Wednesday, September 28, 2011
That's All I'm Saying: 9-28-11
This week, Linkara looks at Green Lantern: New Guardians #1, Teen Titans #1, Batman: The Dark Knight #1, Blackhawks #1, Aquaman #1, Angel & Faith #1, All-Star Western #1, The Flash #1, The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #1, Voodoo #1, Superman #1, Justice League Dark #1, The Savage Hawkman #1, Avengers Academy #1-6, and a brief first thoughts on New Teen Titans: Games.
Brief Review of I, Vampire #1
I completely overlooked this one in the shop, but since I promised reviews of every one of the relaunch titles, I bought this one up from DC's digital store (which was nice and easy to use, thankfully). This book seems to want to be both Angel and Twilight, with young-looking people talking about dramatic crap and being rather lovey-dovey about it, but at the same time reminding people of the Buffyverse in how vampires, once sired, are, well, EVIL. It's not particularly interesting, rather dreary, and I just don't get the point (other than attempting to catch the Twilight crowd). I will say I liked the various transformation aspects of the vampires, calling to mind the not-often-used powers of vampire folklore. Maybe the thing's just not for me, but I found it completely underwhelming. So, yeah, not recommended. And that's why I didn't end up recording it and adding it to the video later.
good job. keep this up please
ReplyDeleteI, Vampire was trying to be deeper than it really was. It had a lot of potential, but failed to live up to it. Also, more thoughts on my twitter, @TheMadWhitaker
ReplyDeleteYou indeed have helped me get into comics again. I have a ton of old Marvel stuff from the mid 80s... but could never really get into the new stuff because it quite frankly was REALLY intimidating.
ReplyDeleteThe New 52 is awesome for me and digital is great, since I don't have room for comics in my house right now. Plus, I can't lose a digital copy. AT4W helped get me interested and TAIS got me to pick out four titles to follow... Detective, Batgirl, Justice League and Justice League International. Only after I picked the four and bought them did it hit me that Batman is in a lot of DC books. Why was Batman chosen for JLI and not another Justice Leaguer? I'd have liked to have seen Flash or Cyborg in that role. Batman is awesome, but where does he find the time to do all of the stuff in his books AND the rest of the DCU? (in before "He's the goddamn Batman")
In any case, thank you for helping a comic fan get back into reading comics.
Four Robins in five years.
ReplyDeleteJust . . . what?
"Four Robins in five years.
ReplyDeleteJust . . . what?"
Actually, if I recall correctly, DC has said that Batman, unlike most of his fellows, has been around for TEN years not five.
Still stupid for five Robins in ten years, buuuut...
wow thanks this is going really help me choose what comics i should start with as i new to comics and only know about a few heroes and there back story but love learn more about some the others including teen titans also wish they do more with Black Panther i love that hero and I'm interested to see how there do the whole wolverine now in charge of a school in the new x men comic
ReplyDeleteI say keep it audio with only showing the cover of the said book in order to let viewers know how it looks like when looking for it to buy.
ReplyDeleteSo far the DCnU has been meh but it might get better along the way(Or worse, who knows). After reading the 52 books, I will be following Batgirl, Batman, Detective Comics, Action Comics, JLI, Blue Beatle, Animal Man, Supergirl, All Star Western, Swamp Thing, Catwoman, and Green Lantern.
If making these audio only would be easier for you, that'd be okay, but I'd prefer you kept it the way you're doing it...
ReplyDeleteWhat of the fact that the fire alien in superman and Not-Venom in Hawkman appear to be the same species? And they tie into the giant eye business on the moon? Is DC prepping a crossover this fast?
And if DC's clarified that bit about Batman being active for 10 years (does that make him the first superhero, since there doesn't appear to be a justice society?), have they said anything about the role of Batgirl during Babs' reduced 3-year paralysis?
And I think Kid Flash is suppose to be Wally... I may be wrong of course... But I recently started watching the new Young Justice cartoon, and this Kid Flash acts just like the one from the show, who is Wally West...
tl;dr I like watching non-negative reviews from you, so I rather like these short ones! Keep it up and all that...
Hey Linkara, question.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the X-men Costumes like when they're more uniformed like New Mutants and such?
And relating to that, what do you think of X-men relaunching some its titles soon with 8 different books?
I wrote a brief analysis of I, Vampire in the comment thread of a blog that has nothing to do with comics or vampires, so it would probably be best to relocate it to somewhere where it's slightly relevant. Hi, Linkara and everybody, I'm a bit of a vampire buff.
ReplyDeleteI like that the vampires, to some extent, follow the Stoker rules regarding sunlight.
In Dracula, sunlight does not kill vampires. That aspect of the vampire mythos was actually introduced in the 1922 film, Nosfetatu: A Symphony of Horror. Dracula loses his powers, specifically his ability to change shape, during the hours of the day (except at dawn, dusk and perfect noon). It has nothing to do with whether or not sunlight is actually touching him. Here, it is exposure to sunlight, and not the specific hours, that cancel out their vampiric powers.
Also, following in Dracula‘s footsteps, vampires here have the ability to turn into wolves and mist. This is actually not common in vampire folklore. Stoker conflated vampires with werewolves, even going so far as to actually call Dracula a werewolf early on in the book. There is precedent for vampires changing into animals, however. Carmilla (published 1872, and a work that was obviously a great influence on Dracula) has the title character turn into a large cat. Interestingly, The Mysterious Stranger, an 1860s short story that was also an obvious influence for Stoker, has the vampire warding off a pack of wolves with a wave of his hand. Not quite transformation, but certainly a connection with wolves. There are also a few other cases, like La Ville Vampire, for example, which has a vampire turn into a spider. But that book was just weird.
The central dynamic of the comic – if the setup given in the first issue is an accurate representation of future issues – is between the good vampire; Andrew Bennett and an evil vampire; Mary, Queen of Blood.
Their relationship in the flashbacks is shown as a romantic one. Romance, it strongly resembles the relationship between Mitchell and Herrick on the UK version of Being Human (of course, I’m sure there’s plenty of slash fiction about those two). There’s a vampire who wishes to live peacefully with humans, and another who sees vampires as superior, and wishes to rise up against the human race, establishing vampires as rulers of the Earth.
This is, however, a comic set firmly within the greater DC Universe, so there’s a mention by Bennett that Mary’s army wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of Superman or the Green Lanterns.
The comic doesn’t yet provide a reason for Andrew Bennett being on the side of good. There’s a mention that he, in fact, was never driven by the desire for blood. I’m sure that’s backstory that will be filled in later.
Of course, the sympathetic vampire protagonist has long reaching roots. Sir Francis Varney in the terrible, but highly influential, Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood (published serially from 1845-47) is a vampire who hates his condition, calling it a curse. he is unable to overcome his bloodlust which rises along with the full moon each month. Varney, unlike most of his successors, is freakishly ugly and unpopular with women. Andrew Bennett, on the other hand, is depicted as handsome and dashing, more in keeping with modern sensibilities in the subject matter.(cont...)
This work goes with the “vampire conspiracy” angle. My expertise in vampire fiction only covers the 19th and early 20th centuries, so I can’t say where this idea comes from. Vampires, in the works I’ve researched, are generally solitary, and when not, have strictly hierarchical relationships. Dracula is the head vampire, while his three “brides” (who were presumably made into vampires by Dracula himself) are entirely subordinate to him. In modern fiction, vampire conspiracies are more common. Here, vampires have “lived” in human society for generations, working together to keep themselves hidden from the world. There are leaders, as Mary is here, but it’s more in the way that humans have leaders of movements, not a strict master and servant relationship. I can’t tell you when or where this trope originates from, but it’s quite ubiquitous in modern stories.
ReplyDeleteAnd a few added notes:
The vampires seem to use the word “sire” to describe the vampire who turns another person into a vampire. If I’m not mistaken, this derives from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Here, a simple bite will turn a person into a vampire. I much prefer the idea, introduced in Dracula that the vampire has to share his or her own blood with the victim for that to happen. It explains why we’re not overrun entirely with vampires.
As to the book itself, it was fair but not great. The art was nice and the writing was decent enough, but it’s all very familiar territory. Of course, with the wealth of vampire fiction available, there’s very little new under the sun (see what I did there?). With modern vampire stories, it's all about how it juggles the tropes themselves. I thought it handled them well enough to convince me to pick up issue two next month, but it's not a strong recommendation by any means.
Your complaint at the end is spot-on - from the moment FLASHPOINT was announced, I was saying that it felt like it would be an interruption of current stories. Boy, did that happen in spades, eh?
ReplyDeleteI also really want DC to embrace its rich history rather than keep hitting the reset button every time they need to boost sales. I'm a die-hard DC fangirl, but I gotta give Marvel credit for sticking to their continuity 90% of the time. While I do find it sometimes hard to get into something like, say, X-Men, it isn't completely impossible.
And if they were going to reboot, dammit, they should have started at zero. Not just a soft reset with stuff that just happened still trickling into the reboot. That just creates as many hiccups as Zero Hour did, necessitating another change down the road. (On LiveJournal, I have an icon that reads "DC Comics...if you don't like us, wait ten years. We'll blow it up and start all over again." It's very frustrating to keep getting this over and over again.
Thanks as always, Lewis.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's worth the extra time and effort to keep TAIS a video series. Comics are, after all, a visual medium, so it makes sense to have images to back up the points you're making. The alternative is to talk solely about the writing and never about the art but that doesn't seem like a great choice.
It's no surprise that Angel and Faith is as good as it is. Christos Gage is a solid writer and his ability to craft a moody noir piece with lots of great character moments made him a great choice to take over this series.
As for the DC 52, I'm curious as to just how many of them you think you'll still be reading six months from now. For my own sanity (and wallet) I'm hoping to keep it down to a dozen.
Favorite book of the 52: Batman
Runner-up: Animal Man
Least Favorite: Red Hood and the Outlaws
Runner-up: Catwoman
While I am admittedly not a major comic reader (though like you I do prefer DC more than Marvel), I have enjoyed these series of videos and your viewpoints. Also, props for you mentioning the Darkwing Duck comic in a past one.
ReplyDeleteI may have to pick up the Superman book, but we'll see on that.
The main thing I have to say though is that hearing your viewpoints here in these videos kinda makes me wanna see you do a video of how you would run creatively both DC and Marvel if you were in charge of either company. But I do understand if time constraints would keep you from ever doing something like that.
Still, keep up the good work.
...oh, and keep this as a video. The old addage "a Picture's Worth A Thousand Words" works for covers and art style.
No Ghostbusters?
ReplyDeleteI really like listening to TAIS. I think you should just make it into a podcast show.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to pick up Aquaman and All-Star Western, but thanks to your recommendation I'll try to buy them later this week.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really feeling Firestorm myself, but I think for slightly different reasons. Ronnie and Jason's conflict seemed kind of forced. You got the impression that they were just two characters designed to dislike each other and not people with actual problems. Plus I wasn't really a fan of all of the deaths in the book, but I may just be over-exposed to all of the recent violence in the DC relaunch.
I liked Justice League Dark, but I think it suffers from slow set-up. Not all of the characters have gathered together and some get hardly any screen time, but I do like the concept and tone of the book. I'll miss Zatanna's old outfit.
Another thing about Voodoo that bugged me is that she seems to be the only bisexual in the new DC. I haven't read all of the new books, but as someone who is bisexual, it doesn't feel right to have the one bisexual character be a stripper in a book where she mostly just strips. If there are other bisexual characters, let me know.
But thank you again for this series. It helped me figure out which books I wanted or didn't want, and I shall be trying my best to follow these new books.
I enjoy these reviews - I may not be a comic book reader, but I am always interested in hearing people talk about things they enjoy, even when they're not exactly thrilled with what's happening in them. I'm glad to hear it'll continue and who knows, maybe one of these episodes will convert me. Keep up the great work, always a fan.
ReplyDeleteP.S. - a minor issue, not one that will bother anyone, but you typed "Angel & Faith #1" in the list of comics you reviewed when you actually reviewed #2. Just thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to fix it.
I like these reviews. It feels like we're getting your honest opinions and looking forward to future ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you tried Avengers Academy! Once the character introductions are out of the way, the book kicks into high gear. Btw, it's the same writer from Angel and Faith, Chritos Gage.
There's a lot of great arcs and issues ahead of you. Issue 10 was the one that makes Hazmat many people's favorite character, if you could believe that. Finally, Issue 12, the last two pages. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I really enjoy your TAIS show. It's nice to hear your honest opinion about current events, which you don't get to do much of on AT4W. Frankly you're the only person that i can trust to get a well rounded opinion about comics since no one around my area reads them as much as me. I'm usually the one my friends ask about continuity, characters abilities and the like. If you decide to keep doing this show know that I will always be listening and I appreciate you taking on this responsibility for your fans.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the video or audio debate, personally i prefer video. The covers give a point of reference for when i go to the shop and pick something up. If you did do an audio version, I would highly recommend an itunes podcast format.
Thanks again and good reading to you.
I understand their reasoning behind four Batman books. After all, Batman is probably the most popular DC character in the media right now, thanks in no small part to the Nolan movies.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that's also why Green Lantern got three different books, since the movie at least created a bit of a stir. Granted, those all have different Lanterns for the characters, but it's still the same title on the cover.
