tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87293962024-03-05T00:16:56.419-05:00No Ego Problems Here!An unsafe trip inside the mind of Kim EM. comics and other neat stuff.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-54818097316370793132008-08-21T15:11:00.002-04:002008-08-21T15:18:33.818-04:00Kimberly Elizabeth Fox 8/28/1955 - 6/11/2008I've been holding out on posting here, as I didn't know what to post.<br /><br />Many of you probably know this, but for those that don't, Kim passed away in June @ the Hospital Univeristy of Pennsylvania from complications of her heart condition.<br /><br />Kimberly was a great woman, and loved by many. If you want to know more about her battle with her health over her last few months on this earth, you can look @ my blog <a href="http://geekyblog.blogspot.com">( http://geekyblog.blogspot.com</a> ). I will also be posting info and stories about Kim as I come to terms with the loss of such a great person.<br /><br />I am currently working on restoring Kim's website ( <a href="http://www.kimem.net">http://www.kimem.net</a> ) and finishing her story, EXPO Summer, as I promised her I would. I will post here, and on my blog, when more info is available.<br /><br />-Piper<br /><br />P.S. I'm sorry for those of you I failed to notify, but she had many friends, and it's hard.GeekBrathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154627345924712442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-80475553435007286192008-04-11T09:46:00.002-04:002008-04-11T10:00:16.775-04:00Counting down to zero...Um, yeah. It has been a while. Countdown is almost finished, and my comics reading has been irregular enough that I have <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">no freakin' idea</span> what's going on there... but I am enjoying the ride.<br /><br />Health update: Ahem. leessee. Congestive heart failure, bad heart murmur, heart valve replacement. 'nuff said?<br /><br />And folks, let's <span style="font-weight: bold;">cut Piper some slack on the servers</span>, okay? She's been hard at work there, doubling our bandwidth, tripling the number of servers we've got on line, and a whole pot-load of other stuff, and to do it all and keep somewhat on schedule she's been doing it all without my help. I'm still in hospital -- haven't been home since February -- Piper has been carrying the load. In addition to doing the server work, she's been here at the hospital with me most days. She's pulling an inhuman load, and she deserves lots of credit for her efforts. <br /><br />Donations wouldn't hurt either, kids. All this stuff comes at a price... And now I'm returning to my sickbed and Piper gets her laptop back. - ;) KimKim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-47718162417470369032007-12-31T09:47:00.000-05:002007-12-31T09:51:01.580-05:0023 skidoo...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1sCu9t_9sl6qQF9F6SYtcBRt9CI0UOLw9l_PqXhpZcYccKjWRO9LIT200tZUD5CJotr43HmdqzjGxZVk3VrJbFR_pqFCez8Yfzx_Sio_Yt5AAiMgmeyi23SUcED_-4-2qgCe3w/s1600-h/skidoobanner.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1sCu9t_9sl6qQF9F6SYtcBRt9CI0UOLw9l_PqXhpZcYccKjWRO9LIT200tZUD5CJotr43HmdqzjGxZVk3VrJbFR_pqFCez8Yfzx_Sio_Yt5AAiMgmeyi23SUcED_-4-2qgCe3w/s400/skidoobanner.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150149311731383970" border="0" /></a>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-16233217155376447772007-11-23T04:21:00.000-05:002007-11-23T04:46:14.333-05:00Hobbyist or Terrorist?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvrzON6XiHMeoVvOVMxpxhsl0vDhzatAyv0_9OfmVtmnZeELumnGRcMCbsYXwJ3wCkDyutvE-jYrhDY2W7mDOvaStW2XBqSoRcO4V_Hp8Y3vd8gPvYP_HsUl22L_nF-ASzUQszw/s1600-h/5MP_HP+%28Store,+ValleyForge,+%26+Lansdale%29+049.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvrzON6XiHMeoVvOVMxpxhsl0vDhzatAyv0_9OfmVtmnZeELumnGRcMCbsYXwJ3wCkDyutvE-jYrhDY2W7mDOvaStW2XBqSoRcO4V_Hp8Y3vd8gPvYP_HsUl22L_nF-ASzUQszw/s400/5MP_HP+%28Store,+ValleyForge,+%26+Lansdale%29+049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135969284375464562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div class="gmail_quote">On Nov 22, 2007 5:28 PM, xxx<xxx@xxxxxxxx.com> wrote:<br /></xxx@xxxxxxxx.com><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040524-638410,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.time.com/time<wbr>/magazine/article/0,9171<wbr>,1101040524-638410,00.html</a></blockquote><div><br />Interesting article. <span style="font-style: italic;">Paranoia strikes deep into the heartland.</span> I know they want to make sure <span style="font-style: italic;">nobody's doing anything nefarious</span>, but a lot of these folks seem to have <span style="font-weight: bold;">forgotten </span>(or just don't seem to care) that <span style="font-style: italic;">going for a wander, with or without cameras, is a legal activity</span>. I swear, sometimes it seems <span style="font-weight: bold;">just like</span> what we used to be told <span style="font-style: italic;">about the evils</span> of the Soviet Union. *sigh* Personal freedoms sure seem unimportant to the decision-makers; of course, <i>their </i>personal freedoms aren't the ones being taken away. And remember <span style="font-weight: bold;">never </span>to go hunting with Dick Cheney.<br /><br />I'm pretty sure you guys don't celebrate anything like our Thanksgiving holiday (after all, it was to commemorate the early settlers freedom from youse guys!), but ours went pretty well. Piper and I basically stayed in, cooked, watched movies, and played with our various computers. Piper left for work a little while ago (which is why I'm doing email at 4:00 AM); but then again today is Black Friday here, the biggest shopping day of the year. Her store is opening at 5:00. Ick!<br /><br />Hey, that whole "warrantless surveillance" thing is supposed to be <span style="font-weight: bold;">snatching </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">reading </span><span style="font-style: italic;">all contacts between US citizens and dem furriners</span>. You suppose someone (or at least some server somewhere) is <span style="font-style: italic;">wasting time</span> with this email? Welcome to the magic world of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Carnivore </span>or <span style="font-weight: bold;">Magic Lantern</span> or whatever they call the durn thing nowadays. That last sentence alone is <span style="font-style: italic;">probably </span>going to make someone <span style="font-style: italic;">waste their time</span> looking at it. *shrugs* Oh well, hourly work. If they weren't <span style="font-weight: bold;">snooping </span>into my mail they'd prolly be reading someone else's Viagra ad. *LOL*<br /><br />Gee, do you think I'm<span style="font-style: italic;"> a bit ticked</span> at the whole attitude that 'we can't <span style="font-weight: bold;">afford </span>any longer for people to <span style="font-style: italic;">do what they want</span> or have privacy nowadays -- it's <span style="font-style: italic;">too dangerous</span> a world out there'? Have they <span style="font-weight: bold;">forgotten </span>what it is they're <span style="font-style: italic;">supposed </span>to be protecting? If it weren't for the fact that it's the Republicans behind all of this -- and God, <span style="font-style: italic;">how they've changed</span> from the days when they <span style="font-style: italic;">decried the 'nanny state'</span> -- I'd have sworn these folks were the remnants of the '60s "<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Better Red Than Dead</span>" faction. *sighs*<br /><br />So much for my <span style="font-style: italic;">ranting</span>. I guess it comes with being retired -- I get to <span style="font-style: italic;">sit on the sidelines</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">bitch and moan</span> about how the country is <span style="font-style: italic;">going to hell in a handcart</span>.<br /><br />Anyway, before I head back to bed, Piper mentioned that you've got a compilation of <a href="http://www.bigclosetr.us/topshelf/node/589">Gaby, Book Four</a>? Would you be willing to send a copy? That's the one thing that's stopping me from reading Four; I don't want to go through the effort of grabbing all the separate chapters.<br /><br />Thanks. <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm going back to bed</span>, as the <span style="font-weight: bold;">whining puppy</span> is trying to encourage me. Unless, of course, she wants to go outside. *groans*<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />- Kim ;)<br /><br /><br /></div></div>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-72441552943323090862007-11-09T10:27:00.000-05:002007-11-09T10:43:29.832-05:00Counting away...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZRRom4j5CbbyM_5OOibKP0h-DE8aaVS08N87Aep1nTQfDQF3UwoHk2ym140yZKEKlxsPUVi6jpSacoLnB4IabGcIiCkvpfXh1Kt0QIyv3Q9prgS1-Bl1265jxxNYNCJfS-jziw/s1600-h/PRISONER_p02_03.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZRRom4j5CbbyM_5OOibKP0h-DE8aaVS08N87Aep1nTQfDQF3UwoHk2ym140yZKEKlxsPUVi6jpSacoLnB4IabGcIiCkvpfXh1Kt0QIyv3Q9prgS1-Bl1265jxxNYNCJfS-jziw/s400/PRISONER_p02_03.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130866069047019010" border="0" /></a><br />I'm sure you've noticed a <span style="font-style: italic;">distinct lack</span> of postings over the past month. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sorry 'bout that.</span><br /><br />I haven't lost interest in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>or anything, it's been <span style="font-style: italic;">an issue with my health</span>. As you can guess, my health hasn't been particularly good of late, and, sadly, <span style="font-style: italic;">things aren't really looking up just now</span>.<br /><br />I'm going to <span style="font-style: italic;">continue </span>reading Countdown and its related crossovers, and <span style="font-style: italic;">thinking about what I'm seeing</span>, but I'm going to be <span style="font-style: italic;">taking some time off from posting</span> until I'm in somewhat better shape.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">'be seeing you!</span></span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-31795106770172678342007-10-10T16:28:00.000-04:002007-10-11T00:43:58.447-04:0029 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvm7x4D6gHOXsOaBAJxSKEc4Khe-p3ksXGjQrjvRS-MvQ9P0lAefu69Of3b1d6ggRTtHbUFsVtubb6gLIFyea03CO-I-xt4iQyAfz9uBRthlfXpB24LWH9iSVtyWW5drimi5YEg/s1600-h/CTDW-Cv29_t.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvm7x4D6gHOXsOaBAJxSKEc4Khe-p3ksXGjQrjvRS-MvQ9P0lAefu69Of3b1d6ggRTtHbUFsVtubb6gLIFyea03CO-I-xt4iQyAfz9uBRthlfXpB24LWH9iSVtyWW5drimi5YEg/s320/CTDW-Cv29_t.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119808667448871810" border="0" /></a>One page? <span style="font-weight: bold;">ONE LOUSY PAGE?</span> You can <span style="font-style: italic;">see the cover</span> to this issue, over there to the right. Notice it features <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span>? Attacking <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brother Eye</span>? So, <span style="font-style: italic;">HOW MUCH</span> space does it get in the book? <span style="font-style: italic;">One grifing page!</span><br /><br />And yeah, my earlier <span style="font-weight: bold;">HAL-9000</span> comment was pretty much <span style="font-style: italic;">dead on</span>.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers </span>are now on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-8</span>. They're captured, the 'evil' monitor meddles, resulting in their escape, and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jokester</span> is killed. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monarch </span>shows up to recruit someone or other.<br /><br />The Jokester's death is a shame. He'd been developed as an interesting character, and I'd have liked to see him hanging around for a while, to further explore him and the differences from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsreUKbNtRkrAWzNkgYdc9l6b4trOCS9cRipteZVc26QEo9LYHCcLtZ15wttigFKSz8M6_oyYUt7TPL-uvstLSbOY8h3a0_ZluNZbBKpeOi4uCZN-iYuBC4TrfEYeMUq7KZrGsaA/s1600-h/8602_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsreUKbNtRkrAWzNkgYdc9l6b4trOCS9cRipteZVc26QEo9LYHCcLtZ15wttigFKSz8M6_oyYUt7TPL-uvstLSbOY8h3a0_ZluNZbBKpeOi4uCZN-iYuBC4TrfEYeMUq7KZrGsaA/s320/8602_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119925739667426194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olsen</span> meets the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Newsboy Legion</span> in the sewers. He's <span style="font-style: italic;">happy </span>because he's<span style="font-style: italic;"> finally among friends</span>.<br /><br />Maybe. They say they're in the sewers <span style="font-style: italic;">looking for Jimmy</span>, thinking he's gonna need help. The <span style="font-style: italic;">main flaw</span> in this is that he's only been in the sewers for<span style="font-style: italic;"> five minutes</span>. Truly amazing they could <span style="font-style: italic;">find out</span> about his 'escape' from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cadmus </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">get there</span> so fast.<br /><br />I'm reminded again of a <span style="font-style: italic;">major theme</span> of the title: Not everyone who opposes you is your enemy; not everyone who helps you is your friend.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> is still fighting <span style="font-style: italic;">sea serpents</span>. Um, last issue <span style="font-style: italic;">wasn't she fighting sharks</span>? Was there a <span style="font-style: italic;">timeslip </span>between issues? Remember, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Time is broken</span>."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQo1-CRgvGlGJevATzL1VoyhZlkdiHsYKO5HcDpZI2xKhaxVJ4GGKx0dG-erSH3eYZecxDbEEWC-WH2Ih-SuhGQAyDNyzAlPKIldQYFqYV7tw798RWZJIhnmyGT_Vvbtv9iUjHUA/s1600-h/Batlash_Cv1.R2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQo1-CRgvGlGJevATzL1VoyhZlkdiHsYKO5HcDpZI2xKhaxVJ4GGKx0dG-erSH3eYZecxDbEEWC-WH2Ih-SuhGQAyDNyzAlPKIldQYFqYV7tw798RWZJIhnmyGT_Vvbtv9iUjHUA/s320/Batlash_Cv1.R2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119934565825219490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>are having lunch at a truck stop with <span style="font-style: italic;">their new friend</span>. It turns out the threat to slit Piper's throat was just, um, a <span style="font-style: italic;">misunderstanding</span>. Yeah, I can't explain it, either.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span>, well, she's getting good at <span style="font-style: italic;">abusing her power</span>. That's about all need be said about her this issue.<br /><br />Recent issues have been pretty good, and this week was <span style="font-style: italic;">quite a disappointment</span>. There seemed to be<span style="font-style: italic;"> lots of continuity glitches</span> this week. <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll be back next week</span> when I'll hopefully find <span style="font-style: italic;">something worth writing about</span>.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-89166643486641384332007-10-03T16:11:00.000-04:002007-10-06T03:08:39.494-04:0030 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwgLihVZ5BEep3sujwgGD_GrHk2qkMRDtdhtruKucpR190Jn6JqCxJ8IwLa6jtx1EU7_mg6VYB6MiMM_BPb1wtSsvpn3z_WOFFsPtpD7XxpWFKl-X9s__4KsFY7McG39Gm4llEw/s1600-h/8496_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwgLihVZ5BEep3sujwgGD_GrHk2qkMRDtdhtruKucpR190Jn6JqCxJ8IwLa6jtx1EU7_mg6VYB6MiMM_BPb1wtSsvpn3z_WOFFsPtpD7XxpWFKl-X9s__4KsFY7McG39Gm4llEw/s320/8496_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117207437685918514" border="0" /></a>The numbers are <span style="font-style: italic;">getting smaller,</span> and the stories are <span style="font-style: italic;">getting bigger</span>. In another month we'll reach the <span style="font-style: italic;">halfway point</span>, and at that mark the title changes to <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Countdown To Final Crisis"</span>. The storyline<span style="font-style: italic;"> is getting more cohesive</span>, less a random series of events and more a story that's going somewhere. <span style="font-style: italic;">If only the book had started this way</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olsen</span> is still being tested by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cadmus</span>, and things are still <span style="font-style: italic;">out of control</span>. He seemingly splits in two -- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stretchable Olsen</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Giant Ghostly Olsen</span>. They're both <span style="font-style: italic;">sharing the same mind</span>, but the stretchable one feels he <span style="font-style: italic;">has </span>to escape, and leaves <span style="font-style: italic;">via the sewers</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Immaterial Olsen</span> confirms that it's <span style="font-style: italic;">as gross as it sounds</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaC0RLUUK23u_TW4L0ak1h3cFvQna-WQFXIsj8wZ8dtPqQC1iIM7020ETn7Rtvo1xR0UoGnNXQnSvqprh4MgupcjeKXCQ18mfzZe69EESJm2tYWgj6wczxPmyDjtZgNt0yP3AcA/s1600-h/9_19previews_17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaC0RLUUK23u_TW4L0ak1h3cFvQna-WQFXIsj8wZ8dtPqQC1iIM7020ETn7Rtvo1xR0UoGnNXQnSvqprh4MgupcjeKXCQ18mfzZe69EESJm2tYWgj6wczxPmyDjtZgNt0yP3AcA/s320/9_19previews_17.