Just Stay at Home

Friends,

I regret to say that due to a minor illness I completely spaced on the fortuitous event that occurred yesterday (apparently my memory is as spotty as Azrael's). What might that have been?

It was the five year anniversary of this blog.

As far as I'm concerned, that's quite a milestone. I never expected that I'd still be writing for this thing after a few years. I never could have expected that I'd continue to enjoy it as much as I still do.

I know I don't blog as regularly as I might have in the past. That's my fault and it comes with being a graduate student and all the time sinks inherent in such an enterprise.

That said, I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their encouragement and comments over the years. I wouldn't enjoy it (and probably couldn't continue) if I didn't know that there were those of you out there who enjoyed reading. Your comments mean a lot to me. A lot.

This is usually the sort of occasion where a blogger will announce his or her intention for a hiatus or retirement. But how could I do a thing like that? Even if I falter or stall, I want to try and keep this thing going for another five years.

Here's to the future!

Behold: Title Undetermined's 1000th post!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lo, for it came to be December the Thirteenth which was and is the date of this blog's founding.

Long have I written upon this virtual parchment. And know that I am thankful for each and every one of you who reads my word.. It has been four long years and I am grateful for each of them.

They say all good things must come to an end. But not this thing. I know I haven't been a reliable blogger this past year, what with me starting graduate school and all. But I want to thank all the readers who've stuck with me and comment from time to time (and those who don't comment as well). I'd probably still write even if nobody commented... But it wouldn't be half as fun.

Here's to another four, or eight, or twelve years. As long as they keep making comics and I keep reading them I'll keep talking about them. And that's really what it's all about, isn't it?