Anyway, I've been following DC's new 52 since I'm not an avid comic reader and don't follow them at all (except for Batman and, more recently, Green Lantern since their presence in recent media got me interested), so I was interested in actually getting into some of these. Especially since I am an avid manga reader, so it's not like I'm adverse to the concept of comics to begin with.
It does, obviously, affect how I view certain things. For example, the pacing in Justice League and Teen Titans worked really well for me, since a lot of manga stories typically move at a slower pace compared to comics. In fact, I'm still not used to he speed at which some of these stories move at. For example, I loved Hush, but man did it take some getting used to when there was a new villain and revelation at the end of every single issue, lol
All in all, this reboot definitely did its job as far as I am concerned. I found quite a few titles that I want to try for a couple more issues, and even a few that I plan to stick with for quite a while. Heck, even my status as someone who knows little about the universe really helps in some cases. For example, I wasn't all that upset at Starfire's portrayal in Red Hood simply because I didn't have that connection to her previously. Granted, I'm not a fan of female characters coming across as little more than sex appeal, but I'm willing to give her character (hopefully) more time to develop.
So yeah, I've had a really positive experience with this relaunch and I'm glad they did it.
Why so many Batman books? It's Batman. He does have a new movie coming out next year too.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I may pick up All Star Westerns #1, even though I have stopped reading comics for about two years now.
Now, why aren't all of these issue #1 comic books origin stories or simple stories to help new readers learn about the characters?
If it makes your job easier, making this series purely audio wouldn't change too much. For new series, it helps to get an idea of the art style, but the covers and pages don't add much that can't just be looked up if the review catches interest.
ReplyDeleteLewis Lovhaug said...
ReplyDelete"Still stupid for five Robins in ten years, buuuut..."
Yeah, that's pretty much how it was before the reboot.
I dislike that Bruce has been around for so much longer than Clark, though.
"Actually, if I recall correctly, DC has said that Batman, unlike most of his fellows, has been around for TEN years not five"
ReplyDeleteBatman has always been around for 10 years, hasn't he?
Well, this week, I actually was able to pick up a few comics from the relaunch. (my comic book store has been sold out a lot of the weeks due to preorders) I got Green Lantern New Gaurdians (I wonder if Snowflame wll reappear after the relaunch. I kinda want him to) and Justice League Dark. I agreed with you on New Gaurdians, intresting mystery and good set up, but pobably not new reader friendly. Justice League Dark was fairly enjoyable for me, and I will at least be picking up the next few issues. I do agree with you on Zattanna's new outfit, it doesn't scream 'stage magician superhero' to me at all.
Also, I did love your ending statement, that it's done and we still need to wait to see how it goes, but in the end hopefully DC's got some new readers and weve got a few books we didn't think we'd like. I know I'll be getting Demon Knights as soon as I can, and I might check out Aquaman. And I agree with the ending of characters whos stories were only just begining. I did fall for the Stephenie Brown Batgirl and I did want to see where she would go from there. In fact, I kinda did like how it ended, which kinda gave us an idea for what the future might've had in store for her. Reminds me of the ending of the series finale for Futurama (before it went the way of Family Guy and came back) where they say "yeah, there is more to tell, and we'd want to, but we can't do that or even give them a proper ending, so here's a little look at what we'd have wanted."
I'm planning on pick-up Demon Knights on digital as my local shop was out. I think I'll also check out Aquaman
ReplyDeletei know this isn't part of the video but mainly wanted to ask u about the other 2 silent hill comics u haven't mentioned do u know about them will u ever review them ones hunger and the other is past life and love your show thanks to u I'm becoming a big fan of many superheros i never heard of but now love thanks
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, also, I kinda do like having the little visuals. I am mainly a visual person, so I'd be better off with something to look at. But if you do make it audio only, I wouldn't mind.
ReplyDeleteAugust M. said...
ReplyDelete"I say keep it audio with only showing the cover of the said book in order to let viewers know how it looks like when looking for it to buy."
Well, Linkara, you could use the "ding" you do for text in your main reviews if you need to point something out in the comic, for whatever reason.
You've mentioned the mess in the Buffy Season Eight comics, which I'm admittedly still catching up with. Just wondering if A. that "mess" was in the issues written by Identity Crisis writer Brad Meltzer (a friend of mine did mention he wrote some issues and they were bad), and B. any chance of it appearing on AT4W?
ReplyDeleteI've definitely taken your opinions into consideration when looking at the new 52 and there are definitely some titles I look forward to following. A nice side benefit of the relaunch is that I find myself exploring other titles as well - as a result of subscribing to some new 52 titles, I'm planning on grabbing some indies too. So for me at least, the relaunch was worth it.
ReplyDeleteOne note though - I thought in one of the early TAIS you said that this was really meant to be more something that you listen to instead of watch, and now you're telling us to watch more?
Either way, given the nature of the vlog I think an audio focus is fine, but obviously people's mileage may vary.
To me, I prefer Marvel over DC because there's a lot more characters I'm invested in and a lot of great stories I've enjoyed over DC.
ReplyDeleteI also think the idea of new readers unable to jump into a comic because of continuity issues is stupid. I started getting into comics back in 2006 with Marvel's Civil War. As a kid, I was always interested in reading superhero comics because I enjoyed the shows and movies that were made from them but couldn't afford to buy them on a regular basis because I wasn't getting a lot for my allowance. But after getting a job and being able to afford them I was interested to see where to start. Luckily, one of my co-workers suggested some comics but the one I was most interested in was Civil War because of the idea of the superhero community being split in half for their beliefs and fighting it out to see who's right. I went in and enjoyed it and to be fair, I didn't knew most of the heroes. Sure there were the obvious ones like Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Fantastic 4, Wolverine, etc., but the ones I knew nothing about(Ms. Marvel, Emma Frost, etc), I became more interested in and decided to find out more about them by reading past stories and soon I started to fell in love with the characters, their history, etc.
What I'm trying to say, if a comic has a well written story with a well written cast, it will encourage new readers to dig up more history on the characters and make them interested to see where the stories take them.
All of this week's books where disapointments in diffrent ways for me.
ReplyDeleteTeen Titans-It bugs me what an idiot Kid Flash is, but otherwise it isn't bad. Thing is, this issue indicates there has been no Kid Flash. That makes NO sense. Both Kid Flashs are because of Barry's relationship with Iris. Unless this KF is a time traveler, it means he's just a kid who decided to call himself KF to connect himself to the main guy who runs fast. That. Is. Stupid. Red Robin is awesome though. Tim is soooo dreamy.
JLDark-GRRR LINKARA another book I like that no one will buy because of your mini review. Expect a picture of my fanny in your mail slot. That said, this issue was a bit weird. It didn't explain jack about John, which can be forgiven since he is just a normal guy, but nor was Shade the Changing Man given any explanation. People know
Zatanna from JLU. People don't need to know Deadman since he pretty much just makes a cameo. Madame whatsherface is in like, three other books, so she gets a pass too. But Shade? I read his entire run back from the 90s. He NEEDS some backstory. He is a f***ing weird guy. EXPLAIN DC! EXPLAIN!
Flash-Not too good, not too bad. Didn't care for it.
Aquaman-Better then Flash, but dull.
New Guardians-Too much set up, but there wasn't really anything wrong with it and I want it to get good.
Fury of Firestorm-My main experience with Firestorm is from when I read through a friend's run of Bright/Day week before last. I loved him. But now Ronnie and Jason turn into two diffrent Firestorms, making Ronnie useless, especialy since JASON is now the one with the connection to Dr. Stein. Remember Ronnie's emotional story in Bright/Day where he saw Dr. Stein, his father figure, die in his arms? Never happend, never will. I mean, they turn into "Fury" (which is really lame) but he doesn't seem like he is the two of them combined, just some other random asshole. So, more or less, I hate it. But...like New Guardians, I want to see where it goes. I didn't like Batgirl or Birds of Prey, but people hype Gail Simone that I'm willing to give her a chance.
If i had a choice i say keep this just audio. To be honest i'm reading other things while listening to this.
ReplyDeleteAlso are you planing on getting all 52 titles again next month?
Oh, and I support you doing audio only. I watch the videos, mind you, but this series is unnecessary, so there is no reason for you to do to much work on it. You already do so much, so don't stress yourself. I don't mean to patronize you, but if I was you, I would have my hands full just doing AtFW. Besides, as a quick and dirty look at what you just read, doing audio only makes it more authentic.
ReplyDeleteReally strongly agreed with your comments on Aquaman and the All-Star Western comics. Those were fantastic and surprised the hell out of me, thought I wouldn't find them at all special but ended up adding them to my pull list to my amazement.
ReplyDeleteAs to your comments on the Voodoo book, I liked it. Yes, it had a lot of fanservice, but this didn't turn me off. I did think the strip club scenes went too long, but I am interested in seeing where the character goes. I liked the female agent character as well..someone who showed that the story wasn't going to be all fanservice for sure. No idea who any of the characters therein are, but they interested me. I want to know their backstories, so they've got a reader. Your dislike of the 'T&A' seems to bias you a little too easily, really think you need to try to separate that when reviewing a story. Yes, a story can objectify woman and still be good, as it can objectify men and still be good. It's a play to get readers and certain demographics...annoying, but sometimes you've got to make allowances. At the least with no knowledge of character I would think you would be intrigued by what the hell is going on...I was, though you're likely more familiar with her and where she comes from then me as I have zero idea.
Blackhawks kind of confused me...Was a great story, but where was Zinda Blake from Birds? Did all of that not happen is she not active? Is she dead? A senior citizen? Confused there! Help! Surprised you didn't give that a mention.
I kind of disagree with you also on the I, Vampire book. While it was stereotypical vampire drama, it should sell nicely and the potential it has to make an impact on this new DC Universe (and DC circulation numbers by proxy) is huge. We've got a massive vampire army that wants to fight against the superheroes with the potential for infection and infiltration. Could we see some heroes turned? Could be interesting. It really could grow to be something really unique and has the potential to be a massive threat if played correctly. Not to mention if they do take advantage of the crossover opportunities it provides, they really might attract the vamp fans to some of their other publications.
Also yeah this relaunch has gotten me into DC comics. Call me crazy but me I HAVE to read a comic from issue 1 appearance 1. I can't jump in late, it bugs the hell out of me. That's why I find it near impossible to jump into these extremely long running stories, I want to know everything that's led to this point. While modern day torrents and my Xoom make this more possible the time sink is huge. This relaunch lets me cheat that mania and actually read good comics rather then some painful Silver Age stuff...I wish I could be the jump in at issue #600ish club, but...No me, I need to see issue 1-599 before I can even consider reading issue 600...Add to that DC/Marvel's nasty habit of crossovers and urk.
And in closing...ahem...Another indy comic came out today, my favorite series, Gold Digger released two sets of specials. You never ever have even given that series exposure and that's a shame. It's a hilarious, well drawn, deep story with very interesting characters. Hell the humor alone is right up your alley...Give it exposure and a chance damn it!
Anyway, was a nice review all in all and I agreed with most of your summaries, or can see how you came about making them. Hope you keep doing this, though as I mentioned right before more indy stuff please.
I love these TAIS videos!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I just listen to them rather than watch them.
Good job, Linkara. That was an enjoyable ride that cost you a decent amount of your time and hard earned money.
ReplyDeleteHow much did you end up spending for the entire 52?
As for video vs. audio, I do find myself listening to these more than I watch them. There simply isn't enough visual content to make it feel like it's worth paying close attention to it. I'd be perfectly happy with this kind of content being released purely as a podcast.
ReplyDeleteI vote to keep the visuals. I do watch this series and I like how your visuals complement your words. I understand if it's too much though, since you now have two weekly video series. That's all I'M saying ;)
ReplyDeleteActually, one more thing: Do you know if the multiverse discovered in 52 is still around? (I read almost nothing between 52 and the relaunch)
Because if it is, who's to say we won't be revisiting the pre-flashpoint timeline?
First, thanks for taking the time to do these. It must have been quite time consuming for you, what with the 52 #1s and the assorted other books you've looked at.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the current format, but if you aren't going to get into any analysis of the art then you might as well just make it a podcast. It sounds like that's easier for you.
If you are interested in looking at any more Marvel, I would highly recommend the new Ultimate Spider-Man series. We're only two issues in, but we have a good look at Miles Morales (the new USM) and at some members of his supporting cast. I also recommend the new Ultimate X-Men, but if you follow Mightygodking then you'll have heard about it.
Keep the videos the way they are. I tend to watch them two or three time. I watch it once then I tend to listen to them as I am working on other projects as I like to hear your take on things.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, I HATE this DC Reboot for as much as I hate the new "Star Trek" because it has NO BALLS!!!! I tend to respect a reboot that starts from scratch. Everything is thrown out and starts with a clean slate. "Star Trek" needs to rely on the Prime Universe in order to tell its lame weak story
The DCnU HAS NO BALLS!!!! If this is a true reboot, then EVERYTHING including Geoff Johns' work on GL should be thrown out and started over. There should be NO Justice League yet. Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Kyle Rayner and slew of recently created characters are not introduced PERIOD. Superman is the 1st superhero followed by Batman, Wonder Woman ext. None of this skipping backward and forward in time. Show some BALLS and commit to a real reboot. Not this DC style heroes reborn crap. Which we new how well that went.
