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Yeah, it's been a while. But I'm back, and so is Thursday Night Thinking!
Question, though: what the hell was Barack Obama doing in that issue? Last time I checked, he's not president in the DCU...
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.
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.
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?
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.
Newsarama is doing one of those pointless "favorite artist/writer/whatever" polls. These polls are always pointless. Still, I want you to go vote for one of your favorite writers.
Okay, so that's not entirely true. I want you to go vote for one of my favorite writers. Who may or may not be one of yours. You see, Paul Cornell of Lex Luthor's Action Comics and Knight & Squire is in the running in round 1a. And he's up against Grant Morrison.
Now, Paul Cornell is currently losing by about a thousand votes. So what I say here won't make much difference. But it will make my position abundantly clear. I assert that Grant Morrison is overrated, and that Paul Cornell is one of the best writers in comics today.
It is true that Morrison is "known" and that he writes a lot of stuff that's "hip" and "edgy." But you know what he also writes? A lot of stuff that you need some sort of philosophy degree to enjoy. And even when you do enjoy it you only seem to enjoy it on some sort of intellectual level.
You know what kinds of comics Paul Cornell writes? Viscerally fun super-hero comics. Stories about brain-eating super-gorillas and iambic pentametering clones of British monarchs. Paul Cornell's comics don't try to do whatever it is that Grant Morrison's comics do. Paul Cornell just writes comics that are amazingly entertaining.
So if you want to vote for a slightly mad Briton, vote for the guy who has written for Doctor Who. Because Paul Cornell deserves it for that alone.
Curse the holidays and all their delicious treats! I've been in a food induced coma for what feels like weeks now. Has it been weeks? It may be; I do not know for certain.
Now, tomorrow is comic book day so I think I'm going to mention a few things about the comics that come out tomorrow. Keep in mind that this post will be mercilessly short; I've got deadlines coming up for the end of the semester and I need my sleep.
Action Comics Annual #13. As far as I'm concerned this is the book that's coming out tomorrow. Have you been reading Paul Cornell's Lex Luthor opus in the pages of Action? You should be; it's fantastically entertaining stuff and is the best of the best of what super-hero comics can be.
The Action Comics Annual should follow in the same tradition. We'll be seeing a Luthor (in this case a young Luthor) going up against some of the DCU's most famous villains. In this case, serious heavy-hitters who have opposed Batman and Superman.
Lex vs. Darkseid and Lex vs. Ra's al Ghul. I mean, what else is there to say? How could that not be tremendously entertaining? These are villains that are supposed to be some of the cream of the crop of their respective enemies' rogues' galleries. But really, are Darkseid and Ra's al Ghul really all that impressive as villains? Perhaps it is necessary to see how they go up against the greatest enemy of the world's greatest super-hero.
In some ways, I pity Darkseid and Ra's. We know that both of them will be unimpressed; they'll think Luthor a mere mortal and beneath their notice (keep in mind that this is before either of them has met Batman or Superman). Perhaps their encounters with Lex Luthor will teach them something they otherwise won't experience until they encounter their arch-enemies.
Darkseid and Ra's al Ghul are going to lose. And if everything goes as I expect it they'll lose bad. What could be more fitting?
I really like this variant cover for the Action Comics #894. I'm also particularly looking forward to the upcoming appearance of the Sandman Death. Not because I'm a fan, per se... Rather, because I've never actually read Sandman.
Don't get me wrong; I know it's supposed to be a classic and I'll get around to it eventually. But you know, the only Sandman for me is this guy:
After finding out that the Jimmy Olsen backup in Action is already available online through iPhone and iPod apps I went ahead and downloaded the DC Comics app for my iPod.
I've always been the type to eschew the "digital comics revolution." I like my floppies just fine, thank you. But I've been looking forward to the Jimmy Olsen feature and I found that I just couldn't wait. And seeing as it was free I had no reason not to check it out.
Let me say that I was presently surprised by the format (I'll get to the content in a minute). The app is pretty well streamlined and I was easily able to find the Jimmy Olsen feature by tapping on the "free" tab. From there it was easy to download it. I wasn't sure how the digital comics would work, but there was an answer to that as well! When I tried to open my downloaded comic I was asked if I would like to see a short comic on how to read the comics.
Curious, I allowed it and was stunned to find that Superman himself would be my guide to the world of digital comics. What an age we live in. It turned out to be pretty simple; I tap on the right side of the screen to advance and the left if I want to go back. I discovered that the app was by default set to zoom in to panels automatically as a sort of "guided tour" of the comics. I was a little leery about that at first.
But in the long run it worked out quite well. It was actually quite a treat in some cases, as it hid other, surprising or revealing parts of the comic from my sight until I got to them. I still don't think I want to give up the experience of seeing the whole page at once, but reading comics on my iPod will certainly make for a nice side trip when I'm on the run.