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117216006145674050" border="0" /></a>The big Ghostly Olsen just jogged my memory. <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>once had a feature called <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Cave Carson - Inside Earth"</span>. One of the stories <span style="font-style: italic;">dealt with people being split</span>, the ghostly half looking much as Jimmy does here. I'm wondering if the writers might have <span style="font-style: italic;">delved back that far</span> and connected this to that? If so, kudos.<br /><br />I'm wondering how he could <span style="font-style: italic;">so easily escape</span> through the sewers. First of all, you'd think they'd <span style="font-style: italic;">have precautions</span> against just such a thing, and second <span style="font-style: italic;">they'd want to avoid infiltration</span> through the same means. It's <span style="font-style: italic;">been obvious</span> for decades that Cadmus has <span style="font-style: italic;">crappy security</span>, but I had no idea they were <span style="font-style: italic;">this sloppy</span>. Three million dollar robot guards and yet they leave the drains uncovered. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Sheesh!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una </span>are taken to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brother Eye</span> by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddy Blank</span>. Brother Eye (who comes across <span style="font-style: italic;">in this incarnation</span> as somewhat like <span style="font-weight: bold;">HAL-9000</span>) immediately diagnoses the problem. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Val </span>(Karate Kid) has been <span style="font-style: italic;">infected with the OMAC virus</span>. It's in an incomplete form, but still <span style="font-style: italic;">enough to prove fatal</span>. However, there's a <span style="font-style: italic;">second virus </span>there, which seems to be interacting. Brother Eye closes with an enigmatic "<span style="font-weight: bold;">It seems the great disaster has come to me.</span>"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFERD2vkXzHlLUxuFFSldG6VgG20NWg-7s3uLqXK16JTEt_NrNKgtDB2oIjunt8iQQwMxItGnH_toww49ZARhmkLdGqOSs-j9lr_MAicT-8zifbrjS9OM2oWyk3Y_3QlmhLw2TQ/s1600-h/8367_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFERD2vkXzHlLUxuFFSldG6VgG20NWg-7s3uLqXK16JTEt_NrNKgtDB2oIjunt8iQQwMxItGnH_toww49ZARhmkLdGqOSs-j9lr_MAicT-8zifbrjS9OM2oWyk3Y_3QlmhLw2TQ/s320/8367_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118109483897293666" border="0" /></a>It's probably worth noting that I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">somewhat irked</span> as I write this. Due to my computer doing a <span style="font-weight: bold;">choke-n-puke</span>, I lost <span style="font-style: italic;">everything </span>I'd originally written <span style="font-style: italic;">beyond this point</span>. Ah well, such is life.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> reaches <span style="font-weight: bold;">Themyscria</span> at last, or at least <span style="font-style: italic;">almost </span>reaches it. The <span style="font-style: italic;">warrior candidates</span> end up having to swim for land while fighting a school of <span style="font-style: italic;">extremely large, vicious, eyeless sharks</span>. I know Holly has been suspecting that something is off-kilter, but this, if naught else, should be a <span style="font-style: italic;">flare-lit tip off</span> that something is <span style="font-style: italic;">seriously wrong</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>are <span style="font-style: italic;">hanging around</span> the battle between the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice League </span>and the villains, mainly to make sure the league <span style="font-style: italic;">took their warnings seriously</span>. Foolhardy at best, they <span style="font-style: italic;">manage to do some good</span> when they destroy the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker</span>'s plan for ruining the wedding while they get their revenge on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poison Ivy</span>.<br /><br />In making their getaway, they are taken by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ace Of Spades</span> from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Royal Flush Gang</span>. He's apparently a fan of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dexter</span>, since he <span style="font-style: italic;">copies a scene</span> from the very first episode of the series. <span style="font-style: italic;">Good taste in television</span>, not that it's likely to please Piper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KdHVy-jps6LsuOZeLvpc5EzngEuZ1EgX_u7PBMVKSMzwBEOGIA2cSO_CUL7fE6hX_LmrvzE8_EYP-aTSSmJz_mrS3oSBpHP4WYwsvPR317haonk0OXTC9QFbkgcIr2hDriv8ZA/s1600-h/8489_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KdHVy-jps6LsuOZeLvpc5EzngEuZ1EgX_u7PBMVKSMzwBEOGIA2cSO_CUL7fE6hX_LmrvzE8_EYP-aTSSmJz_mrS3oSBpHP4WYwsvPR317haonk0OXTC9QFbkgcIr2hDriv8ZA/s320/8489_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118113448152107890" border="0" /></a>Which brings us to <span style="font-style: italic;">the last storyline</span> seen this week. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers </span>have now reached<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-15</span>, where they meet <span style="font-style: italic;">other versions</span> of themselves. This world appears to be what we once all envisioned for the future of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC Universe</span>, back in <span style="font-style: italic;">the days when everything seemed simple</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span> has become <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wonder Woman</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span> has grown up to be the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman</span>. (By the way, <span style="font-style: italic;">this version</span> of Jason is a prick, too, though it <span style="font-style: italic;">works better</span> with the Batman costume.) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span>'s daughter (?) has become the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Atom</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyle Rayner</span> is, um, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span>. This is pretty much <span style="font-style: italic;">back in the seventies</span> how we thought <span style="font-style: italic;">the future would unfold </span>. <br /><br />Seeing this, there's <span style="font-style: italic;">a bit of nostalgia</span> for what never was, and I'm glad that <span style="font-style: italic;">somewhere</span> there's an earth where the dreams from <span style="font-style: italic;">a more innocent time</span> came true.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-27388912303345675582007-09-28T00:37:00.000-04:002007-09-29T19:02:53.215-04:0031 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjl9OwPB9C4O_l28r07jbJ8TiuEQ8PNrWxrNP4JP2R3i-wdEtX2g2wiCXlRY8MYYc7icvxygWq88XhnWRLya9zETTswu_qmpBCFC4QBlX0_D3XtoD-Jcy-mDcChbsfVEiRn2GAA/s1600-h/7982_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjl9OwPB9C4O_l28r07jbJ8TiuEQ8PNrWxrNP4JP2R3i-wdEtX2g2wiCXlRY8MYYc7icvxygWq88XhnWRLya9zETTswu_qmpBCFC4QBlX0_D3XtoD-Jcy-mDcChbsfVEiRn2GAA/s320/7982_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115116011951065810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 31</span>... and <span style="font-style: italic;">I am feeling better</span>, thank you very much.<br /><br />We begin this week, with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers</span>. Now on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-3</span> and looking for the long-missing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span>, they <span style="font-style: italic;">immediately </span>run into the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crime Society</span>.<br /><br />The Crime Society is an intriguing new version of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Grant Morrison</span>'s <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crime Syndicate</span>, itself an update of the old <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-3 Crime Syndicate</span>. All these, of course, are <span style="font-style: italic;">alternate versions</span> of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice League</span>.<br /><br />They fight the Society, and <span style="font-style: italic;">spend about as much time bickering</span> amongst themselves, finally leaving when "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob</span>" determines that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span> isn't there. When they leave, they have an addition, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jokester</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rIdrD9Tt2nupiwUcs4Gs4Ub9tatdgPbe9zxzam0-5uNupw_yfuSC5a9aNAvMXIIhxYPKkhSJgJAVyy25INS0uqkyXGpf1hyphenhyphencluE3fbmP6eziG7tGpDFBxSyDVSywvBypMZ-57w/s1600-h/8485_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rIdrD9Tt2nupiwUcs4Gs4Ub9tatdgPbe9zxzam0-5uNupw_yfuSC5a9aNAvMXIIhxYPKkhSJgJAVyy25INS0uqkyXGpf1hyphenhyphencluE3fbmP6eziG7tGpDFBxSyDVSywvBypMZ-57w/s320/8485_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115657328154217202" border="0" /></a><br />This is one time when <span style="font-style: italic;">I wish there wasn't so much advance promotion</span>. Between the internet news sites and <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC'</span>s own site, we have <span style="font-style: italic;">a fairly good idea</span> what's coming up -- heck, I've already read next week's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers </span>segment, where they visit <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-15</span>. The problem with all the promos and advance peeks is that <span style="font-style: italic;">there's very few surprises left</span>. We know the broad outlines of what's coming, and just <span style="font-style: italic;">wait for it to play out</span>.<br /><br />The Jokester could have been <span style="font-style: italic;">quite a delightful surprise</span> dropped into the mix, but we already <span style="font-style: italic;">know </span>he's a 'good' version of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker</span>, going to join the team, and the father of the late, lamented, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Duela Dent</span> (aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Joker's Daughter</span> also aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harlequin</span>). Kinda<span style="font-style: italic;"> takes the edge off</span> those revelations, doesn't it?<br /><br />I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">not suggesting</span> going back to the old model of <span style="font-style: italic;">telling us nothing</span> until the book is released, but there <span style="font-style: italic;">has to be</span> a happy medium. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doesn't there?<br /><br />Monarch</span>, by the way, stops by Earth-3 to recruit the Crime Society to join his forces. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown: Arena</span> tie-in?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWpdIDiXKbvSHDZ_xfqcqww70rNoBzDvBMHTDvJrmfp__xvCFW2ivCPnw0a4uIf6Kv8nAI6uaaFxpr2Xp8dmfS-rtgfFBl-2r_jHKrcbegKjuYSCtyQz2BcioP1TKQWLzW81arg/s1600-h/8486_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWpdIDiXKbvSHDZ_xfqcqww70rNoBzDvBMHTDvJrmfp__xvCFW2ivCPnw0a4uIf6Kv8nAI6uaaFxpr2Xp8dmfS-rtgfFBl-2r_jHKrcbegKjuYSCtyQz2BcioP1TKQWLzW81arg/s320/8486_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115658384716172034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Oh, by the way, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Carrot</span> (pictured somewhere to the right if all works correctl;y) is part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>mix. I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">not sure which earth</span> is his, but the coming <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Carrot And The Final Ark</span> miniseries is a Countdown tie-in.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> is leaving for Paradise Island. She knows <span style="font-style: italic;">something is wrong</span> here, but can't <span style="font-style: italic;">quite </span>put fer finger on it yet. She sends a letter containing her suspicions to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Selina Kyle</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Catwoman</span>), but makes the <span style="font-style: italic;">tactical error</span> of mailing it from the shelter's front desk, where it's <span style="font-style: italic;">promptly destroyed</span>.<br /><br />One suspects she should be <span style="font-style: italic;">a little less trusting</span> of those whom she's suspicious. One <span style="font-style: italic;">ongoing theme</span> buried in the subtext of Countdown is the question of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Who can you trust?</span>". Who are your friends and who are your enemies? As we've seen <span style="font-style: italic;">amply demonstrated</span>, everyone who helps you is not your friend, and everyone who thwarts you is not your enemy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> would do well to realize this, but I'm thinking i<span style="font-style: italic;">t's a bit too late</span> for that at this point. She <span style="font-weight: bold;">kills </span>three security guards by <span style="font-style: italic;">turning them to stone</span>. It's pretty much done <span style="font-style: italic;">without remorse</span> and without reflection. Yeah, <span style="font-style: italic;">in theory</span> she (or some other magic-user?) <span style="font-style: italic;">could reverse it</span>, but that's a false argument. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso </span>makes sure one is really dead by <span style="font-style: italic;">breaking off his head</span> with the flick of a finger.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-x0-tMX2YTg1DIzlBeZl1E6uGvmLG-9soQ8cZkC4GEuCK-qSliw1dwW0P_L0sF9gWNmfKyPws2D3aUl4lv5tMOZOn8ucginYotu4MbcVYnyVRHGPFIIt1CPW5buEqMYWQ-DnEw/s1600-h/aparo+-+Spectre.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-x0-tMX2YTg1DIzlBeZl1E6uGvmLG-9soQ8cZkC4GEuCK-qSliw1dwW0P_L0sF9gWNmfKyPws2D3aUl4lv5tMOZOn8ucginYotu4MbcVYnyVRHGPFIIt1CPW5buEqMYWQ-DnEw/s320/aparo+-+Spectre.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115666983240698642" border="0" /></a>One thing -- in comics, <span style="font-style: italic;">how can things like this be reversed?</span> Once they're dead, well, turning their bodies <span style="font-style: italic;">back to flesh</span> would just leave you with <span style="font-style: italic;">fleshy corpses</span>, wouldn't it? Think of how many times the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spectre </span>has killed using just this kind of transformation. (I'm especially reminded of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Fliescher</span>/<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jim Aparo</span> days in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Adventure Comics</span> -- what I consider pretty much <span style="font-style: italic;">the definitive Spectre run</span>.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span> is being tested at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cadmus</span>. Ever noticed these things <span style="font-style: italic;">always go wrong</span>?<br /><br />We've got a first look-in at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mxyzptlk </span>walking his, um, fish and chatting with his girlfriend. For those who came in late, Mxy is a resident of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">5th dimension</span>, and has this thing for amusing himself at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman</span>'s expense. He gets, well, sucked through the 'walls' of his dimension and vanishes.<br /><br />One thing I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">trying to figure out</span>, there once were <span style="font-style: italic;">two of him</span>. You had <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mxyzptlk </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mxyztplk</span>, one from the fifth dimension of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-1</span> and one from the fifth dimension of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth-2</span>. So, nowdays <span style="font-style: italic;">are there still two fifth dimension and two Mxy's</span>? Or is it just the one?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiVCuoUGXXBntiuYqU5qfeNR3cDF63_eKO_0XzL7_thyphenhyphenU2fzJd0gARKNHbVLP_03uLk6Iie4Vs5DPNQbky_tT7ttJaC2ONWuaDYXbBcsocyOv3MJ-yex4Iry9ZkjR2X5ASWE9Ug/s1600-h/RB_Cv168_SOLICIT.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiVCuoUGXXBntiuYqU5qfeNR3cDF63_eKO_0XzL7_thyphenhyphenU2fzJd0gARKNHbVLP_03uLk6Iie4Vs5DPNQbky_tT7ttJaC2ONWuaDYXbBcsocyOv3MJ-yex4Iry9ZkjR2X5ASWE9Ug/s320/RB_Cv168_SOLICIT.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115728714805644066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una </span>find the home of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddy Blank</span>, and ask for information about <span style="font-weight: bold;">Omac</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brother Eye</span>. They also meet (and scare) his grandson. The grandson looks <span style="font-style: italic;">suspiciously familiar</span>. Suppose he might be the once-and-future <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kamandi</span>?