I'd prefer a podcast, because I often watch your videos while I'm working on something. Also, if it was a podcast, I could listen to it when I commute into the city. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteNow to comment on the ones I read...
Teen Titans #1 sucked. Really, it just felt like a bad rip-off of Ultimate X-Men, and not being a fan of the, "oh, everyone hates and fears superheroes now" thing, I really thought this was lame. Someone actually decided, "hey, let's specifically target teen superheroes [or teen metahumans, I forget how it was phrased] and I just found N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to be--to steal a Letterman joke--L.A.M.E.
Blackhawk: Pretty much agreed. It wasn't even on my mind to purchase this, but the preview pages looked fun, so I downloaded it.
Flash: I'm glad Barry Allen's back, and I really hope he's the only Flash in this universe. I'm tired of legacy characters, and I honestly consider Allen one of the most important characters in the history of DC. I also just happened to like this comic even if it's not breathtakingly unique or original. Still: I think I'm a little confused about what his rep is supposed to be, because unlike Titans, it looked like most people seemed to respect him whereas in some other DCnU titles superheroes as a whole are feared and hated. I think. I'm starting to wonder if it was really hammered out.
Voodoo #1: I'll admit I'm a real pervert and a part of me--a very small part of me--loved the idea of a stripper super-heroine. The problem is that the rest of me thought there wasn't much of a point to it, the heroine wasn't as appealing as I remembered her (a few issues of WildC.A.T.S. and a few episodes of the TV series), the blond chick was more interesting, and the ending sucked and was actually a little disturbing. That part of me didn't like it either. :-(
Superman #1: This was pretty good and while there's very little original about it, I liked it. I'd really like to know when we're gonna find out what--if any--purpose or significance that stupid costume.
I agree that their not being together because of the time/universe thing wasn't offensive like Spider-Man's thing; and I could actually go either way. What I found pretty interesting is that I was discussing it with my dad and he was actually GLAD it went back to the way it was, not that he was furious that their marriage ended, but he felt--and I kinda agree--that the unrequited love is a huge part of the story.
Like the Flash's new first issue, this isn't anything unforgettable and it rides a fine line between generic and quintessential; but I was entertained and felt like I was reading a good ole Superman story.
Justice League Dark: Most of it was hard to follow and the name wreaks of "let's MODERNIZE this by way of two decades ago!" What I did like was that there was a big epic battle between Superman, Wonder Woman & Cyborg and some mystical blah blah blah force. Good ole '80s/'90s epic fighting some big ole POS with the same mindset as a five-year-old crashing his toys together going, "gsh! gsh!" and the art makes them look truly gorgeous.
I didn't understand the rest.
Finally: I'm tired of people making a meal out of the differences between Marvel & DC. The idea that DC = one thing and Marvel = the other is an old idea and doesn't add up to much.
A fan
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing the DC re-launch, it was very informative. I have to say I was a little surprised by your Catwoman review. I assumed you would totally hate it.
I do agree with you about Marvel for the most part, however if you are thinking about dipping into Marvel a little bit, Remender is probably their best writer. He writes Uncanny X Force and Venom. Both are excellent books. Remender's Venom isn't a 90s anti hero story, so give it a shot its only on issue 7...
Also FF has been pretty good.
I just have to say avengers academy is the best marvel title out now IMO. Great story arcs, and characters. I admit i was hesitant at first, but having giant man as a teacher drew me in. Now I'm hooked to the series. So glad you gave a shot. I know I'll be sticking around for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this series. The relaunch happens to have come right when I was interested in comics and finally have a job, so I want to try a few of these series out. I'm not sure exactly which ones I'll try (though I'm pretty sure JLI will be one of them), but I'll keep your suggestions in mind when deciding.
ReplyDeleteBatman: The Dark Knight #1: This was the weakest of the Batman books as far as I am concerned. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't as engaging as the other 3. I am going to give it an issue or two more, but who knows.
ReplyDeleteAquaman #1: My view on Aquaman is worse then that. It is based on OTHER people's opinion of the Superfriends cartoon, I don't remember that show airing in Canada (it may have but I never saw it in a guide or ad). I never read much DC when I was younger anyway, so I never searched for it. So this was literally my first Aquaman comic ever.
I LOVED THIS! This was by far the best intro to a character in all the books I read. It was funny, meta, well drawn and had a great setup for the rest of the story. If you haven't read it, go get it!. I am a little upset with the cover. It has nothing to do with the actual events of the cover, but Aquaman sitting in a booth, may have hurt sales :p
All-Star Western #1: Here is my previous knowledge of Jonah Hex: Badass name, horrible movie. I was impressed with this book (and was it just me, or was it one of the longest?). I like the setting and the characters. However, the art annoyed me a little bit. The backgrounds (especially people) lacked definition and looked very flat. In the first panel with Arkham, he seems 2D, he does gain definition in close ups, but it annoyed me. I get that detail is hard in background, but there should have been a little more for some of them. I also found it a little annoying that he said "Ah" instead of "I". I get it, I know the point, but I just wish they used it less. Personal preference.
The Flash #1: I have barely read any Flash in the past, so I am coming in essentially new. Overall, I found this a bit boring. It wasn't bad, just didn't engage me. Hopefully that will change, but I don't know.
Superman #1: I agree with you. I preferred this over Action Comics #1. It was a well done story. After re-reading it, I wished that the first page was the same, but the 8th panel didn't have the explosion. I think it would have been more effective if page #2 was the old Daily Planet building exploding and page 3 would have been the new one. Granted the exposition in the area, would have been a pain to fit in, but it would have been great to see side by side.
And on the whole That's All I'm Saying concept. I am a returning reader. I hope I can keep it up and haven't just gotten soaked up in marketting. However, just so you know this had an impact, without your comments, I would have never read: Batwoman, Demon Knights, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps or Justice League International. I certainly didn't have the exact same opinion as you on them, but I don't regret purchasing any of them. So this show hasn't been in vain and thanks for all the time and effort you put into everything!
On a complete side note: Linkara, how are you doing finding the hidden person in all 52? I am having trouble with Batgirl, but the rest I read were pretty easy.
First, I'll say go audio only except where you have a point where getting across your opinion, and why you feel that way, needs the visuals. The Amanda Waller thing in Suicide Squad comes across as a good example for me. Maybe just a static eyecatch or title card throughout, such as Jesuotaku has been doing for Fruits Basket, for those of us who will just full screen the "video" anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, now, I only picked up two books this week, All-Star Western and Justice League Dark.
I agree that All-Star Western was really good. The use of Arkham as the viewpoint character was a nice touch, providing us the cultural lens of that period to view Hex through. That said, for me I had some mood whiplash from his depiction here vs what I know of him from playing Arkham Asylum. Some of the name dropping towards the end of the book left me in a frantic state of googling to find out if any of them have significant decedents outside the obvious two.
Justice League Dark is likely this continuity's version of the Sentinels of Magic, and it looks like it'll be one wild ride. I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out and don't really mind a slow start for such a disparate group. Like Demon Knights this is one I'll definitely be sticking with, but you're right it is one everyone will just have to make up their own mind on for a variety of reasons.
Being a new reader to comics, your videos have helped me pick which of the new 52 I should be checking out. Really just want to say thanks and look forward to your future videos.
ReplyDeleteI've really been enjoying TAIS. While I greatly enjoy the DC universe, my experience is 100% from the various tv shows, movies, Atop the 4th Wall and wikipedia. While I wasn't looking at completely jumping into buying comics, I was looking at simply finding a series to pick up with the relaunch where I could read along with other DC readers. However, I'm quite disappinted with how much of the series is sorta keeping continuity from the old continuity. What's the point of rebooting the continuity if you're going to keep some of it and not tell the readers what you keeping and what you're changing. It's more frustrating than jumping into the middle of a series, because in the middle of a series you can at least ask a friend or check the internet for what happened. I've also been turned off by all of the new costume designs. Still, I might pick up Blue Beatle or JLI as those two seemed the most interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteAlso I love seeing the covers for TAIS as it does give a small feel for the comic to go with your commentary.
I'm kinda surprised that you prefer the 90s Aquaman to his classic self
ReplyDeleteThought you weren't a fan of the EXTREME look
Series that won me over:
ReplyDeleteAction Comics
Red Lanterns
Aquaman
Wonder Woman
Justice League Dark
Swamp Thing
Animal Man
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Demon Knights
Stormwatch
series I still need to make-up my mind about:
Justice League International
I, Vampire
Suicide Squad
Blackhawks
Men of War
All-Star Western
Also, keep the covers, but you don't need to scan the pages
I quite enjoyed Voodoo, I liked it because I felt that the TnA was earned. The main character is a stripper and that isn't a fault with the relaunch that has to do with the original comics. Also as we are shown the TnA, we are introduced to the villain of the comic who is a man (called Tyler Evans) watching the show.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading this I didn't feel that women were objectified for our pleasure, I felt that these women had to put themselves in a position to be objectified due to the world around them. If this comic didn't have the scene with the strippers talking to each other, then I probably would've agreed that this was a bad comic. However this scene added context, it showed that the strippers weren't there because they thought it was fun to strip, but because they needed the money. Also this scene showed that the main character doesn't belong.
The lap dancing scene showed me that since the character is a woman the villain thought that he could just threaten her and she would cave. Here she took control away from him even though he never realized it, he tries to touch her, so she binds his hands to the chair. He starts to threaten her so she kills him. Also we find out that she is psychic so we know that as she is dancing for him she is learning all of his secrets, she isn't dancing for him she is dancing for her own reasons and that to me makes her a strong character.
I love your videos, I do feel that we have vastly different tastes. That is the main reason I watch your That's All I'm Sayings. Also I gotta say it I love your Power Rangers retrospective. Keep up the good work.
I really liked Justice League Dark. As a reader interested to read more Vertigo this is right up my ally. Also I disagree with Zatanna's new costume, yes her previous one is classy and classic but this is the Vertigo team and whenever she appeared in a Vertigo book she felt out of place with her. So im really interested in this book.
ReplyDeleteThis being the second time it's come up in New 52, I have to wonder if this new N.O.W.H.E.R.E organization is new, or if it might be a rehashing or revisioning of the one of the same name from Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol...
ReplyDeleteKid Flash should be dead after that explosion, that Red Robin wing should kill him when he try to scape and fly the first time (remember Kick-Ass comic book and movie ???), and if not - because after all this is a comic book, this guys are superheroes,some suspension of disbelief allowed a little bit of stretch in the laws of physics sometimes but preferable not all the time specially with non-superpowered characters - the mech helicopter from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. should be hit Tim Drake IN THE HEAD AND SHATTERED HIS WINGS INTO PIECES how didn't you notice that ???
ReplyDeleteWondergirl doesn't want to be called Wondergirl, she goes from kickass to emo frightened in a matter of seconds and nothing in walking/flying Dead Robin should convince her to join him in a team, he is trying to hard to be a bad ass and fails miserably, and don't forget she looks more sexually exploited in that jump suit and jewels than Starfire and Starfire has an explanation for her own outfit and behavior SHE IS A F#%%CKING ALIEN !!! Meanwhile our blondie little hood winked suffer from minor psychological issues and uses magical artifacts that made her nearly invulnerable, she need to be in this team ? NO! This team need her ? YES, because if she leaves everybody who should be dead already must be dead in the next issue ! Kid Flash may heal faster i give you that but he behaves like a moron, he is no Wolverine and i don't want to see if he heal from a bullet shot on the head because that just stupid, Scott Lobdell SUCKS this time and Tim Drake is not in any sense Jason Todd.
Dear Lewis Lovhaug,
you Sir are being unnecessarily and unusually kind on your TAIS, things are meant to be burn at this show despite the fact we still are at the first issues and it's ok if the TAIS are just a preview for what might be burn in the actual show in the future but your ability to use the force, the ranger medalion, the hat or whatever you use is clearly deminished and out focus, please give more time to your self in the future to process all plot holes and misdirections in this comics. You still are the best in what you do but like Bart Allen's character behavior in my opinion you are going too fast for what should be a wit thinking reviewer.
P.S. for DC Comics: YOU SUCKS !!!
While I still enjoy Marvel's output, I too have found myself preferring DC, if only for things like their events having more effort put into them (and not being cop-outs with things like alternate universes that don't pan out, like House Of M) and because the citizens of the DC Universe seem less stupid and hero-hating. Marvel's citizens can pretty much be classified under one of these phrases:
ReplyDelete"Look-ee here, it's one of them muties! Git'um!"
"You crushed my car when fighting that supervillain, you asshole!"
"Help, help, even though hero/villain fights happen everyday I'm still shocked and have no idea what to do when these things start!".
Of course, that's not including the supporting casts for most books, for obvious reasons.
"Why so many Batman books? It's Batman. He does have a new movie coming out next year too."
And if you follow the DC Animated Original movies line, he has another two: his appearance in the adaptation of the ever-so-wonderful JLA: Tower Of Babel storyline (being given a crappy title JLA: Doom) and The Dark Knight Returns (two TDKR's next year, who'da thunk it)
"
And I think Kid Flash is suppose to be Wally... I may be wrong of course... But I recently started watching the new Young Justice cartoon, and this Kid Flash acts just like the one from the show, who is Wally West..."