As for the content of the the feature... They had me from "that time I was a genie." Though the comic is very modern in its sensibilities it still has that core of wackiness that made all those old Jimmy Olsen stories so fantastic. If things continue in this direction for the story it'll make for one hell of a comic.
Before I go I should say a quick word about the introduction of Chloe Sullivan. Apparently Chloe Sullivan fans (hardcore fans) are kind of... I'm not sure what word I should use. Did you know they paid for a commercial in honor of Allison Mack to commemorate her part in Smallville? That's dedication. Though I've seen all of Smallville up to this point and am a fan of the character, I don't really have anything to say about the comic version. She's not the same Chloe Sullivan after all -- and I didn't expect her to be.
Just like any number of transfers from one media to another, this version of the character is going to have to stand on her own. In time we'll see if she can do that.
Good Lord... It's the DC December solicitations. That puts us only months away from the dawning of the terrifying year 2011. It sounds like the future, but it feels like... Now.
Anyway, solicitations! What looks good and what looks bad in the final month of 2010? Let's see, shall we?
AZRAEL #15What the..? I know one of my co-bloggers has been exploring this issue, but really? This comic is still going on? It seems bizarre that a solo comic featuring a spin-off character from an event who is a legacy character of a replacement character could make it to fifteen issues. Is it selling really well or something? Only eight-six issues to go if they want to break the record...
Written by DAVID HINE
Art by CLIFF RICHARDS
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
The prophecy is fulfilled! Azrael has been found crucified, and a mystery swirls around his fate. It’s time for the world’s greatest detective to step in and figure out how this destiny came to pass. And how will this continue to play into the founding of Batman, Inc? Guest-starring The Dark Knight!
On sale DECEMBER 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
KNIGHT & SQUIRE #3I may be one of those people who think Richard was actually innocent, but that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to this story. Paul Cornell has been doing fantastic stuff with Lex Luthor over in Action, and I want to see how well his wacky DC Universe Britain stacks up with the second-hand information I've received from British friends...
Written by PAUL CORNELL
Art by JIMMY BROXTON
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE & MICHAEL LACOMBE
Cyril and Beryl have the fight of their lives on their hands when Shakespeare’s most evil monarch, Richard III, returns! And he’s brought with him a cloned army of all the worst Kings of England, intent on taking back the country through the use of social networking! Yes, that’s the plot!
On sale DECEMBER 8 • 3 of 6 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #13Speaking of Paul Cornell... This is going to be a hell of a lot of fun. I imagine in thirty-two scant pages Mr. Cornell will prove once again why Lex Luthor is the greatest villain in the DC Universe. Those other guys don't stand a chance...
Written by PAUL CORNELL
Art by MARCO RUDY and ED BENES
Cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
While present-day Lex Luthor is busy fighting an array of the DCU's most vile foes over in ACTION COMICS, this annual takes a look back at two formative encounters Luthor had before he became the bald mad genius we know and love (to hate) today! Marco Rudy illustrates a story of young Lex and Darkseid, while Ed Benes tackles a tale starring Luthor and Batman foe Ra's al Ghul!
On sale DECEMBER 1 * 56 pg, FC $4.99 US
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #46I'm intrigued by Marc Guggenheim's upcoming run on JSA. Some will say that taking the JSA away from New York is a bad idea. But I've always been a fan of the "Fictionopolis" model. You can't really build a city if you have to deal with the real thing. Here's hoping Monument Point will be a welcome -- and refreshing -- member of DC's league of cities.
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by SHANE DAVIS & SANDRA HOPE
With Monument Point still down after Scythe's devastating attack on U.S. soil, looting begins! Enter Collatoral Damage, a new team of villains set to lay claim to the riches yet to be found in the rubble of the once great American city! Luckily, there are new heroes flooding into the JSA's new hometown to help stabilize and rebuild alongside Earth's First Super Hero Team!
On sale DECEMBER 29 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
That's all for tonight... What are you looking forward to at the close of this year?
That's changed since reading this interview with Cornell. For whatever reason Superman is still going to be absent from Action after the events of War of the Supermen. But instead of Nightwing and Flamebird, the star of Action will be... Lex Luthor.
This is inspired. Lex Luthor is, undoubtedly, one of the best characters ever. Like Superman and heroes Lex Luthor stands tall above all other villains. He is the quintessential mastermind and one of the most fascinating minds in all of fiction.
So what happens when the author makes him the star? Almost anything, I'd imagine. I can't conceive of what Cornell has planned for a Lex Luthor headlined Action Comics. But I know that in June I won't just be buying Action Comics out of habit... I'll be buying it because I'll be dying to know.