<br /><br />Finally, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitors </span>meet (or, conceivably, are <span style="font-style: italic;">still </span>meeting. Don't these folks <span style="font-style: italic;">ever </span>go to the bathroom?) and discuss the Jokester's joining the Challengers. I dunno, though. I've been <span style="font-style: italic;">wondering </span>about the Monitor who has this monomania for stopping the Challengers and the "aberrations".<br /><br />I think he's one of two things: either a proxy for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkseid</span>, or a new (alternate?) incarnation of the A<span style="font-weight: bold;">nti-Monitor</span>.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-40981959738244832302007-09-26T22:18:00.000-04:002007-09-26T22:23:53.980-04:00Dexter... (aka 32 and holding...)My review and comments on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 31</span> will be <span style="font-style: italic;">slightly delayed</span> because of health issues. In the meanwhile, here's a<span style="font-style: italic;"> little plug</span> for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dexter</span>, a great TV series airing on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Showtime</span>. The first episode of season 2 will be on this next Sunday evening. <span style="font-style: italic;">Check it out!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nCTuuqrQUTyAXxcfeHg9ACmMsdyuu7_q31M41URBZG1Q0PLfKNQzpohENENVA1O2Z8ZZt5wU3LOTyadVWozKM7KY30XcEfLLrDa_0vVJMwXaLzm0ueR_q8uzWQ-hwRcBfRKmUw/s1600-h/dexter_season_2_poster.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nCTuuqrQUTyAXxcfeHg9ACmMsdyuu7_q31M41URBZG1Q0PLfKNQzpohENENVA1O2Z8ZZt5wU3LOTyadVWozKM7KY30XcEfLLrDa_0vVJMwXaLzm0ueR_q8uzWQ-hwRcBfRKmUw/s400/dexter_season_2_poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114703500574109282" border="0" /></a>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-91620328465210798912007-09-20T11:03:00.000-04:002007-09-20T12:12:46.305-04:0032 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjbOTI9UeMW1p0dFBL8thUsUx8jLiXNOE2FLtLNR9El41hs4Hn1Hp1_278R-H6vxhOBSLTDhlZJb0XLNZJRAmvG5A9yCGK8ieL2wNbFf5AxwhBY5KpQ06PiV9PhnFbLYJNmgAHQ/s1600-h/_tCTDW-Cv32-ns10001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjbOTI9UeMW1p0dFBL8thUsUx8jLiXNOE2FLtLNR9El41hs4Hn1Hp1_278R-H6vxhOBSLTDhlZJb0XLNZJRAmvG5A9yCGK8ieL2wNbFf5AxwhBY5KpQ06PiV9PhnFbLYJNmgAHQ/s320/_tCTDW-Cv32-ns10001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112303297938577730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Welcome to the batchelorette party... </span>But first:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> discovers <span style="font-style: italic;">she can't trust</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Klarion</span>. Why she jumped to the<span style="font-style: italic;"> snap decision</span> that she could in the first place is a <span style="font-style: italic;">mystery</span>, considering she<span style="font-style: italic;"> just met him</span> moments before. Her emotional reactions have, as we've seen, been regressing from a<span style="font-style: italic;"> reasonably mature level</span> towards those of a <span style="font-style: italic;">small child</span>... Or, to put it into somewhat politically incorrect terms, those of a severely <span style="font-style: italic;">emotionally retarded</span> person.<br /><br />Now, having seen in the past how <span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Adam</span> (the source of her powers) viewed the world in <span style="font-style: italic;">stark black and white</span>, and was always hyper-sensitive to <span style="font-style: italic;">taking offense at the least provocation</span>, one can't help wondering if this emotional immaturity is <span style="font-style: italic;">endemic </span>to this version of the powers? Somewhere, I'm thinking, one of the "gods" who <span style="font-style: italic;">contributes their powers</span> isn't quite what (or who) <span style="font-style: italic;">we've been led to believe</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso </span>finally reveals herself, and I'm guessing she <span style="font-style: italic;">knows more</span> about the nature of Mary's powers than anyone else. How? Not sure, though since Eclipso's powers themselves are <span style="font-style: italic;">rooted in God's powers</span>, it may be a carry-over from that. I <span style="font-style: italic;">don't usually</span> comment on the back feature, but in this case it (the backstory of Eclipso) it's <span style="font-style: italic;">quite pertinent</span>. And, I'll note, it does go <span style="font-style: italic;">into some depth</span> on the Godly source of Eclipso's abilities.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuH7r8JFLUhjz-LyIFqr-7eAE854vzAY3d-nA1tMDJuZpyC624b7jIvaRQe0huyctuLWTryM9wtQbBzTESgv-Z0ThXOxAyVqSNTM85tiBt5M7HKWtJW6m2ZisBbn22eDSGQHAIQ/s1600-h/7789_180x270.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuH7r8JFLUhjz-LyIFqr-7eAE854vzAY3d-nA1tMDJuZpyC624b7jIvaRQe0huyctuLWTryM9wtQbBzTESgv-Z0ThXOxAyVqSNTM85tiBt5M7HKWtJW6m2ZisBbn22eDSGQHAIQ/s320/7789_180x270.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112308451899332946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span>, who's looking increasingly <span style="font-style: italic;">frazzled</span>, winds up at our old friends <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Cadmus Project</span> (another <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jack Kirby</span> creation). He starts to <span style="font-style: italic;">unburden himself</span> of the reasons he wants to be a super-hero. You can <span style="font-style: italic;">feel the earnestness</span>, and the feeling that he's <span style="font-style: italic;">an outsider wanting to join the fraternity</span>. It's interesting how his storyline here <span style="font-style: italic;">careens </span>between low humor and pathos. I'm sure it's on purpose, but it certainly complicates <span style="font-style: italic;">getting a handle</span> on his storyline.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers of the Undefined</span> take a <span style="font-style: italic;">wrong turn at Albuquerque</span> and end up on <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Earth-30</span>, in which there's a Soviet-era <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman</span>. They <span style="font-style: italic;">get out of there posthaste</span>, and end up on <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Earth-3</span>, the home of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crime Syndicate</span>. This is the world where <span style="font-style: italic;">their equivilant of our heroes</span> are evil and <span style="font-style: italic;">rule the world</span>.<br /><br />Of course they immediately run into the Syndicate.<br /><br />When did <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyle Rayner</span> change from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Crab-Face</span> to the more traditional <span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span> garb? One suspects there was a degree of <span style="font-style: italic;">miscommunication on the art side</span>. Either that of there's been a degree of miscommunication on the <span style="font-style: italic;">reader side</span>. Isn't this why there's <span style="font-style: italic;">supposed to be editors</span>? Perhaps they should be <span style="font-style: italic;">less involved in the plotting </span>of the story (Leave it to the writers? What a radical idea!) and more involved in making sure the product is <span style="font-style: italic;">ready to go out the door</span>?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhau7V38REQoiVceU7yJHazoUgD1armVI7zjAFK_4ogZzsj4y5CJJzFIOp-Jw-45O_fDut_OgRN88u4xzHT4Zp9IZLyUrmjCnuBHAE0GCiZR-c8SLzdVbrCjcqCsUHpMKyj1I7s1Q/s1600-h/8327_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhau7V38REQoiVceU7yJHazoUgD1armVI7zjAFK_4ogZzsj4y5CJJzFIOp-Jw-45O_fDut_OgRN88u4xzHT4Zp9IZLyUrmjCnuBHAE0GCiZR-c8SLzdVbrCjcqCsUHpMKyj1I7s1Q/s320/8327_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112316831380527458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pied Piper</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster</span> manage their escape from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna</span>'s house, but in the process they manage to create <span style="font-style: italic;">a fair amount of pandemonium</span> at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Canary</span>'s batchelorette party. I wonder <span style="font-style: italic;">whose Porsche</span> they stole?<br /><br />At to the party itself, there's <span style="font-style: italic;">way too much going on</span> for me to even begin to summarize. The highlight for me was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Supergirl </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stargirl</span>'s attempts to <span style="font-style: italic;">get their hands on</span> some alcoholic beverages. <span style="font-style: italic;">Heh</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy it. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The party itself is worth the price of the issue</span>.<br /><br />----------------<br />Now playing: <a href="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/bread/track/mother+freedom" title="'Bread - Mother Freedom' - open on FoxyTunes Planet">Bread - Mother Freedom</a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-style: italic;font-size:10;" >via <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" href="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/" title="FoxyTunes - Web of music at your fingertips">FoxyTunes</a></span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-13214674713997173212007-09-13T08:44:00.000-04:002007-09-13T13:09:42.232-04:0033 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzN8ghURnp8pnQdKXgmA362wuCCkhSQ-ohEu_5kLl3letPIOmVbB3-qbLeqpHMw7sEhU8KRwtTvLrsq3SqHRsbE6XqEL5KkN5xvhljmK1_Mgl2I_Sg2w_xjYDZZnrH2ZC2dEoBw/s1600-h/8194_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzN8ghURnp8pnQdKXgmA362wuCCkhSQ-ohEu_5kLl3letPIOmVbB3-qbLeqpHMw7sEhU8KRwtTvLrsq3SqHRsbE6XqEL5KkN5xvhljmK1_Mgl2I_Sg2w_xjYDZZnrH2ZC2dEoBw/s320/8194_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109680697427227762" border="0" /></a>Starting with the cover, there's a new element in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 33</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyle Rayner</span> is on the cover, and he's back wearing the<span style="font-style: italic;"> 'crab-face'</span> version of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span> uniform. <span style="font-style: italic;">Am I the only person</span> who <span style="font-style: italic;">liked </span>the crab-face mask? Back when he was the <span style="font-style: italic;">only </span>Green Lantern, and his original costume didn't match the traditional <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hal Jordan</span> version, there was a lot of flack tossed <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC</span>'s way. I liked the different costume. It <span style="font-style: italic;">looked good</span>, and in the time-travel issues (where Kyle fights <span style="font-style: italic;">side-by-side</span> with a young Hal Jordan) Kyle's design <span style="font-style: italic;">stood up well</span> against the traditional model.<br /><br />Inside? Yes, it's Kyle! <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Challengers Of The Whatever</span> are trying to get <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span> back from the evil <span style="font-weight: bold;">Queen Belthera</span>, and failing, when Kyle drops from the sky <span style="font-style: italic;">seemingly out of nowhere</span> (durn, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Guardians Of The Universe</span> really <span style="font-style: italic;">are </span>omniscient!), he grabs right into the portal and <span style="font-style: italic;">drags </span>Donna back.<br /><br />It seems Kyle has been <span style="font-style: italic;">sent </span>by the Guardians to tell <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob The Monitor</span> that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span> (the previous iteration of <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Atom</span>) has <span style="font-style: italic;">left the nanoverse</span> and headed out <span style="font-style: italic;">into the multiverse</span>. Given that Bob <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>a Monitor, and the departures <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> seem to have been <span style="font-style: italic;">all that recent</span>, Isn't Bob supposed to <span style="font-style: italic;">know </span>all this <span style="font-style: italic;">already</span>? After all, monitoring things is <span style="font-style: italic;">supposed </span>to be what the monitors do best. Between Bob and the <span style="font-style: italic;">rest </span>of the Monitors, there certainly seems to be a <span style="font-style: italic;">pronounced lack of omniscience</span>. Good thing the Guardians are <span style="font-style: italic;">on the ball</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwGN_e-g_MATgi3V6SOUdGKCzbQ4wS390orUVtjRY5KGjt94rc35834dfU_wdIpqE8a4g-mvBPQc5PI9vVAoSz30TOKeMXQKcgRMUx0_2rgSRTaxxKS-xsaoT92tv95Crl_LdRw/s1600-h/8338_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwGN_e-g_MATgi3V6SOUdGKCzbQ4wS390orUVtjRY5KGjt94rc35834dfU_wdIpqE8a4g-mvBPQc5PI9vVAoSz30TOKeMXQKcgRMUx0_2rgSRTaxxKS-xsaoT92tv95Crl_LdRw/s320/8338_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109725850418410626" border="0" /></a>Kyle seems <span style="font-style: italic;">awfully </span>friendly to Donna Troy, considering that, <span style="font-style: italic;">last time I looked</span>, he was her <span style="font-weight: bold;">ex</span>-boyfriend. Gee, it's nice to know they still get along <span style="font-style: italic;">so well</span>. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span> (The.. oh, you know who he is.) get <span style="font-style: italic;">snagged up</span> by a <span style="font-style: italic;">giant hand</span>. Where the hand might be coming from, I dunno. Considering they're in the <span style="font-style: italic;">nanoverse</span>, at least <span style="font-style: italic;">two levels deep</span>, it can't be someone from "our" level of reality. They've <span style="font-style: italic;">not bug sized</span>, they're sub-atomic in scale. So <span style="font-style: italic;">where's</span> the hand coming from? More importantly, who? If not for the <span style="font-style: italic;">bare skin</span> on the hand, I'd almost suspect <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Spectre</span>. But no, despite the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Neal Adams</span>-inspired art this issue, I <span style="font-style: italic;">seriously </span>doubt he'd be brought into this mix, especially at this late date.<br /><br />Once <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Atom</span> is <span style="font-style: italic;">taken</span>, the majority opinion is to <span style="font-style: italic;">forget him and move on</span> in the search for Ray Palmer. I <span style="font-style: italic;">understand </span>how important finding him may be, but I tend to <span style="font-style: italic;">agree with Kyle </span>that one <span style="font-style: italic;">doesn't</span> just <span style="font-style: italic;">leave a man behind</span>. For good or ill, it comes across as much too <span style="font-style: italic;">cold</span>. It <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely </span>tends to prejudice me <span style="font-style: italic;">against </span>the team. I thought <span style="font-style: italic;">a big part</span> of the reason for the <span style="font-style: italic;">series of crises</span> was to <span style="font-style: italic;">remove the moral ambiguities</span> from the heroes, and <span style="font-style: italic;">let them be heroes again</span>. This certainly <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't helping</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe819VrowAGZ7kZ1b5Ja5yJUuvhWkRbnbU67UsA7FjuJodpNJTkf4QLVlr7Jy1m3T8Z03-QLjXM2iYI0Up2fyDzJh9NKUCpYijCkjvhxdOwQCPXJu6d6c-uJzX1zAXuSjgF1FQoQ/s1600-h/8149_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe819VrowAGZ7kZ1b5Ja5yJUuvhWkRbnbU67UsA7FjuJodpNJTkf4QLVlr7Jy1m3T8Z03-QLjXM2iYI0Up2fyDzJh9NKUCpYijCkjvhxdOwQCPXJu6d6c-uJzX1zAXuSjgF1FQoQ/s320/8149_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109730798220735634" border="0" /></a>The art, by the way, has <span style="font-style: italic;">picked up</span> in the last week or two, and the Neal Adams style <span style="font-style: italic;">rendering isn't bad</span>, though there's a few panels with some <span style="font-style: italic;">clumsy </span>interpretations of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keith Giffen</span>'s layouts. All-in-all, though, they're <span style="font-style: italic;">improving greatly</span> in the art end of things.