Still could be Bart Allen, though. And I may need to rewatch these videos at some point but is Jay Garrick still around?
"Actually, if I recall correctly, DC has said that Batman, unlike most of his fellows, has been around for TEN years not five.
Still stupid for five Robins in ten years, buuuut..."
Not sure if its been confirmed or not but apparently one of the minor changes to the Batman continuity is that there have only been four Robins. No prizes (and no Marvel No-Prizes) for guessing who's no longer an "official" Robin if it is indeed true...
Also, Linkara, if you want to just make this audio, I have no problem with it.
So are you going to look at the X-men reluanch?
ReplyDeleteIt only two #1 and the rest of the x-titles are steping on points
I have a theory about Superman's armor, maybe it is used not to protect Superman, but to give him a more durable costume. After all, he the old costume did go through a hell of a lot of punishment and all that was, was fabric. Again this is just a theory and I could be wrong, but it just seem like the most logical reason for Superman to have armor. Anyway great video as always Linkara and looking forward to seeing more in the near future.
ReplyDeleteAvengers Academy is a great read from Marvel, dude. I'm glad you picked it up because I want to say it's like Teen Titans but it isn't. It's sort of got the teen heroes learning from the older generation of heroes and two former New Warriors. However, it has its own thing because the characters are very much sketchy of each other at first. They also have one thing in common. I'll let you find out what that is. No spoilers from me, sir. Enjoy the trades when you can. It's a great read and you won't be disappointed.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the DC titles go, I'll probably check out this Superman title. Perhaps because he's more established in that book rather than in Action Comics. We'll see. Flash seems okay from what you say and I might check that out as well.
Now, about the show. Keep at it! Comic fans old and new want to hear about your take on various comics. Your quick reviews on the DC relaunch have been very good at helping me, a total Marvelite, figure out what's great about the Distinguished Competition. You and others helped me figure out this whole DC relaunch and you should definitely keep this up.
New comic readers value outside opinions from professionals. That's why they go to sites like Newsarama and CBR. However, you give everything a voice. Something that says "Hey! This comic is (insert adjective here)"
They listen to you. They listen to every comic reviewer out there to get a broader scope of a title. Then, when they read it, they can form their own opinion.
Atop the Fourth Wall is a great platform for the reviews of comics. This video series is a great supplement like Doug's real reviews after every bum review lately.
Keep it up. Podcast or not, this is still great.
Thank you for the recommendations. Although, I don’t like to buy individual issues because I prefer to have a complete storyline, so I’m going to wait for the trade paperbacks to come out. The main DC material I think I will keep track of are Green Lantern, Blue Beetle, Teen Titans, and anything Batman related. Justice League, in general, is still a mix for me I don’t know why.
ReplyDeleteWith the whole Marvel or DC thing I normally prefer the characters I can relate to, because I feel it aids in immersing the reader into the story; however, from what I’ve seen recently, it appears DC has the more interesting stories. For me the better story is what wins me.
By the way, I lost count, how many secret organizations are there now?
Good morning, Linkara.
ReplyDeleteSo, looking forward to Frank Miller's "Holy Terror"?
Just messin' with you, sir.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for the video.
Like the show, though seeing as how I watch/listen at work so I can pick up stuff I may have missed at lunch, I wouldn't mind it being just audio
ReplyDeleteI personally listen to this like a podcast, so it wouldn't matter to me either way. Keep up the good work Linkara!
ReplyDeleteWell Linkara I just wanna say you did effect me on both ends of the spectrum here. On one hand you got me to pick up Mr. Terrific, on the other you bashed Red Hood which while as a stand alone is pretty bad I feel should get a few more issues if only so Starfire can either develop into the Starfire you know, or that since Jason was the one that said it he may have gotten it wrong and Starfire is more repressing the memories. If either happens I'd be happy considering I didn't know a thing about comic Starfire until you and LAG reviewed the comic.
ReplyDeleteHi Linkara,
ReplyDeleteI agree with most others here, that I'd like this show to continue. And I'd keep the style, too. The covers, plus some panels or stuff to outline some details or side notes, are perfect to give visual info, while concentrating on what you have to say.
I, personally, COULD listen to this as a podcast, but I'm not sure, whether I'd maintain any focus on it or listen to it while actually doing other stuff - and subsequently not listening to it really.
About this weeks comic books I can't yet say anything, as they will arrive on Friday, hopefully. But I have been following TAIS and picked up some books I otherwise would have not even looked into - Frankenstein and Demon Knights, for example.
Plus, it's nice to get some details about the changes and the history, about which I know little to nothing.
Keep this going!
Weighing in on the watching vs. listening thing. (I usually watch your stuff directly over at bliptv and comment there.) I've been half watching with my computer on while doing other things like cooking and glancing over at the screen when something interests me. I like having some visuals, but if it's easier for you (and I imagine it would be) to do it without, it wouldn't bother me. I also will try not to correct you on anything that is possibly corrected in the video aspect. (Though I tend not to correct anyhow.)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of the relaunch yet... been waiting for what you and others have had to say. I'm kind of disappointed with the lack of Wally. He's one of my favorite characters. (Unless like someone in the comments said the Teen Titans' KF is Wally... in which case, hmm...)
Thanks for all of this.
I have been reading comics since the early 80s. One thing that the relaunch did was reinvigorate my passion for comics in general. Something that hasn't happened in a decade or more. I haven't read every title yet (and I don't know if I will) but here is my list in order:
ReplyDelete1. OMAC
2. Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE
3. Animal Man
4. Aquaman
5. Teen Titans
6. Red Lantern
7. Justice League
8. Stormwatch
9. Fury of Firestorm
10. Legion of Superheros
11. Hawk and Dove
12. Suicide Squad
13. Red Hood and the Outlaws
I will give them all three issues., except Red Hood and the Outlaws. That one is just disappointing.
You may wonder about OMAC, why do I like it so much. I know this comic is doomed, if it last 12 issues I will be surprised. However, this comic reminds of when I first starting reading comics. The method of telling the "story" is outdated, and probably was never that good. The action comes first in the older comics (at least a good portion of them). Unbeknowst to me, I miss that. I miss old issues of Hulk, where he smashes his way through the Hulkbusters. Where each issue, was more or less self contained, and the overall plot happened in the other panels, "filler" ones that I skimmed through as a child. I think that OMAC has a chance of being a great comic, with humor and action. But I don't think it is written for current audience, I think it is written for a handful of people. It just has so much energy. Oh well, the list of comics I like that were cancelled before the 14th issue is very long indeed.
Good Reading!
I couldn't find another way to contact you so I figured I'd ask here since this is your weekly "my thoughts on stuff I buy" show. Can you buy an issue of my comic?
ReplyDeleteI do a little preview of it here on Youtube. It is a #2 but basically it is a #1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMSiW4gL5q4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
ReplyDeleteLewis, please, stop saying "subsequently".
"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk
ReplyDeleteLewis, please, stop saying "subsequently"."
Subsequently, NEVAR.
...Also, as has been stated, these are quickly written - I don't usually proofread them after I write. XD Any time I run into a grammar mistake or I notice something I need to rethink it on the spot and then continue.
If this ends up getting me into comics it would be entirely because of the digital distribution. In fact since most of my experience with comic universe is spending large amounts of time reading Wikipedia if anything the reboot would just confuse me. In fact, I'm far more interested in superheros for the legacies they create than the day to day bad guys they have to defeat.
ReplyDeleteAbout the marvel vs DC thing. I like characters who are both relate-able and can be looked up to. I like it when the character is deeply human, and believably flawed, but still steps up, does the right thing, and shows the best of humanity. I feel these characters are less easy to write, since they actually have to be believable and 3D, but they can be found in both Marvel and DC.
Please keep this visual, I love looking at the covers and excepts
ReplyDeleteAcademy things you may have missed:
ReplyDelete1) Hazmat has digimon in her room.
2) Mettle was actually a meme on 4chan before the book began. They pasted his face from a teaser image onto other character's heads with funny results.
3) Gage incorporates much of what the fans talk about online in the book.
I would rather you still added in the visuals to these rather then made them audio only if you still wanted my two bits.
ReplyDeleteThe old cartoon is not the only reason people find Aquaman useless I've read more than a few Justice League comics where he didn't do much, though I guess I should give this version a shot. I'm kind of sad you didn't go into detail with Batman Dark Knight #1, I wanted to hear your thoughts on "One Face" and the character me and my friends have come to call "Slut Bunny"!
If you keep the visuals, (which I have no strong preference for either way), try to leave them up for a bit longer. They are difficult to read when they only flash on screen for a few seconds.
ReplyDelete-Dom
http://www.cracked.com/article_19446_the-6-most-wtf-special-edition-comics-ever-released.html
ReplyDeleteBefore I comment on this episode could you take a look at this and see if any of these comics sound like AT4W matterial!?
The whole thing with the Green Lanterns is one thing I keep bringin gup about the relaunch that bothers me is if a lot of things have been undone how could alot of things they're keeping have happened if a tie in event no longer happened... you know what I mean!?
I'm sorry if I was repeting anything you've heard a 100 times in the last video!
On Voodoo I did read and watch the WildC.A.T.s comics and cartoon and her powers are basically a weaker version of Jean Grey. A psychic and she's got some sort of 2nd sight that allows her to see threw alien disguises and this also allowed her to Exorcize parasitic aliens from people's bodies that was pretty much it. Later was trained to fight by her teammates to make her more active in fights. Also, in the comic she's the decindent of an alien that crashlanded on Earth 1000s of years ago and isn't aware of this until she's attack at a stripclub by the evil aliens that want to kill her because she can be used by the good ones to hunt them. Sorry again if I'm like the 100th person to tell that.
Well, you've convinced me to look into Aquaman! And, you've now confermed Hawkman as his new replacement as the useless superhero stereotype!
Who was all on that Justice League Dark?
I still say a good Wildstorm comic for you to pickup and read the trades of is Planetary. It's mostly a good Nostalgia ride if you've read old school comics and pulps or watch old school monster and ghost movies from the 50s-70s! The 1st freaking issues features the team investigating a Monster Island(Godzilla) analogue!
I wish I had more people to back me on this!
OK, I'm done for now until I Think of something else!
Not to pick a fight or anything but I totally disagree with you on Superman #1. I thought Clark seemed really whiny and out-of-character for most of the issue (except when he points out to the bandits that it's really in their best interest to throw away their weapons as he flies their truck out of danger).
ReplyDeleteA recommendation for you (that you've probably gotten a dozen times already) ... Ultimate Spider-Man has been really great since the relaunch, tackling issues like law abidance vs. morality, justice, and fairness from the viewpoint of a young teenager. It's not the sort of swashbuckling adventure that you seem to lean toward - at least not yet - but it's still very good.
Huh, no-ones commented on this yet? Alright.
ReplyDeleteChad Rocco did a Familiar Faces on Jonah Hex a month or two back. it was quite a good episode.
That last scene in Superman with Clark moping over Lois' new boyfriend was ridiculous. That was more appropriate for Ultimate Spider-Man than it is for Superman. Overall, while I found the commentary on the dying new business to be interesting (though not enough to base a whole series upon,) the rest felt uninspired. The threat was vague and unimpressive, some of Superman's dialogue felt like it belonged in the 70s and overall it felt like everything wrong with the concept.
ReplyDeleteI figure they're rebooting him because it's hard for new readers to relate to him, right? Other than the Clark scenes, I found this Superman was even harder to relate to than the previous one. He's distant, has the aforementioned odd dialogue and just feels outdated. Now the Action Comics Superman may be young and brash but he's also a new and exciting interpretation. Action gives you a lot to look forward to, as we'll see Superman face his rogues for the first time, see his powers grow and watch him become a hero. Superman leaves you feeling like Superman is going to mope and whine some more, maybe while battling some weird elemental monsters nobody cares about.
The other books i picked up this week were Flash, Aquaman, Teen Titans and GL: New Guardians. I found Aquaman to be the perfect new readers book, wish more were like it. Flash was well done but I don't care for Barry. Same for Titans, the decompressed storytelling and SHEILD rip-off organization are interesting to no one but Lobdell. GL was great because I'm a huge Kyle fan but it made little sense to new readers. First Ganthet is the lone survivor of the GL Corps then not only are GLs all back but there are other ring colors too?
Oh come on, Lewis. You know they're seeing the captions... people on the internet just can't READ. Duh :D
ReplyDeleteRegarding Fury of Firestorm:
ReplyDeleteI also thought that the issue was shockingly dark. Far darker than anything I'd ever read by Gail Simone. Since this book has two writers, I'm willing to bet that Ethan Van Sciver is doing most of the plotting for the book while Gail works more on the dialogue and character development. Ethan's art certainly features the same type of darkness and meanness that this story exhibits. It's a bit early to tell whether or not that type of collaboration can work, but hopefully it will get a bit less grim 'n gritty as it progresses.
Oh, I forgot to weigh in on the video/podcast issue: I LIKE the video format. It allows us to see the art inside the books. I had no intention of picking up All Star Western, but the art impressed me (plus I love Arkham stories.) Keep it the way it is?
ReplyDeleteUnsolicited Marvel reccomendation: Try Warren Ellis' Secret Avengers #16 (only a month old.) He's telling single issue stories with Steve Rogers teaming up with different heroes each issue (Beast and Moon Knight in issue #16.) You don't need to know much and Ellis' writing of super-science is something to behold. Each issue feels like an epic adventure. No "trade writing" here.