Apparently Mark Guggenheim isn't going to be writing Action Comics after all. I don't really have a horse in the race here; I've not read much by Guggenheim or Cornell (and I haven't checked yet to see if he's written any of my favorite Doctor Who episodes).
Mostly I just wanted to comment on the incredibly weak explanation for why Guggenheim isn't going to be writing the book. Because honestly? "My idea is too good for me to write myself" isn't particularly believable as an explanation.
I don't know why he's not sticking around; it doesn't matter to me one way or another. After all, Action is one of four comics I will never stop buying (the others being Superman, Detective, and Batman). I just think it's a bizarre reason why he left the book.
What would you do if you found a copy of Action Comics #1 or one of those other rare comics?
If you found it in a box in your attic or in a box at a rummage sale. If you owned a copy what would you do? I like to tell myself that I'd turn around right away and sell it. After all, a million bucks can make a huge difference in a person's life.
But then, it's Action Comics #1. So there's that to consider. I wish I could simply say that I would do the smart thing. But would that be the right thing? I don't know.
Logic says you sell it. But there would still be that little voice inside that says "keep it." Am I the only one who hears that voice?
As always: Thursday Night Thinking!
As usual: the best thinking comes on the covers of Silver Age Superman comics!
Recently I have been thinking about how this year, 2009, is the 70th Anniversary of one of the greatest comic book characters ever, Batman! The weird thing is that DC Comics ( Warner Bros ) has not been hyping that fact very much. Oh, they have mentioned it a little but there's NO huge fanfare like I would like to see. So, then later I got to wonder what was THE very very first appearance of Batman? I'm not talking about Detective Comics # 27 where they introduced the character. I started to wonder if they showed him in any other way as sort of an introduction or teaser. Well, here it is! The graphic you see up above is the VERY FIRST TIME anybody, mainly children, got to see the Dark Knight! This image is from the 1939 issue of Action Comics # 12. It hyped the fact that there would be a brand-new superhero added to their lineup & said to look for the May issue of Detective Comics! Now, you really have to wonder...what did kids think when they 1st saw this small image of the Caped Crusader for the very first time? Wow! That must have been really cool!! Looking at the sale figures for that book they must have loved it, ha ha!
We return again to Thursday Night Thinking! What shall we think on today? Well, it's been an awfully long time since we had a Super-Silver Age thought!
Well, I was about a million degrees off on the identities of Flamebird and Nightwing in this week's issue of Action. But me being wrong is nothing new, so that's okay.
Really, I think this pair will turn out to have a much better story. Especially since their main enemies appear to be Zod and Ursa. The concept of "sleepers" on Earth is a fascinating one... Especially when you know where they're coming from.
Oh, and it seems that the only Kryptonians of the El brothers' generation capable of degree of common sense were Jor and Zor. Why are so many Kryptonians either completely oblivious or just damn mean?
As you probably already know Greg Rucka and Eddy Barrows are taking over Action Comics this month. The star of the book will not be Superman, but rather Nightwing and Flamebird. No, not that Nightwing.
At the moment we don't really know who the characters are. We've got little more than a few hints and a some speculation. But as I am wont to do here this night I shall make my own predictions as to who the characters are.
First up is Nightwing. This Nightwing is a young male with black hair, clearly possessing both the powers of super-strength and flight. He's also got something he calls "tactile telekinesis." So it's pretty obvious to me that it is Superboy.
The tactile telekinesis gives it away, but you've also got the fact that both Nightwing and Flamebird seemed to know exactly how "New Krypton" would end. And if you're reading Legion of Three Worlds it's pretty obvious that that is where Superboy will be returning to life. And if he came from the future, he already knew what would happen.
The other member of the duo is Flamebird. She's a little trickier to pin down -- we haven't actually seen her fly under her own power and clues to her identity are sparse. Still, if the preview of next week's issue is accurate she has brown hair. It's not much to go on, but I still believe that Flamebird is Linda Danvers, former Supergirl.
That seems like a bit of a longshot, yes? After all, she hasn't been seen in years. But there are a few things that lead me to that conclusion. First, her new codename is Flamebird -- and as Supergirl she sported a pair of flaming wings (if you don't know what I'm talking about it's needlessly complicated and I won't explain it here).
Secondly, with her on the team that would mean that Nightwing and Flamebird are both heroes who are partially human and have worn the "S". Who better to protect the Earth from evil Kryptonians?
I want to thank everybody who commented on last night's post. Sometimes I just have to rant a little. That little manifesto was just such an occasion. If anybody has any more thoughts on the subject, go ahead and put in your two cents.
Tomorrow I have a big post planned, so I'm going to keep it short tonight. I just wanted to comment on something I noticed: very soon here Greg Rucka will be writing both Action Comics and Detective Comics. As far as I know, that's the first time that's happened.
Am I right? Or have there been other occasions where a single scribe has written both of DC's flagship titles?