<br /><br />Turning away from the sub-atomic realm, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wally West</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Flash</span>) is still dealing with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pied Piper</span>. He becomes <span style="font-style: italic;">convinced of their innocence</span>, takes them to a safe place, and warns them to stay put -- <span style="font-style: italic;">or else</span>. Of course, Trickster's <span style="font-style: italic;">first instinct</span> is to escape, and, well, <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>turns out about as well as <span style="font-style: italic;">anything else he does</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Klarion </span>-- <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm having some trouble following just what happened here.</span> Mainly what I got from it is that he's being <span style="font-style: italic;">controlled by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olsen</span> is <span style="font-style: italic;">running for his life</span> from folks who turn out to (arguably) be his friends. Not much more to say here.<br /><br />The editors are <span style="font-style: italic;">finally </span>throwing us a bone with a <span style="font-style: italic;">page of notes on story crossovers</span> so far. It's a <span style="font-style: italic;">big </span>help in finding where stuff is going on that's <span style="font-style: italic;">not shown in the book</span>. I'd still like to see embedded editor's notes or a regular page of notes, but this is at least a <span style="font-style: italic;">big step</span> in the right direction.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-1534539643177308942007-09-07T10:26:00.000-04:002007-09-07T12:15:06.548-04:0034 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrUKShpGjwa5_mjPb4mQi6S5Jm-Cz13ZFAkI_rxDtqJiAWTYGwwmLp1zz_pgny3RhsbCZk05cQWRnRNl57hTWOIWftBWXGNIVBxzcaX3E1s7GsOY4ObuFQ4OCmPAU1H8gie7y9A/s1600-h/8318_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrUKShpGjwa5_mjPb4mQi6S5Jm-Cz13ZFAkI_rxDtqJiAWTYGwwmLp1zz_pgny3RhsbCZk05cQWRnRNl57hTWOIWftBWXGNIVBxzcaX3E1s7GsOY4ObuFQ4OCmPAU1H8gie7y9A/s320/8318_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107473008927171186" border="0" /></a>And then there's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">hanging upside down</span> many stories above the streets of Gotham. As we <span style="font-style: italic;">all </span>know, that's going to be <span style="font-style: italic;">the least of their problems</span>. First a confrontation with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman</span>, followed in quick succession (sorry!) by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash</span>. To say Wally's pissed would be <span style="font-style: italic;">quite </span>an understatement. After all, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pied Piper</span> was his friend, and to have Piper participating in <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Bart</span><span style="font-style: italic;">'s death</span> was <span style="font-style: italic;">beyond unforgivable</span>.<br /><br />Still, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wally</span>'s reaction seems a bit -- off. When they <span style="font-style: italic;">claim </span>that Bart's death <span style="font-style: italic;">wasn't</span> their fault, and they were <span style="font-style: italic;">acting undercover</span>; then tell Flash what <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poison Ivy</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deathstroke </span>are up to, he turns darker and angrier, possibly <span style="font-style: italic;">on the verge of murder</span>. So, is this <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>Wally? <span style="font-style: italic;">Our </span>Wally? What's <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>up here?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LwqhjhZloums5OGXyGKJDWb19CO_akFL-t572yKPJ6IFvLR8k_TrksuFaS1D5kzr5Ps_st7tDtdo8uHX_MvantPylUuQSFFXIAHlD6x2NYvnNJCd4a_C2-JmQY1dhyphenhyphen74pRDgGg/s1600-h/8000_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LwqhjhZloums5OGXyGKJDWb19CO_akFL-t572yKPJ6IFvLR8k_TrksuFaS1D5kzr5Ps_st7tDtdo8uHX_MvantPylUuQSFFXIAHlD6x2NYvnNJCd4a_C2-JmQY1dhyphenhyphen74pRDgGg/s320/8000_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107479932414452354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olsen</span>, meanwhile, is being <span style="font-style: italic;">examined </span>by <span style="font-weight: bold;">John Henry Irons</span> (aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">Steel</span>). They're using machines that are <span style="font-style: italic;">supposedly</span> CAT scanners, albeit "metaphysically different", that look more like<span style="font-style: italic;"> iPod-enabled barber chairs</span>. Things, ahem, <span style="font-style: italic;">go wrong</span>, and Jimmy, with <span style="font-style: italic;">swollen head</span> (one suspects this is an evolved <span style="font-weight: bold;">Future-Jimmy</span> from the silver age) <span style="font-style: italic;">overloads </span>and 'attacks' the machines. I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">just guessing</span> here, but I think <span style="font-style: italic;">the core</span> of Jimmy's issue is that he's carrying the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anti-Life Equation</span> around in his head. This <span style="font-style: italic;">can't</span> be good.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers of the Clueless</span> are still dealing with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Queen Belthera</span>. There's a fight (<span style="font-style: italic;">You don't say!</span>) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span> pushes the Queen <span style="font-style: italic;">into a portal</span> into which the queen <span style="font-style: italic;">wanted </span>to go anyways. At the <span style="font-style: italic;">last instant</span>, Belthera grabs Donna and <span style="font-style: italic;">drags her</span> through the portal with her. Why? I don't know, he's on third, and...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHxiRLYk2nQhXOV1m5QoP4GAR7FVg8n8HMhAD6r4-Zvh6Rh4UB7xWPQ-AdP78JrBJscsxCMXrRR0uTTmpiQWx4RLN78p4OpD6ZG8Dtockeps5_8sM3xw4WCe7k-qH22qzrH4cNQ/s1600-h/8299_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHxiRLYk2nQhXOV1m5QoP4GAR7FVg8n8HMhAD6r4-Zvh6Rh4UB7xWPQ-AdP78JrBJscsxCMXrRR0uTTmpiQWx4RLN78p4OpD6ZG8Dtockeps5_8sM3xw4WCe7k-qH22qzrH4cNQ/s320/8299_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107492168776278706" border="0" /></a><br />Aside from the <span style="font-style: italic;">senselessness </span>of dragging Donna with her (and leaving <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob the Monitor</span> behind), there's the question of when/how/why was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span> turned human again. One <span style="font-style: italic;">senses </span>that Queen Belthera <span style="font-style: italic;">might be powerful</span> in her magic, but <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't the brightest bulb</span> in the fixture.<br /><br />Aside from that, though, the change back <span style="font-style: italic;">obviously did</span> happen, somewhere <span style="font-style: italic;">between issues</span>. A lot of elements in Jimmy Olsen's story have been happening between issues, as well. Jimmy rips <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clark Kent</span>'s shirt open, <span style="font-style: italic;">exposing </span>the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman </span>Suit, and next we see, Superman is introducing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mister Action</span> to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice League of America</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Powers That Be</span> say that what happened between wasn't shown because it was <span style="font-style: italic;">too obvious</span>. Well, yeah, we can <span style="font-style: italic;">guess </span>most of what happened, but <span style="font-style: italic;">why </span>should we have to? <span style="font-style: italic;">Many </span>things, interesting happenings and even discussions might have happened. After all, Jimmy now <span style="font-style: italic;">knows </span>Superman's <span style="font-style: italic;">Secret</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Identity</span>. Maybe they did in one of the Superman titles. <span style="font-style: italic;"> I wouldn't know.</span> I'm way behind on reading them, and shouldn't need to in order to <span style="font-style: italic;">know what's going on</span>. This is just basic storytelling, people.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5LvJSLpyUfqH-Q_t1DXGh48WP7scI1r4ZeeEyv4euG5ZYePrzEJl0ILkbW31vdVmY_YpwEEgx4cPNlShzHD96cmspFOat4DqQXLxTTvtyvaz-atlZ8EYFULHBjCYWzQViTjqeQ/s1600-h/8361_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5LvJSLpyUfqH-Q_t1DXGh48WP7scI1r4ZeeEyv4euG5ZYePrzEJl0ILkbW31vdVmY_YpwEEgx4cPNlShzHD96cmspFOat4DqQXLxTTvtyvaz-atlZ8EYFULHBjCYWzQViTjqeQ/s320/8361_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107490914645828258" border="0" /></a>Again, here's where either an <span style="font-style: italic;">editor's note</span> or a <span style="font-style: italic;">page-of-references</span> would be invaluable. In a title like this, I'd <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>like that page. Something like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kurt Busiek</span> did in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Power Company</span>. It'd point to the <span style="font-style: italic;">backstory </span>elements and where they came from, as well as pointing the reader to <span style="font-style: italic;">connected happenings</span> in other titles. I know <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dan Didio</span> doesn't like them, but they are <span style="font-style: italic;">really needed</span> in order to make the book accessible, and to help it be the '<span style="font-style: italic;">spine</span>' it was meant to be.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> is still fighting <span style="font-style: italic;">in the arena</span>, and her <span style="font-style: italic;">foe </span>turns out to be, as expected, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Athena </span>tells the two of them that they've 'passed', and they're <span style="font-style: italic;">to be taken to Paradise Island</span> to become full <span style="font-style: italic;">Amazons</span>.<br /><br />There's just <span style="font-style: italic;">one little detail</span>. It's been revealed <span style="font-style: italic;">elsewhere</span>, but not in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>, that this <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't really Athena</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaalyIyCQYcDgIFRCgI0uPyY3jQHXUrRPwiLb5d2CmWIRbWZmWZvmncHIji04utFDLBugpQ10TzQFOELeCBR3AJGbSKezV4WqiOZ7giWrReQR7cele-Lwu_HgG7W-DxR_DgD8HCQ/s1600-h/10barda.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaalyIyCQYcDgIFRCgI0uPyY3jQHXUrRPwiLb5d2CmWIRbWZmWZvmncHIji04utFDLBugpQ10TzQFOELeCBR3AJGbSKezV4WqiOZ7giWrReQR7cele-Lwu_HgG7W-DxR_DgD8HCQ/s320/10barda.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107496107261289154" border="0" /></a><br />Athena is being impersonated by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Granny Goodness</span>, one of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkseid</span>'s minions, who's <span style="font-style: italic;">recruiting humans</span> to form a new <span style="font-weight: bold;">Female Furies</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Kind of important stuff to know</span>, and it's <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>as though it was being held as a surprise. After all, it's <span style="font-style: italic;">already been revealed</span> in another title. Editor's note, anyone?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> encounters <span style="font-weight: bold;">Klarion</span>, and at least there's enough in the dialogue to <span style="font-style: italic;">tell us</span> what's going on. <span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued...</span><br /><br />Finally, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una </span>finish their meeting with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elias Orr</span>, who <span style="font-style: italic;">tells them</span> of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brother Eye</span>, and directs them to a scientist named <span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddy Blank</span>. We're obviously <span style="font-style: italic;">getting closer</span> to the world of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Earth A.D. </span><br /><br />Once they go off on their merry way, we discover who's Orr's employer. It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Desaad</span>, another of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkseid</span>'s minions. Seemingly on New Earth, <span style="font-style: italic;">all roads lead to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Apokolips</span>.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-3397163489601357752007-09-06T00:54:00.000-04:002007-09-06T00:58:55.134-04:0035 and holding...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4anhLDdXZDztUYHfLvPfHps1t8nh-K2y2R_hx4C8cT7AduzAjsRRIqEFOREMbBdnGD77C1XQbIjTMQ9-hX0HwI4vnA7xOcZjSo4gBgJKRJplWu4PuxQ5cD8n4EQVkA6TMDlR2A/s1600-h/Ebunny.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4anhLDdXZDztUYHfLvPfHps1t8nh-K2y2R_hx4C8cT7AduzAjsRRIqEFOREMbBdnGD77C1XQbIjTMQ9-hX0HwI4vnA7xOcZjSo4gBgJKRJplWu4PuxQ5cD8n4EQVkA6TMDlR2A/s400/Ebunny.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106950874047963746" border="0" /></a>It didn't strike me until today that comic shipments were going to be <span style="font-weight: bold;">late </span>this week <span style="font-style: italic;">because of the holiday</span>. Whups! <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">More tomorrow...</span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-18453466903588668572007-08-29T14:20:00.000-04:002007-08-29T16:34:53.817-04:0035 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQWJPQRNoP3b4KAaIGoRUzXVIeJ1FAhehFTjc2s-O7_vLRW-PpWun4NZMOjgpuSlxwHmUyAFlYnIiTaJUypO8f0WfNwSPcTvtn1qLQVh3OMWzRZU4fnbcY5enAzen7RO_rnTgUQ/s1600-h/7635_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQWJPQRNoP3b4KAaIGoRUzXVIeJ1FAhehFTjc2s-O7_vLRW-PpWun4NZMOjgpuSlxwHmUyAFlYnIiTaJUypO8f0WfNwSPcTvtn1qLQVh3OMWzRZU4fnbcY5enAzen7RO_rnTgUQ/s320/7635_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104191598078452258" border="0" /></a>We've arrived at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 35</span>. Please <span style="font-style: italic;">return </span>your seatbacks and tray tables to their <span style="font-style: italic;">upright and locked position</span>.<br /><br />In the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Palmerverse</span>, um, <span style="font-weight: bold;">nanoverse</span>, our heroes (<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Challengers of Whatever</span>) awaken to find they're <span style="font-style: italic;">prisoners </span>of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Queen Belthera</span>, who claims to <span style="font-style: italic;">rule </span>the dimension. She <span style="font-style: italic;">transforms </span>the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Atom</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span>, into a bug creature. Malicious or <span style="font-style: italic;">uncaring and capricious</span>? Umm. I'm going for <span style="font-style: italic;">malicious</span>.<br /><br />Perhaps <span style="font-style: italic;">a tad predictable,</span> especially her 'turning' of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob the Monitor</span>, but then again, it <span style="font-style: italic;">does </span>fit in with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkseid </span>plot. <span style="font-style: italic;">Looks like </span>he's going to have some competition for <span style="font-style: italic;">ruling the multiverse</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span>, still under the influence of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso</span>, continues her battle with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna</span>. Now, however, Zatanna has <span style="font-style: italic;">regained </span>her footing, and she <span style="font-style: italic;">wipes the floor</span> with Mary. She not only shows her the door, she makes it impossible for Mary to <span style="font-style: italic;">ever </span>find Shadowcrest again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olsen</span>, once again, has had his dreams <span style="font-style: italic;">shot down</span>. Auditioning with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice League</span>, his powers failed because he wasn't <span style="font-style: italic;">truly </span>in danger.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una </span>get their face-to-face with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elias Orr</span>, who's apparently working for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Checkmate</span>. He <span style="font-style: italic;">claims </span>to have the answers <span style="font-weight: bold;">Val </span>needs, but <span style="font-style: italic;">time will tell</span> (so to speak).