Dear Linkara,
ReplyDeleteI have been watching all of the TAIS, episodes and I wonder why haven't you mentioned the hooded girl. In that scene in flashpoint where that hooded girl speaks, she has appeared in all first issues of the original 52. eg. Superman pg. 3 by yellow globe, Batman pg.1 by fire drum, All star western saloon scene center right.
What do you think this means?
Also what are your feelings about in Superman is says read stormwatch #1 to continue the story. This seems out of place for a relaunch. Anyway first time commenting I like your stuff.
Thank you in advance for responding
quick question...why metamorpho its in justice league dark?... isnt he from justice league europe/west coast/etc?
ReplyDelete"I have been watching all of the TAIS, episodes and I wonder why haven't you mentioned the hooded girl. In that scene in flashpoint where that hooded girl speaks, she has appeared in all first issues of the original 52. eg. Superman pg. 3 by yellow globe, Batman pg.1 by fire drum, All star western saloon scene center right.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think this means?"
As I said on Twitter a while ago, I haven't mentioned her because she hasn't DONE anything. Simply playing Where's Waldo with her is fun, but when she actually contributes something of value, I'll mention her.
Thanks for the response these are my first comics and I am enjoying them very much
ReplyDeleteI've loved your reviews of the #1s, so thanks for that. I'm glad you're continuing the series as I like hearing your thoughts as it helps shed light on my own ideas.
ReplyDeleteI am curious Marvel-wise if you've looked at Peter David's X-Factor. It's a fun run from start to finish mercifully short on crossovers(and what are there don't require getting gummed up in the rest of the X-verse.) It's been a great run (though some parts better then others.) And I've really enjoyed the level of creativity PAD has put into the series, w/Madrox's evolved powers, making a real character out of Dues ex Layla Miller, and even making Longshot and Shatterstar fun and interesting. I"d highly recommend checking them out if you haven't.
You're doing a great job. I really don't care if it's a video or it's entirely in audio. It's still enjoyable and informative to watch anything from you Linkara :).
ReplyDeleteTo be honest to you i've been listening to these as audios recently but i've been doing that with a lot of your vids at the moment. I do appreciate the scans though as examples of the artwork and try to view them when given the chance.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for letting us know they managed not to screw up Superman and Aquaman.
Hey Linkara! Loved the video, your'e one of my favourites on Thatguywiththeglasses.com & I thought that speech you made at the end was great stuff. It's weird, I'm not really a Marvel or DC guy. Well okay, I generally go for Marvel simply because of characters like X-Men, Spider-Man, She-Hulk & Ms.Marvel & that there continuity as of now is much clearer.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to ask you some questions (by the way, feel free to skip through any questions you find stupid):
In your review of Teen Titans #1 by Judd Winick, you said when Roy Harper was attacked, that it was just like the old days where Roy Harper never got any respect as the fifth member & that your nostalgia was actually indigestion. What did you mean by that? Where you referring to Devin Grayson's run or Marv Wolfman's? And did he seriously not get ANY respect!? Not even from Donna Troy?
Secondly, why are you a feminist?
I also remember your reviews of Captain Planet & Superman 4. While I don't agree with you on nuclear weapons (not exactly anyway), I respect your opinion & do admit that it is an awful film regardless(although I still think Superman 3 is worse). What I wanted to ask you is; how do you feel about social commentary in superhero comics? Do you think they were good in Watchmen & The Dark Knight Returns, but shouldn't be in comics any more? Or do you not mind as long as they are subtle? Also: what are your views on multiethnic superhero teams, or changing a character's race or gender? Like a black Spider-Man, or a female Captain America, or Betty Ross being hit by gamma rays & turning into the Hulk instead of Bruce Banner? Do you think it's okay if it's done too much? Or do you think it's just pointless & that a new, similar character should be created instead?
And do you think the same thing about redesigning costumes or characters?
In your review of Athena #1, you criticised the artist making Athena curvy instead of muscular, but isn't it good to have curvy superheroines in this day & age of size zero? And don't models work out to keep themselves so thin?
As much as I agree with you on Mary Jane & Spider-Man & Lois Lane & Superman, wouldn't Mary Jane & Lois Lane's lack of powers complicate the relationship by making them more vulnerable to villains?
Have you read any other manga other than Steam Detectives & Pet Shop Of Horrors? Also, you mentioned Pokemon in your review of Game Boy #1. When are you going to talk about it?
Oh by the way, Zarda is from the superhero team Squadron Supreme, Marvel's "subversive" take on DC's Justice League that first appeared in the 70's.She basically served as the psychotic Wonder Woman of the group.
I have a suggestion for a comic: Marvel Team-Up #107,featuring Spider-Man & The Savage She-Hulk. It's supposed to be really long & deal with feminism by having Spidey & She-Hulk fight militant feminists. Spiderman calls She-Hulk gorgeous & She-Hulk dosen't appear until more than half way through the issue. She-Hulk does save the day though. Sorry for the spoiler.
Before I go, I want to ask you have you heard of Misfits or Black Orchid?
Thanks, for getting me into comics, keep up the good work!
P.S: Just for fun, which Marvel/DC character would you like to see gender bended?
P.P.S: Is it wrong for me to not like Doctor Who that much even though I'm British?
Do just audio
ReplyDeleteI've mainly just been listening to this new series, but that's because I use it as background listening while I do homework.
ReplyDeleteWith Superman having armor I can slightly see why,the character over the years has been made weaker not completely indestructible like he used to be however another theory I might have with it is it protects him from Kryptonite and possibly what another commenter pointed out with how his fabric costume always got blown up to nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I don't get is what you pointed out,alot of these stories start out where another one left off,like Hal Jordan being no longer a lantern after saving the entire universe from a ROGUE GREEN LANTERN but my biggest complaint is with how Static Shock #1 was started. Like Hawkman it feels like it started out in the middle of a story arch and to be honest the only reason why I feel like I'm semi not alienated from the current story is by seeing the Static Cartoon series and researching the character's comic history on Wikipedia...But probably my main complaint out of how Static's story is still being continued besides what I stated above is at the end of Issue 1 of the new Static is VIRGIL'S HAND GETS SHOT OFF WHILE HE IS IN THE AIR FLYING...he just got his Powers Back because of Flashpoint and Issue 1 End HE BECOMES USELESS that just...made me rage a little it's like they reverse The Red Arrow to Static or some weird crap like that with who loses one's arm and all..
The one thing I have found about comic books recently is that opinions tend to widely differ on comics, unless they are truly horrendous or truly great. And thank you for getting me into comics, I may not agree with your opinions but I have found plenty of titles I like and will continue reading (though they all basically exist in the darker parts of the new DCU).
ReplyDeleteAnd for future videos like this, just keep it audio only since people usually listen to it like a podcast. Hell, people do that all the time with Spoony's and Brad's vlogs. It's just easier for everyone this way
I made the following point on my blog earlier this month:
ReplyDeleteHere is the inherent problem with the "logic" of a universe-wise reboot making it easier for new fans to jump in. After all of the characters have been rebooted, years will pass and those characters will develop years of history.
So as the years pass, the reason for the reboot becomes more and more irrelevant.
Furthermore, Marvel has had the same universe for 50 years and has never needed a universe-wide reboot. Just that one Spider-Man story we don't talk about.
@Lewis Lovhaug being a huge, batman, and Nightwing fan I was wondering that myself, The only thing that makes relative since is;
ReplyDeleteDick was 15 when her became Robin, and 18-19 when he became Nightwing.
Than we got Jason, who was Robin for a year or two, then died. Than we had Tim, and and now, Damian.
I'm guessing Brown never happened (?) But that could just be me.
I think what it is with Justice League Dark is that it's probably going to be like All-Star Western or Demon Knights in that while it will have an audience, it won't be for everyone. I personally thought it was the best of the week in DC, barring the odd writing with the whole "Sups, Wondy, and Cyborg vs. the sentient teeth" thing, but I get how you say it is weird.
ReplyDeleteAs for your opinion on DC over Marvel, I get what you're saying, but I honestly think it should come down to story telling. While Marvel has some decent storylines going, it scares me off because one of its main writers is the comic writer I despise the most, Mark Millar. With the exception of Superman: Red Son, I don't think there is one comic he's written that I at least found okay. Always wondered what your opinion on his writing is.
And I do enjoy your TAIS segment. The only friend I have that likes comics is 3000 miles away in california, so it's nice to hear other opinions.
I enjoy your thoughts on these new comics, and if I heard you right at the end, these will continue, which I think is an excellent addition to the great work you already provide as long as you have enough on your plate.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate your comments on things like the plethora of Batman comics (Marvel did the same thing with Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Deadpool) and the super-abundance of "secret societies". Hey DC, the 18th Century called, they want their pastime back.
Anyway, I look forward to more of these kinds of reviews than the "I just saw the midnight screening of an over-hyped movie that sucked and now I'm going to spend the next hour-and-a-half rambling about how badly it sucked" kind of video.
I still lament for Aquaman's reputation. I'm more used to the Justice League incarnation, but I still found myself sitting through Cartoon Network promos about how useless the guy is. I'm sure that the new Brave and the Bold cartoon will have at least some impact on his generation with new viewers, but I wouldn't count on it.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that boggles me is how the Flash has gotten away with this. In Superfriends, every hero could only be identified by their powers. The Flash, for the most part, was basically the guy who ran really fast. I haven't seen the show in a long time, so I can't tell if he was faster than Superman, but I doubt the fast guy really caught on with the kids. Thankfully, we later got the Justice League version, which was simply amazing.
I got JLA dark Hawkman and Firestorm this week and liked them all. I had the same problem with hawkman as you but JLA dark was cool to me. The only thing I didn't care for is was the way it was framed with madame xanadus tarot cards. And about the costumes, it would have been great if the firestorms each kept their original costumes, they both said a lot about who they were and these new ones are a lot goofier. Of course the idea that they don't fuse together is another case of the characters losing an aspect that make them interesting (fury is a new being). Oh well will still read all these and pick up aquaman as well ^_^.
ReplyDeleteI'd say keep the current style, and just show a panel to illustrate your points. Thanks for the Demon Knights recommendation too, managed to grab the last copy in-store, and it's one of the few I'll keep reading.
ReplyDeleteAnd just to add to the Robins issue: How old is Damien now? If he's the same age, that sounds like it throws out the old origin, unless pre-Batman Bruce somehow stumbled into an al Ghul camp, knocked up Talia, left without getting beheaded and they just guessed he was Batman years later.
Great to see you enjoyed this week's issues so much :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of your verdicts (based on the ones I've read. I can't afford 52 issues I'm afraid^^), except for Firestorm.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that, I thought it was great.
As for why Ronnie attacked Jason: I think he was just incredibly shocked at what happened to him.
I'll freely admit that I'm not that knowledgeable about pre-reboot Firestorm so I might be way off base here, but as I understand it, he isn't just another humanoid hero whose head happens to be on Fire (as if that wouldn't be disdressing enough ;). His enire body structure, down to the molecular level seems to be entirely different. He's pretty much a human mind inside a nuclear reaction.
One can only imagine what that feels like. Ronny even asks "Are we even human anymore", suggesting that the difference is severe enough to be felt immediately even by someone who has no clue about the science behind it.
So with that in mind I think it is pretty understandable that he freaks, momentarily forgets all about the comparatively pedestrian problem of "guys with guns" and instead lashes out at a guy who he doesn't like to begin with and who has now turned him into something he can't even begin to understand.
Last but not least: I'd have no problem whatsoever if you kept future episodes audio only. In fact I'd prefer it, because then I could treat it as a podcast and listen to it on the go without having to worry about missing anything.
Personally, I WATCH your videos. I enjoy seeing previews of the art for the comic. I'd understand if you wanted to turn this show into a podcast, though, just to save time. Alternatively, you could play a sound effect every time there's an on-screen correction, so perhaps more people would pay attention.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving this series so far. I prefer having physical copies of comics to the digital variety, but live nowhere near a comic book shop. I actually order my comics from the other side of the country, and this series has helped me figure out what to subscribe to, since it takes so long for my comics to arrive and for me to find the time to read them when they do. I don't want to miss out! I love all your recs so far. :)
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the visuals in this series. There were a few details I'd forgotten from previous issues, and the pictures helped jog my memory. That, and I think your visual jokes are pretty funny.
All in all, great series, and I'm looking forward to more.
Side note: Hah! I knew I, Vampire and Voodoo would suck! So glad I didn't pull those...
I was talking to the owner at my local comic shop about your brief review of the new 52 the day before this video. When I was predicting this bundle of books I said " The one he won't like/care for is going to be Voodoo" and I was completely right to be fair though at least she keeps her job a secret (looks at Stripperella in shame) Also I said to them B:TDK didn't need to exist DC could have given that spot to The Doom patrol or the Outsiders (at least with Outsiders you could get one more drop for a Batbook) They're a group of heroes who could have gotten a interesting #1 DC you guys aren't short of characters to use. Also glad you enjoyed a Marvel book for once now I would tell you to check out Secret warriors but from Lupa review of Nick Fury I know you wouldn't care for it (even though it's AWESOME!!!) Also glad you enjoyed Aquaman.
