I do enjoy the silver age adventures quite a bit, I accept that it is time to move on and not dwell on them. So, of course…I hated the spinning stars transformation. He didn’t even bother to explain it like during the SA (chemically treated costume and wardrobe that allowed her switch when she achieved a particular frequency with her spinning) and then he brought back Hercules, who was overdone when Byrne brought him in. Hercules only occupies one role in the entire DC-verse…that of jackass who was responsible for the Amazons having to move to Themyscira. Any other use is stupid and especially in light of the amazons…makes no sense for the character. He has repented…there is no need for him to return ever again. The only really good thing during Heinberg’s run…and I will admit this much…he made Circe truly bad-ass. Which brings us back to Ms. Picoult.

This issue had a ton of problems that I don’t even need to go into since people who are far better writers than I have already delved into them in detail. I shall just summarise the salient details for people who may be particularly forgetful. Diana is not THAT naive anymore. She has been in ‘man’s world’ for a long, long time. She knows about credit cards and most of the other simple functions of life. She is also NOT so obsessed by her identity crisis issues (which shouldn’t even exist in the first place) that she would become Peter Parker in trying to reconcile her role of capturing herself as well as continuing her role as Wonder Woman. And the biggest offense of Wonder Woman #6: Circe became boring. I know she’s aware of her secret identity and all that crap…but why would she continue the same storyline that we just escaped from after a year of being held hostage by it?? Another ‘friend’ captured by Circe who is demanding Diana to show up and save him. Bah! I seriously cannot wait for an actual comic writer to come onto the book and atleast try to restore Diana to her Rucka/Perez glory. That’s all that’s keeping me holding on to the book at this point. DC really dropped the ball on this. What was supposed to be the year that Wonder Woman would truly become part of the Trinity instead became the year which had no Wonder Woman. And nobody wants that.

Well…that was…extensive, eh? (What can I say…had a free hour at work and I was itching to get all this out on ‘paper’.)

I Got New Trades!!!

It’s that time of the year again. I just got the first of an expected three-part pile of comics. This one is heavily Buffy skewed so I doubt anyone not interested in Buffy to a certain level will give a damn. But the good news is that I have loads of new stuff to review. In the first batch here, I have 6 Buffy trades, 1 Blade trade, and 1 SLG (X-Ray Comics) trade. My reading time is limited otherwise it’s a pretty safe bet that I would’ve read through all of them already. Anyway…the point is that I will review the trades as I read them. With Buffy, I also plan on reflecting on the comics’ role in the tv show continuity. This will either drive me insane or will help me appreciate the Buffy-verse more. We shall see. So…without further delay, let’s start with the first trade I read, Bad Blood.