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUf2bOoJODym9xSiShaplMznoeXQtUr-cYefEt3Vl9DaPvDG4hCU0jn9da6Pz01GseIaLlBlMV3ZK6jDYt-w7c_X58YSGj9DkrY02Nhn6jw5tnsThQsMDD09RywKlWFDsv9VjZA/s1600-h/CPTCAR_Cv2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUf2bOoJODym9xSiShaplMznoeXQtUr-cYefEt3Vl9DaPvDG4hCU0jn9da6Pz01GseIaLlBlMV3ZK6jDYt-w7c_X58YSGj9DkrY02Nhn6jw5tnsThQsMDD09RywKlWFDsv9VjZA/s320/CPTCAR_Cv2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104209667005866546" border="0" /></a>The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitors </span>(or, as I prefer to think of them, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legion of Righteous Self-Important Arrogant Busybodies</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >*</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">fret </span>about <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyle Rayner</span> (formerly <span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ion</span>, and now <span style="font-weight: bold;">Parallax</span>) and the possibilities for chaos if<span style="font-style: italic;"> a certain low-probability event</span> happens. So, <span style="font-style: italic;">of course</span>, they decide he should be killed, which attempt will presumably <span style="font-style: italic;">precipitate </span>the <span style="font-style: italic;">very event</span> they fear.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >* It just occurred to me that the title could also rightfully belong to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Guardians of the Universe</span>. Maybe that'll be another <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>spin-off? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitors Versus Guardians</span>?</span></span><br /><br />They also, by a '<span style="font-style: italic;">wink and a nod</span>', decide that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob the Monitor</span> must die, as well.<br /><br />No <span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>segment this issue, but based on <span style="font-style: italic;">the next issue's cover</span> I'm guessing they have a <span style="font-style: italic;">major role</span> in that issue.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> begins her "<span style="font-style: italic;">purification ritual</span>", and as she realizes <span style="font-style: italic;">she's being armored</span> but not armed she <span style="font-style: italic;">grows increasingly uncomfortable</span> with the situation. Once the battle starts she <span style="font-style: italic;">kicks butt</span>. Not too big a surprise, since <span style="font-style: italic;">at one time </span>she was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Catwoman</span>. The only person she <span style="font-style: italic;">doesn't</span> wipe the floor with is a <span style="font-style: italic;">masked competitor</span> whose mask carries a sort of <span style="font-style: italic;">smirk</span>. I think I'll <span style="font-style: italic;">go out on a limb</span> here and guess that behind the mask is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2NVcIJZutmjoowmgvS7A7Qkr5efosQ_tECd41seF2V0MGpJx7hUSTfqZmzfqQwA5IS-BzlYBTNu4AUJuI0VVz7bJs8gN__zc7cpoplJPrC_8DlEbgptqLRwu5_pu0tLIZ0POuQ/s1600-h/JLA_Cv15_solicit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2NVcIJZutmjoowmgvS7A7Qkr5efosQ_tECd41seF2V0MGpJx7hUSTfqZmzfqQwA5IS-BzlYBTNu4AUJuI0VVz7bJs8gN__zc7cpoplJPrC_8DlEbgptqLRwu5_pu0tLIZ0POuQ/s320/JLA_Cv15_solicit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104221890482790978" border="0" /></a>You've <span style="font-style: italic;">probably noticed</span> that this week I haven't groused about the art. It's nothing spectacular, but <span style="font-style: italic;">good solid workmanlike drafting</span>. I didn't see anything particularly eye-catching, just <span style="font-style: italic;">good solid art</span>. It's kind of a shame that it's <span style="font-style: italic;">worth remarking</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">on </span>that <span style="font-style: italic;">the art is competent</span>.<br /><br />Again, the story this week was <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing to write home about</span>, but the pacing was <span style="font-style: italic;">much better</span> than in the early issues. Not trying to cover every story in every issue is a <span style="font-style: italic;">good move</span>. It gives the story <span style="font-style: italic;">more room to breathe</span>, allowing it to feel more like a story and<span style="font-style: italic;"> not just an unconnected series of events</span>. I still feel <span style="font-style: italic;">the difference is in the editorial side</span> of things. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Carlin</span> and his assistants have a <span style="font-style: italic;">much better feel for the material</span> than the previous editorial folks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sean McKeever</span> has a <span style="font-style: italic;">good touch</span> with the dialogue and captions. My only objection is that he's <span style="font-style: italic;">overusing </span>one transition technique, where <span style="font-style: italic;">in the last panel of one scene</span> we get the <span style="font-style: italic;">first thought of the next scene</span>. It's a technique that <span style="font-weight: bold;">works</span>, but by the time it's noticeable <span style="font-style: italic;">it's been overdone</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1eDg14AePuiai_Ki89UCkgvck60iSJOSoVE8pko9vONYUNZFFUnQkWVf1kSMb3DaPPhFB5JAYr2IIgGOv9qbtd9pouh2_boQEeM3FxQyXny_g2cdDOpKlo_Tf_V5el47205jgA/s1600-h/SFRP_gaslight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1eDg14AePuiai_Ki89UCkgvck60iSJOSoVE8pko9vONYUNZFFUnQkWVf1kSMb3DaPPhFB5JAYr2IIgGOv9qbtd9pouh2_boQEeM3FxQyXny_g2cdDOpKlo_Tf_V5el47205jgA/s320/SFRP_gaslight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104222912685007442" border="0" /></a>What can I say, if that's my <span style="font-style: italic;">biggest kvetch</span> with the issue then the book is <span style="font-style: italic;">on the right track</span>.<br /><br />Don't forget, go out and <span style="font-style: italic;">spend </span>that three dollars a week for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>. Despite it's faults, I believe the book is <span style="font-style: italic;">well worth your money</span>. Let's show <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>that there's a <span style="font-style: italic;">demand </span>for this type of book.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Please remain seated</span> until the blog comes to <span style="font-style: italic;">a complete and full stop</span>. Thanks for flying <span style="font-weight: bold;">KimAir</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">have yourself a great day!</span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-58706810954101736682007-08-28T16:22:00.000-04:002007-08-28T16:30:03.161-04:00Lies, Damn Lies, and Previews<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZx0oJ2UynR3R0gfEzE3efDWIM3iBCnDNhG9jrWFsYvjgWKNUlADZ14W40Lov65CWskfiRkUt2JxdRXwYKMK7eCElT2I7LgP5UsWmXVKxTnjX8o492OYpKOODt4WCAcYZ9wPpsg/s1600-h/DEANG_Cv1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZx0oJ2UynR3R0gfEzE3efDWIM3iBCnDNhG9jrWFsYvjgWKNUlADZ14W40Lov65CWskfiRkUt2JxdRXwYKMK7eCElT2I7LgP5UsWmXVKxTnjX8o492OYpKOODt4WCAcYZ9wPpsg/s320/DEANG_Cv1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103850178243191314" border="0" /></a>There's been a <span style="font-style: italic;">tendency </span>in recent years for both <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel</span> to <span style="font-style: italic;">lie</span> about forthcoming developments. Both <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dan Didio</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joe Quesada</span> have done this and been caught <span style="font-style: italic;">repeatedly</span>, and basically taken the attitude of <span style="font-style: italic;">'got one by you, didn't I?'</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gone </span>seem to be the days where they'd just <span style="font-style: italic;">shut up</span> about things they didn't want to reveal, or even being truthful but allowing the listener/reader to <span style="font-style: italic;">make wrong assumptions</span>. It now seems to be accepted that<span style="font-style: italic;"> lying is an acceptable tactic</span> to keep plotlines secret.<br /><br />I know that, with the pervasive communications about what's coming up, it takes <span style="font-style: italic;">more creativity</span> to keep the wraps on. We've come <span style="font-style: italic;">a long way</span> from waiting for the next issue of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mediascene </span>or <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Comic Reader</span> to get a few tidbits, but that <span style="font-style: italic;">doesn't</span> give the companies <span style="font-style: italic;">license to lie</span> to the fans.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-39609472537625824232007-08-23T03:59:00.000-04:002007-08-23T22:33:23.031-04:0036 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImZmgImXdyvEKa943sHwcPPJQjHm6zuxM4LDRRmGbyAHkOyhk6ucPEqVHZ_3jsPnAhEW_KjB3_76hBO5rYv_zaUvVd5WqLs5YS7b0fOm9UyBOKhklXX4AlFRQdVRrQOktWrzrvA/s1600-h/7765_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImZmgImXdyvEKa943sHwcPPJQjHm6zuxM4LDRRmGbyAHkOyhk6ucPEqVHZ_3jsPnAhEW_KjB3_76hBO5rYv_zaUvVd5WqLs5YS7b0fOm9UyBOKhklXX4AlFRQdVRrQOktWrzrvA/s320/7765_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101803514657497554" border="0" /></a>DC's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>hits issue <span style="font-weight: bold;">36 </span>this week. For those of you <span style="font-style: italic;">who haven't been paying attention</span>, that<span style="font-style: italic;"> doesn't</span> mean we're <span style="font-style: italic;">36 issues in</span>. It means we have <span style="font-style: italic;">36 left to go</span>.<br /><br />Now that <span style="font-style: italic;">that's</span> settled:<br /><br />We begin this week with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers of the Beyond</span> (or <span style="font-style: italic;">Challengers of Beyond</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">Challengers from Beyond</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">Challengers from the Beyond</span>. It's all <span style="font-style: italic;">kind of confusing</span>, since they were named in <span style="font-style: italic;">convention panels</span> rather than in the book, and there's several versions of the name circulating. Some direction here, <span style="font-style: italic;">please</span>?)...<br /><br />Um.<br /><br />We begin this week with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers of the Whatever</span>, still down in the <span style="font-style: italic;">nanoverse</span>, seemingly <span style="font-style: italic;">stuck </span>and fighting a party of insectoid creatures. They're pretty much <span style="font-style: italic;">defeated</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Atom </span>can't reach his belt controls to <span style="font-style: italic;">shrink </span>his way free, but he <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> reach... <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Eh?</span><br /><br />Is it just me, or is there a <span style="font-style: italic;">slight </span>gap in logic here?<br /><br />Oh, and a mystery (and english-speaking) <span style="font-style: italic;">armored character</span> holds the "bang stick" in question. <span style="font-weight: bold;">How?</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Where is the character speaking from?</span> The visible forearm <span style="font-style: italic;">appears </span>to be 'framed' by, um, tree limbs? The perspective of the scene makes it appear that he (?) is watching them on a screen (or in some sort of scrying portal). I'm wondering whether <span style="font-weight: bold;">Giffen</span>'s layouts <span style="font-style: italic;">more clearly showed</span> the character in front of a viewer and the penciller <span style="font-style: italic;">misinterpreted </span>it. And the 'tree limbs'? There's <span style="font-style: italic;">indication </span>in one panel (page 2, panel 2) that there's trees around, maybe. They could as easily be part of some <span style="font-style: italic;">floating rocks </span>in this <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brunner</span>-inspired level. I'm deliberately <span style="font-weight: bold;">not </span>looking back to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 37</span> to see whether there were trees around. <span style="font-style: italic;">If I have to do that to find out, the artist failed.</span><br />I've got a <span style="font-style: italic;">lot </span>more criticisms of the art in this issue. I'll mention some elsewhere, but it looks like the artists <span style="font-style: italic;">just aren't very good</span>. I'm sort of used to their slotting some <span style="font-style: italic;">second-tier</span> artists into the mix on the weekly books, but <span style="font-style: italic;">this past two weeks</span> we seem to be <span style="font-style: italic;">dredging </span>down to the <span style="font-style: italic;">third-tier</span>. I'm sorry if this offends anyone (mainly the <span style="font-style: italic;">artists in question</span> and their <span style="font-style: italic;">wives </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">girlfriends</span>), but it's true. They're just <span style="font-style: italic;">not ready for prime time</span> -- a major book from one of the 'big two'.<br /><br />At least <span style="font-style: italic;">this week</span> we can see that the artists <span style="font-style: italic;">did </span>render the book instead of <span style="font-style: italic;">tracing over the layouts</span>. Some of the linework shows up a bit, well, strange. It's not that the artist has a quirky style, it's just a <span style="font-style: italic;">lack of experience</span>. More on this later.<br /><br />Aside from the art, <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing much</span> has gone on with this plotline for a while. They've <span style="font-style: italic;">shrunk </span>to a world which looks <span style="font-style: italic;">kinda </span>like the Amazon-ish jungle where <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span> used to live. They've shrunk from there to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frank Brunner</span> inspired cosmos where they got some <span style="font-style: italic;">hints </span>to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Great Disaster</span>. I know <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>has faith in this 'team' -- there's a number of <span style="font-style: italic;">specials </span>scheduled, and rumors of a <span style="font-style: italic;">regular monthly title</span> later, so shouldn't they be having more happen than acting as a <span style="font-style: italic;">placeholder </span>waiting for the specials?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdVwxXpd1_7_opRy2noaKMBeOhhyFL-LjREbPf7hmKZ-D_YU25GpDcTj7NWgZzbPR6dDM1UdM6waAF0qNmqrac6jN8fZJ6cgSE-9ggPpTItpDq9hWP9aNWACddsgktRBxW2nwlg/s1600-h/BOOG_Cv4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdVwxXpd1_7_opRy2noaKMBeOhhyFL-LjREbPf7hmKZ-D_YU25GpDcTj7NWgZzbPR6dDM1UdM6waAF0qNmqrac6jN8fZJ6cgSE-9ggPpTItpDq9hWP9aNWACddsgktRBxW2nwlg/s320/BOOG_Cv4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102053945610592738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna </span>is still training <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> in magic, until Mary <span style="font-style: italic;">explodes </span>over nothing. It turns into a <span style="font-style: italic;">major battle</span>, tearing up Zatanna's house and <span style="font-style: italic;">unleashing </span>various <span style="font-style: italic;">magical energies</span>. Mary is operating on a level of <span style="font-style: italic;">pure emotion</span>, not intellect, but there's more than that. It's not unlike <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lindsay Lohan</span> being told that <span style="font-style: italic;">she can't get plastered, do lines, and have semi-public sex on the riverboat in Disneyland</span>. What's that you say? <span style="font-style: italic;">Reports are that she did just that?</span> I'm sure it's just a <span style="font-style: italic;">pernicious rumor</span>.<br /><br />It's all about the <span style="font-style: italic;">sense of entitlement</span> that means there's a <span style="font-style: italic;">blow-up</span> when anyone tells her <span style="font-weight: bold;">"no"</span>. She's been increasingly unstable since gaining <span style="font-weight: bold;">Teth Amon</span>'s (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Adam</span>'s) powers, but this time <span style="font-style: italic;">it's way over the top</span>. Is it the <span style="font-style: italic;">levels of power</span> that're hard to adjust to, or <span style="font-style: italic;">something intrinsic</span> in the powers? You might think so, but <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span>.