ReplyDeletehi linkara I think you should stick with video. As I enjoy seeing the scans as you talk about them of course that is just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed this series, and want to see some more, even if you've decided to drop some of the new 52. Having said that, something bugged me. I know you probably have heard too much already about OMD, but I don't really see your thought of "People don't want to see Love Triangles with Peter Parker." I think one of the best parts of much of the Bronze age, in Spider-man books, was his personal problems, most of which surrounded his love life, and sometimes were based around love triangles. Part of the reason for this was I feel that Peter Parker's story should be just as, or more, interesting than Spider-man's, but that's my personal opinion. I do agree with you that OMD was bad, and the #1 reason I stopped picking up the books, but not because I don't care about seeing Peter Parker in love triangles, but because it makes all of the growth in Peter Parker's character more trivial. I enjoyed the fact that he grew as a character, and settled down, got a real job, (especially since I think being a High-school science teacher really suited him, even more so since we first met the character as a High-school student, it feels a bit rewarding to see it all work out like that) and I almost wish that May Parker (Aka Spider-girl) was actually in the real continuity. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I find it hard to disagree with you for hating OMD, but I don't really like your reasoning. It seems to me that you're trying to apply DC character model to a Marvel problem, since it's not that people don't want to see the more human side of Peter Parker, with relationship troubles, and love triangles, but it's that they've already seen them. Imagine how you'd feel if, instead of new stories, from the DC relaunch, you got a badly done retelling of old stories.
ReplyDeleteSo after this next Secret Origins Month, the one after will include the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and possibly the Justice League? Also, besides Red Hood and the Outlaws, are there any other comics from the New 52 that might find a spot on atop the Fourth Wall?
ReplyDeleteLoved hearing your opinions on "the New 52" relaunch.
ReplyDeleteI'll be looking forward to an epic beatdown against Catwoman 1 and Red Hood and the Outlaws 1 on future installments of Atop the Fourth Wall (and maybe surprise guest appearances by the actual comic characters). Are there any comics from the new 52 comics you're considering beating down on your show?
Hi Lewis,
ReplyDeleteAs it happens, I primarily listen to your shows (although I prefer to watch At4W episodes, when I can), these days. I wouldn't complain if you just released TAIS as audio-only, but--at a glance--it looks like there're a number of fans who would be disappointed.
If someday i write a bio you will probably be mention as the one who made me read comics first and give my opinion later.
ReplyDeleteSo far i read Superboy, Red Hood and Teen Titans, Aquaman, Flash, Voodoo, Blackhawks and New Guardians.
My opinion about Red Hood and Teen Titans didn't change, Red Hood was the kickass and Teen Titans the disappointment in my opinion and i have mixed feeling about disagree with you on that but that's ok and expected because neither you or me are infallible. Maybe each logical thinking lines must be reviewed and like i said repeated times i think you should slow down your TAIS and give more time to "digest" the events before giving your opinion, you must not be in a hurry just because of applied pressure, the only ones under pressure are DC executives.
Aquaman, Flash was flawless stories and your review was faithful to them despite personal tastes concerning the Flash, Superboy was awesome until they revealed his first mission : "KILL THE TEAM TITANS!?!?" Really ??? WHY ??? Those guys can mix human and kryptonian DNA and make clones, WHY DID THEY CARE ABOUT TEENAGERS WHO ARE NOT EVEN IN A GROUP YET ??? -in my better Spoony impersonation- COME ON!!! For a secret organization called N.O.W.H.E.R.E. you are starting to act pretty stupid, the book was near perfection until present his Achiles' heel, really Lobdell it's your time to slow down.
About Voodoo, you are a kid yet, you have a gorgeous girlfriend, you are an internet celebrity of some sort, you past Voodoo, did i mention you are on a relationship ? me too but like i said on twitter i am on Jason Todd's league and my fiancee don't care what i read unless of course she read it with me and we do that a lot at convenient places at convenient times when no one is around but at some point we just stop reading and start doing something else, speak in favor of Voodoo ( or Starfire for that matter) may ruined your reputation and nobody needs another Pewee Herman.
Like most of the average americans you have a lot issues to deal with concerning sexuality but that's just my opinion after all your last name is Lovhaug so you are probably on Hugh Hefner's League since you are born. Such a nice kid.
You give yourself away on Blackhawks, they look like a Star Trek TNG away team or something, the nanocites and other technobabble things should keep you on the hook for a few issues but for me it's already stalling, Lincoln reminds me Spoony's Squall impersonationvso there is a chance for this book became a little bit comical.
Anyway there is a lot of comics for me to read yet, thanks god i don't have to buy them all.
"About Voodoo, you are a kid yet, you have a gorgeous girlfriend, you are an internet celebrity of some sort, you past Voodoo, did i mention you are on a relationship ? me too but like i said on twitter i am on Jason Todd's league and my fiancee don't care what i read unless of course she read it with me and we do that a lot at convenient places at convenient times when no one is around but at some point we just stop reading and start doing something else, speak in favor of Voodoo ( or Starfire for that matter) may ruined your reputation and nobody needs another Pewee Herman."
ReplyDeleteI am 24 years old, I hardly qualify as a "kid." I do that with Harvey on Atop the Fourth Wall because of the relative age of Harvey's character. And I really don't appreciate the implication that there's an ulterior motive about impressing Liz by rejecting a book that's almost entirely stripteases or a vapid sextoy version of a character that I enjoyed.
Or did you miss how I'm a feminism and have spoken out about this bull before? There is no need to have a book like Voodoo #1. I have always been perplexed by books focused on T&A when we full well know they aren't going to show anything and frankly it's further boggling that they're tyring to make comic books into wanking material when there are artists out on the web who will gladly draw popular superheroes in porn situations, along with catering to every fetish conceivable on top of that. It's a superhero book, not an issue of playboy.
"Like most of the average americans you have a lot issues to deal with concerning sexuality but that's just my opinion after all your last name is Lovhaug so you are probably on Hugh Hefner's League since you are born. Such a nice kid."
My last name is Norweigan - it means leaf hill. I also don't appreciate being patted on the head like I'm five and being told "oh, so much growing to do." My objection, as with Starfire, is not with presenting sexuality, but presenting it BADLY.
"You give yourself away on Blackhawks,"
...wha?
" they look like a Star Trek TNG away team or something, the nanocites and other technobabble things should keep you on the hook for a few issues but for me it's already stalling, Lincoln reminds me Spoony's Squall impersonationvso there is a chance for this book became a little bit comical."
Eh, different opinions. Frankly, I don't see calling them a Star Trek TNG away team as an insult.
I would prefer if you did it audio only. The whole thing that turned me off this series is the disgusting Image of Batman and Catgirl. I literally Closed my browser when it showed up and nearly stopped watching AT4W Altogether. I'm sorry for being so harsh Linkara.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested if you turned this into an entirely audio production. Keep it the other way if you like, though.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I have more comics to buy! :D Definitely getting Aquaman from your recommendation, just saying.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can see why you'd want to switch to switch to audio (it IS certainly simpler to edit, and easier on you as the creator), though I'd prefer you stay in video format. I like to look at the scans to get an idea of what you're talking about (pictures are worth a thousand words, and all that).
My apologizes, i have a tendency for stirring up the pot but didn't had in any sense the intention to be rude on purpose directly or in any other way.
ReplyDeleteI honestly did missed you are in fact a feminist, that's really surprises me, i also never wissh to be condescendent with you despite a few logical and aristotelian proportional moral epitelial fiber i should be clearly missing as well a further skill and experience with english grammar.
I respect your opinion and positions as a reviewer even if i disagree with them, overreacting is something expected and should be avoided and i am clearly guilty for that part. Like i said to you before i am still a noobie and not a really good one.
The Hefner statement clearly show how ridiculous i can be most of the time rather than exposed anything from your part, so far i was thinking Lovhaug was a nickname and not your real name. So that means there really is a family named Quesada. (noted for future reference)
Don't you think compare the Blackhawks with a TNG away team an insult ? Not that i meant that but god Lord didn't you never watch SFdebris opinionated reviews ? Let me put this way : it's like calling your starship Omicron 1 a ridiculous repetitive blue-screen cromaqui that goes from nothing to nowhere and probably the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. people buy it because after all every gunship in their arsenal are remote controled bots with the artificial inteligence of a computer from James Cameron's garage sale.
Stirring up the pot ? Yes, i have just a few hopes left for the Blackhawks and so far they actually look like a mash up between Star Trek The Lost Scripts and Power Rangers Counter Terrorism Unit boldy going where no overrated budget has gone before Jack Bauer and no brighted colored rangers. (I sense your favorite rangers of all time where blue and green and also you have something against the color red)
Finishing by now(and switching for Miller's voice over narration tone), enjoy your Kid status young man, when the next generations look at the internet for guidance they will be looking at you, you are the kid all kids inspire to be despite your outdated fashion sense but don't worry you are not the only one, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet.
Linkara : Who the hell are you?
[The man faces Lewis as he walks into the light]
Sake : Nick Fury, director of T.H.E.S.C.H.W.A.R.T.Z.
Linkara: [nonchalantly] Ah. Are you not supposed to be black ?
Sake : Cuts on the budget young man, latinos are less expensive. I'm here to talk to you about the Power Rangers Inceptionative.
End Credits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD8ho3TuUyo
Very cool series you're doing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can do a little chime or beep to show that the pictures have changed on the review so that those curious can see the next picture. That way the people who want to just listen can just listen and the ones who want to see visuals can see visuals when they pop up.
Also, who's you favorite Academy kid so far?
I'm a teenager who's been into comics for some time. It started just being interested in comics and their continuity, then I started buying graphic novels, and recently I picked up Blue Beetle #1 because of the high praise you gave the series pre-relaunch.
ReplyDeleteThank you for making a comic reader of me.
Rowdy C.: Yes, Brad Meltzer wrote the "Twilight" thing, right down to the twist.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the idea behind the DC relaunch is that it isn't characters having histories that confuses non-comic fans, but the fact that the histories keep changing, as they have done now. Most people are fine with characters changing, it's when things are suddenly changed back. The Flash is a good example. The idea that Barry Allen died, and his kid sidekick Wally West, who by now is an adult, became the Flash to replace him, is easier for non-fans to understand and accept than explain "Barry Allen died, his sidekick became the Flash, then he went to a parallel universe and HIS kid sidekick suddenly aged into an adult, then died, then came back to life as a kid, the same time that Barry Allen came back to life". The constant changing and then changing back, and the constant Reconning, of the history is what puts people off comics, not simply have continuity.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can see why the visual/scanning thing might be a hassle. To be perfectly honest, I usually only listen to these, so you could probably tally me among those who would like an audio-only version.
ReplyDeleteFirstly Linkara, thank you. I wasn't intending to pick up any of the New 52 until next month, but I'ce actually ended up trying out a few this week; Demon Knights, New Guardians, JL; Dark, Blackhawks and Supergirl. I've enjoyed them all, and for now, that's functioning as my pull list (oh, and I'm one of those using digital; rural wales has few comics shops)
ReplyDeleteOn the marriage issue; hmm. I do agree with it not being as bad as OMD, but you missed one, I think (don't recall you talking about it, and can't see it mentioned)
The Flash's marriage was lost in the relaunch too. And whilst I can't find it, I'm certain I read an interview with the creator saying that his reasoning for this was the exact same stupid idea as Peter; Love Triangles FTW! :p
You know, I'm reminded of Yahtzee's words with this stuff. Why do comics need a romance sub-plot? Yeah, it shouldn't be barred, and having some sort of relationship drama can be interesting... but romantic drama? Seriously? Ever rom-com cliche is a dead trope at this point
Secondly, I'm pretty sure at least one of the new 52 writers (the Demon Knights guy) also worked on the current season of Doctor Who. As in the season with a married couple as companions. ;) Say what you will about it, but that gets points in my book.
I enjoyed your rant on the new reboot, but I always watched them too late to really comment on them. One thing I wanted to say ever since you reviewed Red Lantern #1, is that the book get better if you read Atrocitus dialogue with the Ultimate Warrior voice.
ReplyDeleteAbout Voodoo, you know what's really moronic? The secret agent guy, apparently knowing more or less what she can do, had no plan further than :
1. Get a lap-dance.
2. Give a "join us or die" ultimatum to a dangerous shape-shifting telepathic alien.
3. ????
4. Profit!
I was also pleasantly surprised with Blackhawk, but I must say, if it's so much a problem that some random dude put a picture of your logo online...then why do you paint your logo on everything you use?
Apart from that...they should have replaced Red Hood by The Intergalactic Adventures Of Vartox THE HYPER-MAN, and maybe replace one of the Batman book by, I don't know, the Atom or Power Girl or Captain Marvel or any one of DC less known yet still fun character. Oh well, overall I liked most of the new 52 and digital comic=great. I used to only buy the trades or hardcover or those dvd that Marvel released a few years back, because I don't like the classic comic format, but digital is convenient enough for me.
I would personally suggest doing an actual podcast, where I can listen to it while I'm doing other stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt would be easier for you and enjoyable for everyone.
As far as the Teen Titans go, I'd have to say that the team aesthetic is probably more about them actually BEING a team, having their costume be more like a uniform than just a regular costume.