<br /><br />It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean Loring</span> must have found her way free. Where did this happen? Is this a <span style="font-style: italic;">new </span>development, or <span style="font-style: italic;">did I miss it</span> in a title I don't read? She's <span style="font-style: italic;">manipulating </span>Mary, freeing her from <span style="font-style: italic;">moral constraints</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">all maturity</span> in her responses. Why? We'll find out, though I suspect this thread <span style="font-style: italic;">may yet converge</span> with the impending <span style="font-weight: bold;">Great Disaster</span> plotline.<br /><br />Speaking of which, last week the book was <span style="font-style: italic;">rife </span>with foreshadowing. This week, nothing. It might be coincidence, but it <span style="font-style: italic;">reads to me</span> like someone made the decision that they should be <span style="font-style: italic;">inserted </span>last week to please the fans, and this week it's been forgotten. There's a <span style="font-style: italic;">lot </span>of improvement in the pacing recently, but this seems <span style="font-style: italic;">awkward</span>. The references, maybe, could be sprinkled <span style="font-style: italic;">a tad</span> more evenly? Larding one issue with it, then <span style="font-style: italic;">dropping it</span> next issue just seems clumsy.<br /><br />There seems to be <span style="font-style: italic;">lots </span>of folks around '<span style="font-style: italic;">New Earth</span>' who have more than an inkling of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Great Disaster</span> and what it all means, but aside from <span style="font-style: italic;">cryptic comments</span> they haven't shared their knowledge, even among the <span style="font-style: italic;">hero community</span>. Why? There must be a <span style="font-style: italic;">damn good reason</span>, but we haven't a clue <span style="font-style: italic;">what </span>the reason might be.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwQCZXsKMaT1PHoPPQWnv-hI9ocgWfOfGJWKVqn1ZiEy2_dTfaP9wthGwUKO-7rt2hbwBnP1i3GUgAofna_-aywApKJHK8ZCq_s_HA5N23PdVYG3oKzE186BV7nFcm6V4cz7-Jg/s1600-h/Countdown+to+Adventure+3+8094_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwQCZXsKMaT1PHoPPQWnv-hI9ocgWfOfGJWKVqn1ZiEy2_dTfaP9wthGwUKO-7rt2hbwBnP1i3GUgAofna_-aywApKJHK8ZCq_s_HA5N23PdVYG3oKzE186BV7nFcm6V4cz7-Jg/s320/Countdown+to+Adventure+3+8094_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102070120457429490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olsen</span> is living inside his own head, thinking he's about to be <span style="font-style: italic;">admitted </span>to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice League of America</span>. Dream on, Jimmy.<br /><br />The art here is <span style="font-style: italic;">particularly weak</span>. Jimmy, when he's shown, looks 'flat'. I'm thinking this is <span style="font-style: italic;">another </span>of those 'inexperienced artist' issues. It's as though the layouts called for certain perspectives, and the artist <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't quite up to the task </span>of illustrating the shots. I'm really thinking <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>needs to <span style="font-style: italic;">re-evaluate who they're assigning to the art duties</span> on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>. They <span style="font-style: italic;">don'</span>t need to lock their A-list artists on the book (although it'd be fascinating to see), but they <span style="font-style: italic;">DO </span>need to use artists who are <span style="font-style: italic;">at least competent</span>. At the <span style="font-style: italic;">very </span>least what about assigning inkers who are able (<span style="font-style: italic;">and authorized</span>) to 'fix' the art when it falls short?<br /><br />One nice touch, done by someone with a <span style="font-style: italic;">wicked </span>sense of humor (whom I suspect to be <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keith Giffen</span>) is the 'Last Supper' arrangement of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">JLA</span>. Any <span style="font-style: italic;">significance </span>to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman </span>being in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Jesus </span>position?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una</span> arrive at the hidden base of the '<span style="font-style: italic;">legendary</span>' <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elias Orr</span>. He was identified to me as being a <span style="font-style: italic;">former henchperson</span> of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lex Luthor</span>. Maybe so -- was he one of the scientists in <span style="font-weight: bold;">52</span>? Here's <span style="font-style: italic;">another </span>of those places where a <span style="font-style: italic;">scorecard is needed</span>. I know they're <span style="font-style: italic;">resisting </span>it <span style="font-style: italic;">fiercely </span>(though they've done it at least once) but either <span style="font-style: italic;">editor's notes</span> or a <span style="font-style: italic;">text page</span> are needed to point readers to <span style="font-style: italic;">needed background info</span>. They seem to feel it's both <span style="font-style: italic;">unnecessary </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">disruptive </span>to the book, but it is <span style="font-style: italic;">really annoying</span> when those moments arrive (in every issue to date) where we <span style="font-style: italic;">need to know</span> more about who these people are and <span style="font-style: italic;">why we should care</span> (and in some cases, how <span style="font-style: italic;">did </span>they get into their current situation).<br /><br />There's been a <span style="font-style: italic;">fair amount</span> of criticism on the title, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>(or at least <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dan Didio</span>) has been <span style="font-style: italic;">quite defensive</span> about their handling of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>. I like the book a lot, but there are some things that <span style="font-style: italic;">need fixing</span> (such as the art) and listening (and maybe even taking action) won't hurt. Don't be defensive. The criticism <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't</span> to impress with <span style="font-style: italic;">our incisive wit</span>, but to help <span style="font-style: italic;">evaluate and improve</span> the book. Happy readers are ones who will <span style="font-style: italic;">return </span>to spend more money on the product, so <span style="font-style: italic;">why not</span> try and please them just a tad?<br /><br />Maybe it's just the way the art was done in this issue, but there's <span style="font-style: italic;">more than a passing resemblance</span> between <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elias Orr</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">R. J. Brande</span>. Given this is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legion of Super-Heroes</span> thread, that's an interesting coincidence.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBEUbGQaXEcCBPcYEYLOXWVKfON373_u48Rt_bqfJiK9Jl5LM4ugmuONy3BtKI1J5UlkQn9D-f9k5Mtzi4nZ4iqne7DLkBIBM13qp1GbpTaZ6QiWgTZ7PInZNSDaxG-MvUw5v-A/s1600-h/HQPKKJ_tpb_cvr.tif.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBEUbGQaXEcCBPcYEYLOXWVKfON373_u48Rt_bqfJiK9Jl5LM4ugmuONy3BtKI1J5UlkQn9D-f9k5Mtzi4nZ4iqne7DLkBIBM13qp1GbpTaZ6QiWgTZ7PInZNSDaxG-MvUw5v-A/s320/HQPKKJ_tpb_cvr.tif.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102086222289822210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There's no <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> / <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span> segment this week, which is a bit of a shame, since the Holly segments and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper</span> / <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>segments are my favorites.<br /><br />Speaking of Piper and Trickster, they left off last issue as prisoners of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poison Ivy</span>, and this issue they <span style="font-style: italic;">talk their way out</span> of it by <span style="font-style: italic;">pretending </span>to have been sent by her new (and unnamed) patron. They manage to <span style="font-style: italic;">string her along</span> until the patron shows up, and <span style="font-style: italic;">boy, he's pissed! </span><br /><br />It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Slade Wilson</span>, aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deathstroke, the Terminator</span>.<br /><br />This (along with the Holly / Harley plot) where I have <span style="font-style: italic;">no idea</span> where the story is going. It doesn't look like it's going to lead into <span style="font-weight: bold;">Salvation Run</span>, but then again <span style="font-style: italic;">who knows</span>?Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-60180249018013133662007-08-15T18:36:00.001-04:002007-08-16T01:16:56.908-04:0037 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NTcJudKWdbiTJrcikm07JwIFquxaPwKezrM6Z_ln8Fsr-nE5LNW_-vWjWtHcnkQP2f342ZfqyxBssPJoxzuSsFUvmpJ2Yaiv-L4hw4hIfA8covV4mE6pmf_G8JP1pvED34MDWA/s1600-h/8153_400x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NTcJudKWdbiTJrcikm07JwIFquxaPwKezrM6Z_ln8Fsr-nE5LNW_-vWjWtHcnkQP2f342ZfqyxBssPJoxzuSsFUvmpJ2Yaiv-L4hw4hIfA8covV4mE6pmf_G8JP1pvED34MDWA/s320/8153_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099113894467592626" border="0" /></a>The tone of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>is evolving. No longer <span style="font-style: italic;">just a series of unconnected events</span>, the story is finally moving <span style="font-style: italic;">forward</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> is told that <span style="font-style: italic;">whatever </span>disease he has, it's either an <span style="font-style: italic;">alien </span>virus or one <span style="font-style: italic;">from the future</span>. Both, maybe?<br /><br />This sets <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una </span>off, with <span style="font-style: italic;">under her breath</span> mutterings about the coming of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Great Disaster</span>. We're seeing a lot of recent indications that <span style="font-style: italic;">it's upon us</span>, and I suppose it's <span style="font-style: italic;">about time</span>. as I recall, when <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jack Kirby</span> originally created stories involving the disaster, it was <span style="font-style: italic;">supposed </span>to have arrived in <span style="font-style: italic;">August of 1984</span>. If that's wrong, it's my <span style="font-style: italic;">swiss-cheesed memory</span> to blame. But I'd <span style="font-style: italic;">swear </span>I once read a story back in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Kirby era</span> that set the Great Disaster for <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">August 28, 1984</span>. Any verification -- or corrections?<br /><br />By the way, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oracle </span>appears to have an <span style="font-style: italic;">MRI unit</span> in her hidden base of operations. Even for the <span style="font-style: italic;">ultimate data geek</span>, this seems a bit much. It's not like she used to be a <span style="font-weight: bold;">physician </span>or something (and even if she had been it would be <span style="font-style: italic;">a bit ludicrous</span>). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Gordon</span> was a <span style="font-style: italic;">librarian </span>who wound up in Washington as a <span style="font-style: italic;">congresscritter</span>. Normally members of congress <span style="font-style: italic;">aren't known</span> for keeping MRI gadgets in their offices. Even <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bill Frist</span> passed <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>opportunity by.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oracle </span>comes up with the dossier on a 'mythical' <span style="font-style: italic;">biotech whiz</span> named <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elias Orr</span>, who just <span style="font-style: italic;">might </span>be good enough to help <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span>. I'm not sure why, but that name feels like it should be ringing a bell somewhere. Does <span style="font-style: italic;">anyone recall</span> seeing a character of that name <span style="font-style: italic;">somewhere </span>in the past of <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>or it's ancestor companies? (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Fawcett</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charlton</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Quality</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wildstorm</span>, etc?)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna </span>arrive at Zatanna's <span style="font-style: italic;">ancestral home</span>, which seems to be a <span style="font-style: italic;">mixture </span>of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">House of Mystery</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hogwarts</span>. Her home, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shadowcrest</span>, seems to be designed along the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tardis </span>lines, that is, <span style="font-style: italic;">much bigger on the inside than the outside</span>. I almost expected to find <span style="font-weight: bold;">Skeeve </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aahz </span>backing through a door while escaping <span style="font-style: italic;">some sort of pickle</span>.<br /><br />I have to note, by the way, that<span style="font-style: italic;"> throughout this issue</span>, the women all seem to have <span style="font-style: italic;">overly-large eyes and big heads</span>. I know that <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?db=dictionary&q=neotony">neotony</a> is a commonly-used way to make characters seem more cute, but it's <span style="font-style: italic;">done to excess</span> here. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna</span>, on <span style="font-style: italic;">page 5</span>, goes from a raven-haired <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Jane Watson</span> to someone who's had about <span style="font-style: italic;">three times too much botox</span> in the course of <span style="font-style: italic;">two panels</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">What happened here?</span> I'm suspecting that someone tried following <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keith Giffen</span>'s <span style="font-style: italic;">layouts </span>a bit too slavishly, <span style="font-style: italic;">without drafting the characters</span> themselves, and wound up <span style="font-style: italic;">thoughtlessly </span>following lines that were <span style="font-style: italic;">never intended for a final rendering</span>. Whatever happened, it looks <span style="font-style: italic;">grotesque</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(I should probably mention that the art accompanying this article is </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">NOT </span><span style="font-style: italic;">from this issue of </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Countdown</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.)</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ztv_In0FdHQfYqXs6PDZoHYbs-n2WkQ_fWOw3Xt3UZTFsZ3wJMmjEnrJkqbqaRLGOS0c29bM2b7pvVq39VNjn9VSvyRREBV5Gk0l5sDx5pO3T6huPrj6_PhMllHEaP4W7CSP-A/s1600-h/7635_400x600.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ztv_In0FdHQfYqXs6PDZoHYbs-n2WkQ_fWOw3Xt3UZTFsZ3wJMmjEnrJkqbqaRLGOS0c29bM2b7pvVq39VNjn9VSvyRREBV5Gk0l5sDx5pO3T6huPrj6_PhMllHEaP4W7CSP-A/s320/7635_400x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099127608298168770" border="0" />Who Dat?</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob the Monitor</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Choi</span> (aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Atom</span>) are now, I understand, considered to be the group <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challengers of Beyond</span>. The impression I'm getting is that, after <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>, this may become it's own title. <span style="font-style: italic;">In the meantime</span>, they've already announced some specials featuring the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Challs</span>.<br /><br />Down at another level of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Palmerverse </span>(which still sounds <span style="font-style: italic;">stoopid</span> to me; anyone mind if I just settle for calling it the <span style="font-weight: bold;">nanoverse</span>?) they've found a group of, um, <span style="font-style: italic;">wizards </span>who're performing <span style="font-style: italic;">some sort of ceremony</span>. They chat with one (small) witch, who looks <span style="font-style: italic;">suspiciously </span>like someone from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Levitz/Giffen Legion of Super-Heroes</span>.<br /><br />In short, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span> has <span style="font-style: italic;">been and gone</span>, and now the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Great Disaster</span> is <span style="font-style: italic;">nearly here</span>, which is why the wizards are <span style="font-style: italic;">scarpering off</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Right Now!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>have a knack, <span style="font-style: italic;">doncha know</span>, for being able to <span style="font-style: italic;">fall into a flower bed</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">end up deep in the fertilizer</span>. That's actually an <span style="font-style: italic;">apt </span>simile, because here they <span style="font-style: italic;">break into a greenhouse</span> to steal vegetables (lo, see how the mighty have fallen) and discover it's the lair of Poison Ivy. As to the question, "what are the odds?", Trickster says it best. <span style="font-style: italic;">"This is </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gotham</span><span style="font-style: italic;">! You can't swing a </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">dead sidekick</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> here without hitting a </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">super-villain</span><span style="font-style: italic;">! We shoulda known the odds'd be </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">pretty damn good</span><span style="font-style: italic;">!"<br /><br /></span>Speaking of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Poison Ivy</span>, her <span style="font-style: italic;">erstwhile partner</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span> is showing more signs that she's <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>over the thing that made her <span style="font-style: italic;">idolize and copy</span> the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker</span>, she's just <span style="font-style: italic;">transferred </span>her allegiance to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Athena</span>. There looks to be, possibly, a bit of a <span style="font-style: italic;">crush </span>on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span>, as well.<br /><br />Finally, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span> is <span style="font-style: italic;">mulling </span>over his attempt at joining the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Teen Titans</span>. Knowing it didn't go at all well, he tries to <span style="font-style: italic;">think through</span> how his powers work. And, in mid-mull, he makes a discovery... He realizes that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clark Kent</span> is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman</span>!<br /><br />How? <span style="font-style: italic;">Dunno</span>, but I'd <span style="font-style: italic;">guess </span>it has much the same mechanism by which he knew who <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span> was when he saw the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Hood</span>.<br /><br />The penciling in this issue is credited to "<span style="font-weight: bold;">David Lopez</span> with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Norton</span>". Inks are "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Don Hillman II</span> with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rod Ramos</span>" The <span style="font-style: italic;">only one</span> here that's much familiar to me is Rod Ramos. I know he's <span style="font-style: italic;">better </span>than what I'm seeing here. By and large I <span style="font-style: italic;">don't think the problem is with the inkers</span>. The penciling, though, looks like someone just <span style="font-style: italic;">enlarged </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keith Giffen</span>'s layouts and did a <span style="font-style: italic;">light penciling</span> on top of them.<br /><br />One <span style="font-style: italic;">strong indication</span> is that a lot of things I'm seeing look much like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keith Giffen</span>'s type of <span style="font-style: italic;">raw layouts</span>. A lot of the time, his layouts aren't so much drawn as <span style="font-style: italic;">cartooned</span>, to give the person doing pencils an idea of <span style="font-style: italic;">what to draw</span>. I'm seeing an <span style="font-style: italic;">awful </span>lot of that <span style="font-style: italic;">bleeding through</span>. Page <span style="font-weight: bold;">12 </span>has a good example. In the first panel, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>are running, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>is rendered like someone out of the old <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mad</span>, back when it was a <span style="font-style: italic;">comic</span>. It looks like, instead of <span style="font-style: italic;">interpreting </span>the layouts, they're tracing them and just adding <span style="font-style: italic;">detail</span>, some of which <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't appropriate</span> for a finished page. See again the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna </span>faces back on page 5.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Something needs to be done</span> to prevent this in future issues. The art teams <span style="font-style: italic;">aren't having to race</span> to do every issue, so <span style="font-style: italic;">why </span>does the art look like it was done in <span style="font-style: italic;">incredible haste</span>?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-21814875433397214522007-08-12T12:26:00.000-04:002007-08-12T14:17:08.095-04:00Final? crisis...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2x8c67G1TimFzVL3XgJBSefZ0vQJ-kveJBrts-b6fQ6daWQpRQwWuI79NSLFQ36HPwMayPKYrGm4kn4doq6hm_BrUI6iZnXBNrc8uXc9FXzNiUSY-LBEgIO8pS5ZhJy6TmXJeiQ/s1600-h/CTARE_1.07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2x8c67G1TimFzVL3XgJBSefZ0vQJ-kveJBrts-b6fQ6daWQpRQwWuI79NSLFQ36HPwMayPKYrGm4kn4doq6hm_BrUI6iZnXBNrc8uXc9FXzNiUSY-LBEgIO8pS5ZhJy6TmXJeiQ/s320/CTARE_1.07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097878463642904274" border="0" /></a>I've been enjoying <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>, really I have. I'm enjoying it more since it's <span style="font-style: italic;">editorial change-over</span>, but I have been liking it since the beginning. <span style="font-style: italic;">But...</span><br /><br />Let's go back several years. We've got a <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC Universe</span> that's <span style="font-style: italic;">fairly cohesive</span> and where <span style="font-style: italic;">things fit together</span>. Problem is, it's <span style="font-style: italic;">more </span>than a bit <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">dark</span>. I'm not really sure how this happened. After the original <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis On Infinite Earths</span>, things were <span style="font-style: italic;">much lighter</span> in tone. We had the <span style="font-weight: bold;">JLI</span>, which was very light, almost to the point of being a <span style="font-style: italic;">humor book</span>. This lasted a while, including various spin-offs, but eventually <span style="font-style: italic;">it was gone</span>, replaced by the darker and more serious <span style="font-weight: bold;">JLA</span>. Which then broke up and was reformed. Which then broke up and was...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman</span>, somewhere in here, <span style="font-style: italic;">lost his way</span>, and he became almost the epitome of dark. New black costume, his <span style="font-style: italic;">back broken</span> (by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bane</span>), and his <span style="font-style: italic;">city destroyed</span>, there was, for me at least, <span style="font-style: italic;">no reason</span> left to read his titles any more. It was a <span style="font-style: italic;">relentlessly depressing</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">out-of-touch</span> reality.<br /><br />The "Post-Crisis" <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman </span>was also lighter in tone, concentrating more <span style="font-style: italic;">on the mythic</span> than on the dark. That started changing when we hit the era of the <span style="font-style: italic;">"Death of Superman"</span>. Somehow, once we were through that, <span style="font-style: italic;">things were never the same.</span> The stakes had been raised, and things were <span style="font-style: italic;">ever-darker</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span>'s city was destroyed <span style="font-style: italic;">in the course of</span> the Superman epic, and it drove him <span style="font-style: italic;">mad</span>. He, well, changed, and became the villain <span style="font-weight: bold;">Parallax</span>. As Parallax he tried to <span style="font-style: italic;">remake the universe</span>. He partially succeeded. What came out of it <span style="font-style: italic;">wasn't</span> the universe he'd wanted, but it was <span style="font-style: italic;">somewhat </span>different, and darker still than the <span style="font-style: italic;">previous iteration</span>. Eventually he <span style="font-style: italic;">redeemed </span>himself saving the earth, and <span style="font-style: italic;">died</span>, only to eventually become the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spectre</span>. Actually his death caused <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hal Jordan</span> to become less dark. His Spectre was more a <span style="font-style: italic;">creature of redemption</span> than of punishment. So, of course, <span style="font-style: italic;">that promptly ended</span> and he went on to his not-so-eternal reward.<br /><br />I could continue on, <span style="font-style: italic;">itemizing the roster</span> of the DC Universe, but why? Hopefully by now you <span style="font-style: italic;">get the idea</span>. As time went on, the universe <span style="font-style: italic;">continued to darken</span>, and the heroes went from heroic to, well, I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">not quite sure</span> how to describe it. Between personal tragedies (such as the <span style="font-style: italic;">new </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span>'s girlfriend being murdered and <span style="font-style: italic;">her body stuffed into a refrigerator</span> for him to find) to <span style="font-style: italic;">less-than heroic</span> behavior (such as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Power Company</span>, the super-team that was just <span style="font-style: italic;">in it for the money</span>).<br /><br />Things <span style="font-style: italic;">hit their nadir</span> when the "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Identity Crisis</span>" struck. Instead of a '<span style="font-style: italic;">cosmic</span>' type crisis, this one was <span style="font-style: italic;">personal </span>and much <span style="font-style: italic;">closer to home</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sue Dibny</span>, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Elongated Man</span>'s wife, was <span style="font-style: italic;">murdered in their home,</span> and all indications were that it was done by one of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice League</span>'s villains. As things developed, we discovered that the League had been doing some <span style="font-style: italic;">less-than-heroic</span> things for quite a while, <span style="font-style: italic;">mindwiping </span>villains and making them more than a little bit <span style="font-style: italic;">ineffectual</span>. THEN it turns out that they did it to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman</span>, as well!<br /><br />The upshot was a further darkening of the DC Universe. The original, 1930's era <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman</span>, who <span style="font-style: italic;">was still alive</span> off in a pocket universe, was increasingly<span style="font-style: italic;"> angered and disappointed</span> in what he saw happening, and <span style="font-style: italic;">took steps </span>to fix things. Of course, things <span style="font-style: italic;">didn</span>'t go to plan, but the world was <span style="font-style: italic;">once again remade </span>in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Infinite Crisis</span>.<br /><br />A major goal of this partial reboot was to <span style="font-style: italic;">'lighten up'</span> the tone of the heroes, and to return them to being, well, <span style="font-style: italic;">more heroic</span>. In some ways it worked. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Justice Society</span> disbanded and then restarted, this time with the idea of '<span style="font-style: italic;">making better heroes</span>'. It made <span style="font-style: italic;">incremental </span>differences in <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman</span>, returning him to gray and lightening him up <span style="font-style: italic;">a fraction</span>. Others, though...<br /><br />In the run-up to the crisis, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wonder Woman</span> killed a villain, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Maximilian Lord</span>. Not by accident, but <span style="font-style: italic;">intentionally</span>. That <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't change </span>in the soft reboot. The intention was there for the <span style="font-style: italic;">universe as a whole</span> to lighten up, but somehow the changes rapidly <span style="font-style: italic;">went by-the board</span>. The first year after the crisis was skipped over, in favor of showing a '<span style="font-weight: bold;">One Year Later</span>' universe where the <span style="font-style: italic;">changes had shaken down</span>. Regrettably, they basically settled down to the <span style="font-style: italic;">status quo ante</span>. Aside from the characters involved in <span style="font-weight: bold;">52 </span>you'd have hardly known a year had passed. Out of <span style="font-weight: bold;">52 </span>we learned that the changes in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Infinite Crisis</span> were <span style="font-style: italic;">more extensive</span> than we'd thought, though not 'here at home'. There were 52 <span style="font-style: italic;">different but identical</span> universes. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mr. Mind</span>, though, managed to <span style="font-style: italic;">disrupt the fabric of spacetime</span>, and all the worlds <span style="font-style: italic;">changed </span>-- so we now have 52 <span style="font-style: italic;">parallel universes</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7zm19v0DMov3stL8RUhSIGzSoATAS-bSR3rHfVNteXWbexo1X888iNPDE_I9_T0kA5rVUl4y5m5bMMN8J1q_FR792rqPVrXCCGNIASKzj4tGd52DxHXa-1bjUwsE04gl_zYfZw/s1600-h/Tangent_copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7zm19v0DMov3stL8RUhSIGzSoATAS-bSR3rHfVNteXWbexo1X888iNPDE_I9_T0kA5rVUl4y5m5bMMN8J1q_FR792rqPVrXCCGNIASKzj4tGd52DxHXa-1bjUwsE04gl_zYfZw/s320/Tangent_copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097877789333038786" border="0" /></a><br />In <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>, we're seeing something -- <span style="font-style: italic;">something?</span> -- going on that's going to change and redefine the <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC Multiverse</span>. Again. And we already know that following Countdown is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Final Crisis</span>.<br /><br />I'm really hoping that Final Crisis is, in fact, <span style="font-style: italic;">final</span>. We've had <span style="font-style: italic;">several years of flux</span> that's taken a well-ordered universe, albeit one which is way too dark, and created an <span style="font-style: italic;">amorphous mish-mash of realities</span>. It was roughly <span style="font-style: italic;">twenty years</span> between <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis On Infinite Earths</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Identity Crisis</span>. Since Identity Crisis it's been a <span style="font-style: italic;">headlong rush</span> from crisis to crisis.<br /><br />I believe it's getting <span style="font-style: italic;">past time for some closure</span>. What <span style="font-style: italic;">I want to see</span> coming out of Final Crisis is a <span style="font-style: italic;">well-ordered universe</span> that can be used as a <span style="font-style: italic;">good sandbox</span> for telling stories. After several years of flux, it's <span style="font-style: italic;">getting tiring</span> to try and keep track of who's who and what's what. I think <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>is at the point of <span style="font-style: italic;">diminishing returns</span> with the whole "Crisis" concept. It's time to <span style="font-style: italic;">wrap this up</span> and move on to <span style="font-style: italic;">other kinds of stories</span>.<br /><br />If they want to do <span style="font-style: italic;">another </span>cosmic redefinition, how about <span style="font-style: italic;">putting it on the schedule</span> for, roughly, <span style="font-weight: bold;">2028</span>?