Well, a lot of people seem to be voicing long-winded opinions, so might as well go ahead:
ReplyDeleteWhile you and others have voiced their opinions about how a relaunch is unnecessary, I can't help but think it is on some levels. I'll use a similar argument you used about suspension of disbelief in the Ultimatum review: While I can buy that characters can have superpowers, it's hard to believe that they really have had all these adventures for the past 40-70 years. This is, of course, an unavoidable problem. It seems like "comedy comics" like Archie don't have this problem because they don't rely on past story continuity; they might reference something that occurred a year or two ago but rarely anything beyond that. Most superhero books, however, are what I'd call "drama comics," and you're right - we read them to see character development and evolvement. But eventually, it stretches too thin. If I read a current issue of "Birds of Prey" I'm immediately pulled back to The Killing Joke, and it can't help but bug me that that happened nearly 25 years ago, and yet Oracle still looks in her 30s - to say nothing of seeing Batman stories reference Silver Age adventures that make me ask "How frikking old ARE you, Bruce?" So yeah, it seems to me that when your dealing with comics that have been around for decades, you're forced to do one of two things: Ignore past events after a certain period of time, which removes all chances of development, or you have to eventually "reboot" to make it seem like the most important events in a character's history happened more recently. Of course, this is a very difficult thing to do and it seems like no one has figured out how to do it just right yet.
Still, I do like this new series, allowing you to give a more honest opinion on comics to balance the (also enjoyable) over-the-top ranting that "Linkara" does.
"Well, a lot of people seem to be voicing long-winded opinions, so might as well go ahead:
ReplyDeleteWhile you and others have voiced their opinions about how a relaunch is unnecessary, I can't help but think it is on some levels. I'll use a similar argument you used about suspension of disbelief in the Ultimatum review: While I can buy that characters can have superpowers, it's hard to believe that they really have had all these adventures for the past 40-70 years. This is, of course, an unavoidable problem. It seems like "comedy comics" like Archie don't have this problem because they don't rely on past story continuity; they might reference something that occurred a year or two ago but rarely anything beyond that. Most superhero books, however, are what I'd call "drama comics," and you're right - we read them to see character development and evolvement. But eventually, it stretches too thin. If I read a current issue of "Birds of Prey" I'm immediately pulled back to The Killing Joke, and it can't help but bug me that that happened nearly 25 years ago, and yet Oracle still looks in her 30s - to say nothing of seeing Batman stories reference Silver Age adventures that make me ask "How frikking old ARE you, Bruce?" So yeah, it seems to me that when your dealing with comics that have been around for decades, you're forced to do one of two things: Ignore past events after a certain period of time, which removes all chances of development, or you have to eventually "reboot" to make it seem like the most important events in a character's history happened more recently. Of course, this is a very difficult thing to do and it seems like no one has figured out how to do it just right yet."
Well, unfortunately comics HAVE to work on a sliding timescale. Considering the amount of work that goes into them, the writing, and the artwork, monthly releases are the best that can be hoped for. As a result, it can't operate in real time, otherwise twelve issues take place over a single year and there's a loooot of empty spaces for things to happen and sometimes decompressed storytelling IS a good thing.
You know wat linkara why havent you and nostalgia critic reviewed the movie Daredevil? I mean thats a comic book movie with a marvel character, y dont you two talk about that one. Is it really good cuz wen i first saw it it was cool but now it sucks. Wat do u think about this movie known as Daredevil?
ReplyDeleteBeen watching your show for about a year, and you've been great entertainment. Keep up the good work. Also, with some help from your recommendations, I've picked up a couple of issues from DC's relaunch lineup. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they remain good.
ReplyDeleteThe constant changing and then changing back, and the constant Reconning, of the history is what puts people off comics, not simply have continuity.
ReplyDeleteI really agree. When I was in my local comic book store a couple of months back I picked up the trade 'Who is Donna Troy?'. I had never read any of the Teen Titan books, but from Linkara's descriptions of them they sounded interesting and I liked the idea of a Wonder Woman like character and wanted to learn more about Donna Troy and I checked it out. I found it to be a really good book, sure I didn't know everything about the characters, so things like Dick's implied relationship with Starfire took me by surprise. But it also intriuged me. I wanted to learn more about that part of Dick's life and how he came to have respect for Batman while still having an identity as a superhero outside of the sidekick role. I wanted to learn more about the previous adventures the team had been through together. Those nods to previous events, taking into account that continutiy, made me want to go and read all about it. Then I heard that DC was planning yet another relaunch and that stopped me cold. I began to wonder if I should bother finding all the older books and maybe even picking a recent ongoing series if the company was going to scrap all that before the year was out. Why start reading anything if all of it was about to by made non-canon? Or half-canon? Or some canon? I'm still not really clear and what stayed with the reboot and what didn't. I'm even wary about picking up comics in the new 52, because if all this falls flat on its face after the media blitz and whatnot goes away, will DC just scrap everything again? If you're going to just hit the reset button all the time, what, as a reader, do I have to get invested in?
Oh, one note on New Guardians that might heavily confuse new readers.
ReplyDeleteKyle's origin is done pretty well, decimation of Oa, being handed the last power ring, fair enough. But we then cut to the present day, where Kyle is not only one of many Green Lanterns, he's generally seen as the extra one.
With no explanation of how that transition happened. Hell, the origin isn't given a time line note; just an implication that it's not present day (through a later caption)
Yeah, I know what happened through keeping up with comics history. A new reader, on the other hand, is going to be a little confused by this. I mean, some mild explanation about the threat that was facing Oa at the time would have helped; it'd show us that Kyle was chosen to stop a problem in an emergency some time ago, but still has the ring, and still is trying to be a Green Lantern
"Well, unfortunately comics HAVE to work on a sliding timescale. Considering the amount of work that goes into them, the writing, and the artwork, monthly releases are the best that can be hoped for. As a result, it can't operate in real time, otherwise twelve issues take place over a single year and there's a loooot of empty spaces for things to happen and sometimes decompressed storytelling IS a good thing."
ReplyDeleteAnd we never progress with these reboots. Eventually its going to get harder and harder. Batwoman, for example, has a backstory that depends on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell order that was revoaked just a short time after her debut. How are they going to deal with that twenty years from now? The same goes for all the Robins.
I love all your stuff! Thanks for taking the time to put these together (and I like the video option rather than audio only). One of the things you mention is the mysteries left over from the old DCU and it got me thinking about how much I'd love to see you do a 'Top 11 Unsolved Mysteries/Plot Holes From The Old DCU'. A personal pet peeve of mine was the 'Faith' character from the later issues of the old 'JLA' comics. There seemed to be a lot of build up with hints regarding 'the fat lady singing', being hand-picked by Batman (yet no reason being given), and a mysterious past... yet no conclusion. I guess the big reveal was cut due to the impending 'Infinite Crisis', its tie in 'JLA' storyline, and then the new 'One Year Later' initiative/new 'Justice League' comic.
ReplyDeleteI hope you consider this, and again, I love your work!
I really like the visuals you add in; as someone who usually buys after I watch your videos, it helps me understand why you think what you do about the comics! Especially since you spend a lot of time talking about the aesthetics, which would just go waaay over my head if there was no picture to go along with it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I am so mad about the four Batman titles!! They had room for four separate issues devoted to one man, but (as far as I can tell) the entire Marvel/Black Marvel family mythos no longer exists in the DCU? Why?? You're telling me they were willing to take a chance on being able to drum up readership for Animal Man and Resurrection Man, but there was no way Billy Batson would appeal to audiences today? :(
I agree with R. Superman was disappointing. I was really hoping we'd see the spirited attitude hinted at in Justice League 1 but we got someone grim and mopey and angry. Clark could hardly be less the stoic character that he used to be.
ReplyDeleteMy only hope is that George Perez is being replaced by Keith Giffen after six issues. I hope Giffen can fix this mess, having Superman drop some off hand mention that he had Clark being so angry so that he could have an excuse to be there as Superman instead.
I couldn't disagree with Linkara and the mightygodking more about Lois though. She's been the millstone around his neck since her original purpose outlived it's cultural sensibilities. Since then, writers have been scrambling to make Lois somehow still fit into the mythos, at times elevating her to equal billing with the character I actually tune in to watch (as in Lois and Clark).
I don't read about Superman to read about action journalism, I don't read it for the romance. I . . .
What the hell am I reading it for? None of it was there.
Wait. Hang on. No "Shazam" comic? Is he anywhere in the relaunch or just forgotten?
ReplyDelete"You know wat linkara why havent you and nostalgia critic reviewed the movie Daredevil? I mean thats a comic book movie with a marvel character, y dont you two talk about that one. Is it really good cuz wen i first saw it it was cool but now it sucks. Wat do u think about this movie known as Daredevil?"
ReplyDeleteWell, primarily the NC hasn't talked about it because it's from 2003 and he only looks beyond his cut-off date on rare exceptions. XD
"And we never progress with these reboots. Eventually its going to get harder and harder. Batwoman, for example, has a backstory that depends on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell order that was revoaked just a short time after her debut. How are they going to deal with that twenty years from now? The same goes for all the Robins."
ReplyDeleteAs with most characters who were made around specific historical events. Some will be time-displaced, like Captain America or the JSA while others like Iron Man who was created with the Vietnam War in mind for his origin will be shifted to another war or just slightly different circumstances.
Hey Lewis, I appreciate the rundown. Umm... I like the visuals actually. On some of the team comics I would have liked you to mention a little more about them. I know you didn't want to spend a lot of time on the Marvel trade but I have no idea who ANY of those characters are.
ReplyDeleteThat said, it's good to know there's a good Super Man story out there and that Aquaman is not a laughing stock.
My exposure to the titans was through the cartoon series Teen Titans which I enjoyed very much. I KNOW Beat Boy has a much more tragic character, but I liked it. I wouldn't mind reading the more serious Beast Boy but I liked the show - they were a team and one that wasn't constantly changing character roster.
That brings me to Starfire- She's an alien so it's okay to objectify her right? WRONG! I hate her being made into a sex object for no good reason.
The one on the Teen Titans that I watched was bright and bubbly, a bit naive of human customs at time, but she was a deeply caring and emotional character. She tried very hard to make and keep friends, was loyal and so on.
I can not see her wearing an itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polkadot bikini and having sex with whatever moves and not caring. Way to be progressive and engage the female audience DC. Way to go....
If you do switch to an audio format instead of audio-visual I'm okay with that. But this is the internet so remember: Haters gonna' hate. And no matter how many disclaimers you flash, idiots will be idiots.
Aquaman was always closer to the SuperFriends version than this. In this comic they made Curry into Superman. He leapt buildings in a single bound, he could hear tires screech from miles away and BULLETS WERE BOUNCING OFF OF HIS FACE. He never could do that before.
ReplyDeleteI liked the comic, but you spoke as if this were closer to the character's original version. It aint. That said, I like the comic alot, though it tapered off at the end w/ the blogger (too meta) and the wife (too boring). I loved the art in it. (Though I wasn't crazy about the cover.)
"Still stupid for five Robins in ten years, buuuut..."
ReplyDeleteNot really. People grow up and move on fast.
"Batwoman, for example, has a backstory that depends on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell order that was revoaked just a short time after her debut. How are they going to deal with that twenty years from now?"
ReplyDeleteSimple. In addition to it being a homosexual relationship that was still illegal under DADT, Rucka threw in something most people didn't notice--Kate's girlfriend was commander of her cadet class, and thus Kate's superior. There is an EXTREMELY strict regulation that will NEVER be repealed against sex, heterosexual or homosexual, with someone in your chain of command, either above or below you.
It's there for the same reason that there's a prohibition on fraternization between officers and enlisteds--so that, if it comes up, the superior will not treat their partner preferentially. (Could *you* order your lover to conduct an assault on an enemy position that's almost guaranteed to see them killed? Would you be willing to fiddle around with duty rosters to make sure you and your lover would be off-duty at the same time? Those are the sorts of problems it's intended to prevent.)
So twenty years from now, when homosexuals in the military are just "meh, so what?" to the average serviceperson, how will they explain Kate getting kicked out of West Point? Simple. She was fucking her superior, and that's against the rules.
"'You know wat linkara why havent you and nostalgia critic reviewed the movie Daredevil? I mean thats a comic book movie with a marvel character, y dont you two talk about that one. Is it really good cuz wen i first saw it it was cool but now it sucks. Wat do u think about this movie known as Daredevil?'
ReplyDeleteWell, primarily the NC hasn't talked about it because it's from 2003 and he only looks beyond his cut-off date on rare exceptions. XD"
Hey, might I chime in and sujjest ya'll review The Incredable Hulk made for TV movie inwhich he was on trial and Matt Murdock(Daredevil) was his loyar and it starred John Reyse Davis as The Kingpin! Or the one with the 1st ever live action Thor! those were made back inthe 80s!
Just saying! don'y mean to bother!
Linkara I've been following your thoughts on the DC relaunch since this month began and I have to say I pretty much agree with everything you've said about them. I've only started actively reading comics about 2 years ago and there was a great deal of continuity to catch up on, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much is because there was already a great deal of content for me to read through. That being said it is a bit disappointing to see that all that continuity is thrown out but at the same time alot hasn't been changed. I think it has to do with Johns and Morris being behind everything in DC these days but I'm upset to see the Teen Titans, Batman Inc., and Superman (which had probably one of my favorite stories in "Grounded") go while Blackest Night and such get kept in (don't get me wrong Blackest Night was pretty good but it just makes things confusing for new readers and continuity-wise). Also I like that they kept the new Blue Beatle, but it feels like they are just going to go through the old storylines again, then again I'm probably wrong.
ReplyDeleteLike many people here, you helped me get into comics and for that I thank you wholeheartedly, keep up the good work.
Also if you haven't already and are in the mood for a good Marvel comic I suggest the Runaways, it's a good book that I don't hear too much about.
I disagree that four Batman titles is too much. In truth, two is too much. See, this nonsense is one of the things that keeps us new readers away. The fans seem to get it, but for an outsider, having four different comics about the same character, all of which supposedly take place at the same time and all of which are in continuity with each other just doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that scares me about DC and Marvel is, yes, the continuity, but not really for the reasons you cite here and in past videos. If it was just a case that, say, Batman has decades of continuity behind him, it would be one thing; after all, one can obtain back issues if one really wants to find out the backstory. No, the problem is that I get the impression I'm supposed to read a whole bunch of other comics to keep up with the ones I'm interested in.
To give a concrete example of this, I happen to read Wolverine Origins because Panini reprints it together with Deadpool for the UK/Ireland market. Wolverine had a storyline in it where Wolvie discovered he had a son called Daken; naturally, Daken was a pretty major character at this point. Anyway, at one point he ran off to join the Dark Avengers, went through some character development, and came back more evil and angsty. An editorial explained that in order to find out what happened here, I would have to read The Avengers; since I don't give a damn about that title, I was pissed at a major character in a series I was following undergoing important changes in a title I wasn't. And that's what keeps me away from American superhero comics. Granted, Marvel seems to be worse about this with their annual mega-crossovers, but DC is hardly innocent of this.
There is a third thing that I dislike about Marvel and DC - the sliding timescale. Yes, you've defended in in previous comments, but I just can't accept the idea that characters go through decades of events, with society and technology advancing at a rate similar to the real world, yet they all stay the same age. No. That's bollocks.
I'm not saying that comics need to have a year pass in-universe for every year that passes in the real world (although Judge Dredd has been doing that for coming up to 35 years now, and I absolutely adore the sense of time and history it gives Mega-City One), but at the same time, if two non-consecutive issues show Christmas decorations, we may conclude that roughly a year has passed between the two issues in question, and it should be acknowledged that everyone involved has aged a year in the meantime. That's all I ask.
Turning to more positive thoughts, if DC was serious about making it easier for new readers, they could have adopted a custom from British comics. In Britain, comics that have continuity (including Titan and Panini's respective reprints of DC and Marvel) use the inside front cover to describe the comic's premise and summarise the story or stories so far. If DC just started doing that, it would eliminate a lot of continuity-related complaints. Can't understand the story? Read the inside front cover and be brought up to speed!
And, finally, you've persuaded me to get All-Star Wester. It looks cool, and being set in the 18th century, I imagine it will be fairly self-contained as well. Now, if only DC's website would allow me to pay by direct debit...
personally I would say just do it audio only there aren't really enough picture for me to be entertained by its self without multitasking.
ReplyDeleteAlso I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the cartoon network show young justice? I used to watch teen titans and I'm having trouble figuring how this new show fits in is it some earth 1 earth 2 thing?
I say make it audio
ReplyDeleteI forgot to comment on some of the awful writing in this issue. There are these off-white word boxes that I think are supposed to be Clark writing about what Superman is doing. If this is how he writes, I can see why Clark doesn't make the front page very often.
ReplyDeleteThis one made me cringe:
"The fire creature pointed at the Man of Steel, it's language still a Tower of Babel of indecipherability." [sic]
Then there is this.
"This was not like any fire Superman had ever encountered, at least not on Earth.
So he determined the creature was an extraterrestrial."
Two problems:
1)The first paragraph implies that Superman has encountered fire like this in space before, which makes his conclusion that this creature is from space less impressive and makes the second statement unnecessary.
2) Later statements confirm that Superman hasn't seen fire like this before and this is fire that turns things into fire rather than setting them on fire.
So Superman has never seen this type of fire before and its fire that behaves like magic, but Superman thinks its from space. Huh.
I take offence to you comparing "I, Vampire" to Twilight
ReplyDeleteIt felt more like an Anne Rice novel to me
Now whether you like Anne Rice, is a completely different thing...
Sorry to leave this, I can see you are swamped with comments, but I thought you might like to know.
ReplyDeleteI don't read comics, or indeed any books on a regular basis. I'm a gamer first and formost, but I do read. Quite alot of this stuff sounds interesting, but I will never read it all. My tastes differ from yours, but if something both sounds interesting to me and gets a thumbs up from you (the few comic reader I know irl tend to be very fanboyish) I at least think about it.
As for your 2 question. I watch while I'm eating so I can keep half an eye on the show, half on the meal.
Also, speaking as a none comic reader, batman is everywhere at the moment. Though the only people who care are not comic readers.
Finally, I know this isn't your thing, and I don't have twitter so sorry if you mentioned it already. Long story short, in the new Xmen game (which I've heard is very poor and bland), you play as a new character made up for the game. In reviews and comments, people say "Comic fans want to play as the X-men, not the X-men's new friends". However, the people making those comments aren't comic fans, but gamers. What do you think?
(“Love has nothing to do with it?” For Starfire, love had *everything* to do with it. Why are the writers trying to make her into Ice Queen!Emma Frost? If they wanted an emotionless caricature of a promiscuous woman, they could have created a whole new character, instead of botching an existing one. As for respecting Starfire’s sexual agency, don’t make me laugh. Don’t try to pretend that the writers are promoting her control of her sexuality by constantly casting her in shots worthy of Playboy and having our two “heroes” talk about her like she’s a sexual trophy instead of a person and high-fiving each other like mindless frat boys over having “scored” with her. Linkara said it best: this version of her is nothing but an adolescent, heterosexual male fantasy. That's it.)
ReplyDeleteActually they wouldn't need to make up a new character as they've mixed the Wildstorm universe into the main DC universe they could've just transplanted a character from that worl onto thier Outlaw team! For a fact a character they could've used that'd been about as powerful and "useful" as Starfire is Swift http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_(comics) http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/308/631883-swift2_super.jpg from The Authority. She's basically a female character that acts more like a male character when it comes to relations! And, I don't mean that because she's a Bi character but because her mannerisms are more that of a college age guy when it comes to sex. Hell in the Lobo/Authority crossover she was caught looking at alien porn... don't believe me read this article/review of the comic http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=2190 " Like Swift getting caught surfing alien porn websites."
Also, it wouldn't be character assassination for her as she was a murderious anti-hero already as in her comic titles her favorite way to take down an opponent was to fly threw them at sub-sonic speeds causing them to exsplode from the inside out! http://www.upsidaisium.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/renegadedr_exploded.jpg
Sooo, yeah I think I've given them a character hardly anyone knows much about they could've given that part to and not destroy a fanbase!
Hey, I just ran into this and thought you might be interested to see this. A talented artist just did her own redesign of some of DC's superheroes:
ReplyDeletehttp://dresdencodak.tumblr.com/post/10830387057/5-essential-superhero-redesigns
Like you as far as i can tell the only Titans that are cannon now is the original team. Which explains why they had to do Cyborgs origin again. However this baffles me as far as things that happened to characters in the New Titans and onward. A prime example would be Dick Grayson who not only switched from Robin to Nightwing in the Titans book series but also the fact that his being part of the Titan's and the experience of being on his own is what made him decide he'd outgrown being a sidekick and become his own hero.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the pictures question:
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I already watch so many shows online, it's nice to have one I can just listen to, so I can other stuff at the same time.
On the other hand, it really helps to look at a picture if you're complaining about a new outfit or something similar. I guess this won't happen to often now that the relaunch has, well, launched.
But no, I don't have to see every cover. If it saves you time, go for it.
On Voodoo, Eh TNA doesn't bother me since Voodoo was always a stripper it's kinda entailed, Atleast her striking certain poses makes more sense then Starfire doing it.
ReplyDeleteI do however hate the "Female Good Men Stupid" theme they got going since the only prominent male is Stupid and Horny, Granted his dead by the end so heh atleast thinking with your **** isn't rewarded.
I think you were put off by the TnA and thus didn't care for the classic Is Voodoo good or evil play they went for at the end. That's understandable, But I think I'll give it a shot, atleast to see if Spartan and Zealot show up.
I have to disagree with the statement that there's no one else for superman. Wonder woman! You wanna talk about his equal? there you go, certainly more so than lois lane. Never been a fan of lois. I hope they forget her and do the right thing and get these 2 cats together.
ReplyDeleteOriginal Comment Deleted and Substituted by this (i hope) cut in half thanks too editing restrictions:
ReplyDeleteSimply Known as Part 1:
Reviewed Version of the less insulting Reviewed Version of a Similar Insulting Review of the same Comment with all insults removed After Listen Some Concerned Thoughts of Our Former Landlord(we moved our connection with the multitransdimensional hub under the fourth wall to Holds' home), all cheesy, disrespectful, controversial, name praising elements had to be reluctant but still respectfully removed for the sake of the argument and also better editing.
The point is DC still can do awesome comic books as well a few bad comics despite opinionated different points of view between readers. Geof Johns and Scott Lobdell has their merits as well their failures but we blame the editors for the failures, after all these comics are written months
before they hit the bookstores and blame the writers and artists only is like blaming Linkara for the absence of Pollo, the maintenance of non-human characters is obviously Lewis Lovhaug a.k.a. the producer responsibility and not Lewis Lovhaug also a.k.a. the character, i will not to be all Schrödinger's Cat on this but you know what i mean. In DC's case there is not just one single person working under overwhelming circumstances into the realms of quantum physics to blame.
In the end DC please stop messing up those things, Comics are not home made bots you can fix with glue and duct tape and those are the easiest ones to fix.
Basement Dwellers Square Monthly Preliminary Report About the Most Recent New 52's or B.D.S.M. version #101.1 Retroactive Now to be recognized as C.L.A.W.S. #02 also Retroactive :
New Guardians #1 :Comical, Worth Reading, Accurate Reviewed by the TAISOReer a.k.a. the TAIS Original Reviewer.
Teen Titans #1: Idiotic, Lot's of wasted material, Scott Lobdell drop the ball this time and that all the have to say about this, we politely disagree with Mr.Lovhaug point of view.
Batman: The Dark Knight #1 On Hold Yet (even retroactively);
Blackhawks #1 Weird, Looks like a Michael Bay movie, Spoony makes a cameo, on probation until we read issue #02, that was almost "THAT OTHER BOOK" we don't comment about, Accurate Reviewed by the Taisoreer with reserves;
Aquaman #1 Awesome, Worth Reading, Geof Johns Kick Ass, the Taisoreer Review also kicks ass;
to be continue on Part 2...
Part 2 :
ReplyDeleteAngel & Faith #1 The Squad loves Joss Whedon but we don't have time on schedule for more vampire, brings us more Firefly please but since this a retroactive comment i guess we must ask hold for a Square Slideshow, No comment about the accuracy or not of the Taisoreer yet;
All-Star Western #1 On Hold and when the report says on Hold means our shared copy is on Hold's house waiting to be read when we also complaint about that retroactively;
The Flash #1 Kick Ass Again, Awesome Reading but maybe could be some more, the Taisoreer kick ass again;
The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #1 Trash, Crash and Burn, Idiotic, Not even blessings can saving this book from a harsh score , Deserves a Rant at some point, the Taisoreer is kind with this things;
Voodoo #1 finally DC does something worth our communitorial readings and that all we gonna say about this, we respectfully disagree with Mr.Lovhaug about this book and will never comment about his comments on this subject ever again, your are a gentleman Sir, don't dimminish your self as being just a feminist;
Superman #1 On Hold yet;
Justice League Dark #1 On Hold but the Square love Zatanna;
The Savage Hawkman #1 On Hold, lazy egoistic share holder Hold;
Avengers Academy #1-6 What A Hell is a Marvel Comic Book doing on that list ? I guess Hold doesn't even buy this, check the schedule;
P.S.: the Squad respectfully says nothing else about the Taisoreer skills and methods also we have the deepest confidence in your skills concerning Pollo and we only wish the best during the make-over.
Thank you for the FourthWallsome Show !!!
Reposted, reedited and rewrited by Ricardo Augusto, sort of brazilian not so extraordinaire;
Atoptefourthwall owned by Lewis Lovhaug, power ranger's opionionated extraordinaire;
WEll linkara the thing is i have become a fan of DC. For the longest time when I was younger i disliked the superheroes of DC exluding batman and the green lantern. Though you said that it isnt impossible for new readers to start in continuing stories, it is a little hard. This relaunch gave me the ability to discover the pure sawedsomeness of the DCU, and for that reason i like it.
ReplyDeleteIt makes more sense for Superman to have armor. There's no way in hell his old spandex would survive his fights or when he is close to the sun.
ReplyDeleteJust found this series of videos. I have to say, Aquaman is easily my favourite of the reboot. I love how they tackle the issue of him being 'useless' head-on. Great stuff.
ReplyDelete