<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidatQpz7q80hwDnYS2RBiIVzKJJyHoMNnFWqEvEFp2IJUFTJ2iMMWeNwgbB724gyEobx0B0x8P1O3qv0SYWT240SBkKWbsUKRvS_VvrE5YVw2nBJ-OzpelLGvHhok_gq6euu_VTQ/s1600-h/jack_kirby.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidatQpz7q80hwDnYS2RBiIVzKJJyHoMNnFWqEvEFp2IJUFTJ2iMMWeNwgbB724gyEobx0B0x8P1O3qv0SYWT240SBkKWbsUKRvS_VvrE5YVw2nBJ-OzpelLGvHhok_gq6euu_VTQ/s320/jack_kirby.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097879262506821346" border="0" /></a>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-47011624462580165732007-08-08T16:27:00.000-04:002007-08-08T19:49:22.262-04:0038 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7h10nnQsv_DZWjVwqXtGmYFnuLioEtD4UTyrTeyNrTrbc5wdl_P0ouKL_w9LuwbZPGpDuEda-6d6Xb2gwJy1Ev8p-9B9clw_5jTzvsEy7ENJqwX26AbHn5E_3wfFb1Iw3_OVbOQ/s1600-h/TSC_AMR_Cv1_solicit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7h10nnQsv_DZWjVwqXtGmYFnuLioEtD4UTyrTeyNrTrbc5wdl_P0ouKL_w9LuwbZPGpDuEda-6d6Xb2gwJy1Ev8p-9B9clw_5jTzvsEy7ENJqwX26AbHn5E_3wfFb1Iw3_OVbOQ/s320/TSC_AMR_Cv1_solicit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096476728051410594" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mister Action! Robin! </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Hero versus Her...</span> um. Never mind.<br /><br />Once again, Jimmy manages to <span style="font-style: italic;">make a fool</span> of himself. Oh, it's not that he doesn't have the powers, it's that he hasn't taken the time to <span style="font-style: italic;">think things through</span>. So, he goes and applies to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Teen Titans</span> for membership. Only thing, it <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't occur to him</span> in advance that his powers only work when his <span style="font-style: italic;">life is in danger</span>. So, no powers when he tries to demonstrate. Ouch.<br /><br />I'm assuming his powers somehow <span style="font-style: italic;">know </span>whether an attack is going to be life-threatening. Does that mean <span style="font-style: italic;">there's a sentience</span> behind the powers? Otherwise, how <span style="font-style: italic;">exactly </span>would this work?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna</span> find their cruise ship <span style="font-style: italic;">under attack</span>, and find themselves fighting <span style="font-weight: bold;">Slig</span>, of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deep Six</span>. Things <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> turn out well. We <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>get our first glimpse of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso</span>, though. For anyone who's <span style="font-style: italic;">forgotten</span>, she's also known as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean Loring</span>, the person who <span style="font-style: italic;">set into motion</span> the whole sequence of events leading from <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Identity Crisis</span> to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Infinite Crisis</span> to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">52 </span>to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Countdown </span>and, next spring, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Final Crisis</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pied Piper</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster</span> have their confrontation with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batwoman </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Question</span>, and they <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> end up looking too good. <span style="font-style: italic;">On the other hand</span>, they do get let go once The Question decides they're <span style="font-style: italic;">morons </span>who would have been incapable of killing the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash</span>.<br /><br />We get a brief look-in at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitors</span>, who've realized that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span> are <span style="font-style: italic;">missing </span>from the <span style="font-style: italic;">multiverse</span>, along with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span>. One of them <span style="font-style: italic;">ties this in</span> with the missing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span>, Ryan Choi's predecessor as <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Atom</span>. For folks who are supposed to be <span style="font-style: italic;">nigh-unto omniscient</span>, and who have theoretically been keeping their beady little glowing-red eyes on Jason and Donna, they certainly <span style="font-style: italic;">mucked this one up</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oracle </span>(<span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Gordon</span>) is simultaneously fighting the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Calculator </span>in two different arenas. First, there's the attempted <span style="font-style: italic;">hack </span>on her <span style="font-style: italic;">database servers</span>, and secondly there's a <span style="font-style: italic;">global virus attack</span> (intended to <span style="font-style: italic;">sew </span>chaos and <span style="font-style: italic;">distract </span>her from fighting the hack). Need I mention that she<span style="font-style: italic;"> shuts both down</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">cleanly</span>, mightily <span style="font-style: italic;">pissing off </span>Calculator in the process.<br /><br />We also get to see some of the <span style="font-style: italic;">other </span>heroes fighting the chaos. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Power Girl</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Supergirl </span>keeping aircraft from <span style="font-style: italic;">colliding</span>. We've got <span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">rescuing </span>a space shuttle whose computers are down. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">JSA </span>recaptures escapees from "Stryker's Island" in Metropolis. Okay, Metropolis is <span style="font-style: italic;">loosely based</span> on New York (as is Gotham City, for that matter), but is it <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>necessary to have <span style="font-style: italic;">stupidly named</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">thinly-veiled</span> versions of New York's landmarks? Stryker's Island? As opposed to Ryker's Island in New York? <span style="font-style: italic;">Shgeesh</span>. It's a name that <span style="font-style: italic;">might have worked</span> in the forties or fifties, but nowadays it's enough to <span style="font-style: italic;">pull you out of the story</span>. At least it did for me.<br /><br />Oh, and we saw <span style="font-weight: bold;">Uncle Sam</span> and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Freedom Fighters</span> stopping some <span style="font-style: italic;">nuclear-tipped missiles</span> from successfully <span style="font-style: italic;">launching</span>. It seems they thought that <span style="font-style: italic;">dropping nukes on our allies</span> would be a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad Idea</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Silly heroes.</span> They should have checked first with <span style="font-weight: bold;">George W.</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dick C.</span> They <span style="font-style: italic;">wouldn</span>'t have been <span style="font-style: italic;">distressed </span>by an <span style="font-style: italic;">accidental nuke</span> or seventeen.<br /><br />Finally, we have the start of the postponed meeting between <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oracle</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una</span>. We don't find out <span style="font-style: italic;">much </span>new, but what we <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>discover... if true, it's a <span style="font-style: italic;">big </span>one.<br /><br />Oh, yeah, <span style="font-style: italic;">just one more thing</span>... <span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkseid</span>. We're starting to get a <span style="font-style: italic;">clue </span>of his plans, and I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">beginning </span>to think he's been a<span style="font-style: italic;"> prime mover</span> behind the scenes for <span style="font-style: italic;">several years</span> now. He's working on something called the <span style="font-weight: bold;">New Multiversal Dynasty</span>. This sounds <span style="font-style: italic;">double-plus-ungood.</span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-66124212244660581832007-08-01T14:19:00.000-04:002007-08-01T17:55:55.198-04:0039 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizTkgPFXprkEbquQKM6kOWNHu0dfMofXKv_9pgtAMegWW0ZGmQ4toU15VzgXJ2i-KpE2QpaE9DStf0_R65DCHmbvaB_gRMLGPqJXIql85NihukZE0uhVb56tZe2k8lHHQfVBLKg/s1600-h/JSA_Cv10_solicit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizTkgPFXprkEbquQKM6kOWNHu0dfMofXKv_9pgtAMegWW0ZGmQ4toU15VzgXJ2i-KpE2QpaE9DStf0_R65DCHmbvaB_gRMLGPqJXIql85NihukZE0uhVb56tZe2k8lHHQfVBLKg/s320/JSA_Cv10_solicit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093799868209342098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 39</span> (from <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC Comics</span>, in case you haven''t been paying attention) doesn't flow quite as well as the past few issues, but it's still a big step above the early issues of the series.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una </span>break into <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oracle</span>'s 'inner sanctum, only to find that someone is doing a fair job of <span style="font-style: italic;">hacking her system</span>. This is a bad thing <span style="font-style: italic;">beyond </span>what you might expect, since she's got one of the world's most <span style="font-style: italic;">comprehensive databases </span>of information on superheroes -- including their true identities. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ouch!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>are still hiding out beneath the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Penguin</span>'s <span style="font-style: italic;">Iceberg Lounge</span>. After a nice meal (courtesy of Penguin) they're interrupted by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Suicide Squad. </span>Plus, Trickster suffers another attack of homophobia. Their squabble ends <span style="font-style: italic;">abruptly </span>when they're confronted by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Question </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batwoman</span>. <br /><br />Traveling deeper into the, um, <span style="font-style: italic;">Palmerverse</span> (no ego problems <span style="font-style: italic;">there</span>, either, I guess), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Tro</span>y, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Bob"</span> end up in what looks a lot like <span style="font-style: italic;">Frank Brunner</span>'s version of a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor Strange</span> dark dimension. I guess they shoulda <span style="font-style: italic;">taken a left turn at Albuquerque</span>. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mister Action</span> seems able to handle <span style="font-style: italic;">street-level crime</span> easily enough, but he's not really too attentive to the details. Getting <span style="font-style: italic;">distracted </span>by the grateful -- and <span style="font-style: italic;">somewhat passionate</span> -- thanks for saving a woman's purse, he begins mulling joining a team. In the process he <span style="font-style: italic;">forgets </span>about the perp, who rapidly (and cautiously) <span style="font-style: italic;">slinks </span>away. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy</span>'s got hero potential, but he's also got potential to <span style="font-style: italic;">become a joke</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> is starting to see through <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span>'s facade. Yes, she's no longer idealizing the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker </span>and emulating his behavior, but she now seems to be devoted, <span style="font-style: italic;">in the same unhealthy way</span>, to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Athena</span>. <br /><br />Athena explains to Holly that her facility <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't designed</span> to be able to handle persons with family responsibilities. Holly's "<span style="font-style: italic;">somewhat dubious</span>" about all this, and Athena invites her to sit in on a "self-esteem workshop". I'm wondering just what <span style="font-style: italic;">goes on</span> in the workshops. I guess we'll find out <span style="font-style: italic;">shortly</span>.<br /><br />By the way, as you may have notices, I'm generally not <span style="font-style: italic;">covering </span>the back feature, the serialized <span style="font-weight: bold;">History Of The Multiverse</span>. Mainly this is because it's <span style="font-style: italic;">not really a story</span>. It's basically an illustrated <span style="font-style: italic;">discourse </span>on how we got from the original <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis On Infinite Earths</span> to the present. As such it's a fairly good precis. As a story, though, well, it's a <span style="font-style: italic;">dead zero</span>. The way it's structured we have the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitors </span>standing around <span style="font-style: italic;">telling each other what they already know</span>. It's <span style="font-style: italic;">pure exposition</span> with no real story attached. As such there's nothing really to go over. I'll probably mention it if there's anything new that's <span style="font-style: italic;">worthy of note</span>. It'll be ending soon, anyways, as the back feature turns to <span style="font-style: italic;">biographies </span>of the villains.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-48392256560132592082007-07-25T18:01:00.000-04:002007-07-25T19:15:02.932-04:0040 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6H7i96kJNmkRq1UIMK3dGIsOlZuaI7f-KYAI4XArlEIzU3eBPZvGzZDvTd2dVoS4sgZ_jlHEFmyMFOOA4Qbbc1A8jKnW5uwgEdbVg436nDj2OKQ4eHCN8m3epzGIOYBlG3RmAQ/s1600-h/CTDW_Cv40.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6H7i96kJNmkRq1UIMK3dGIsOlZuaI7f-KYAI4XArlEIzU3eBPZvGzZDvTd2dVoS4sgZ_jlHEFmyMFOOA4Qbbc1A8jKnW5uwgEdbVg436nDj2OKQ4eHCN8m3epzGIOYBlG3RmAQ/s320/CTDW_Cv40.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091261207529956994" border="0" /></a>And <span style="font-style: italic;">Keith Giffen</span> finally arrives. It's noticeable, and a <span style="font-weight: bold;">definite step up</span> for the art.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 40</span> is again moving the plot forward. Whatever caused the <span style="font-style: italic;">stagnancies </span>in the early issues appears to have gone. My presumption is that the <span style="font-style: italic;">difference</span> is the change from <span style="font-style: italic;">Mike Marts</span> to <span style="font-style: italic;">Mike Carlin</span> in editing. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mike Marts</span> is a good editor, but he doesn't seem to have had a good handle on how to do either a weekly comic (the pacing) or a crossover event (what to include where). <span style="font-style: italic;">Mike Carlin</span> has experience with both, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">it shows</span> in the finished product.<br /><br />Way down in the, um, <span style="font-style: italic;">Palmerverse</span>, we've got <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">Bob</span>" the Monitor</span> in what's similar to, but <span style="font-style: italic;">not the same as</span>, the Amazon jungle from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sword Of The Atom</span>. Confused yet? <br /><br />After a <span style="font-style: italic;">fight with the locals</span>, they discover they're <span style="font-style: italic;">all on the same side</span> (gee, where have I heard <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>plot before?) and they get some leads on where to head next to find <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span>. Plus, here's the first real <span style="font-style: italic;">substantial </span>connection back to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Identity Crisis</span>. I'm hoping they'll <span style="font-style: italic;">develop </span>this further. Otherwise, the <span style="font-style: italic;">motivations </span>behind his actions seem pretty empty. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Why </span>did he vanish? Grief? Despair? Embarrassment? So far we don't know. I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">looking forward</span> to finding out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mister Action</span>'s uniform still looks kinda <span style="font-style: italic;">doofus </span>to me, but based on his first outing, <span style="font-style: italic;">this might just work</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span> is obviously trying to base his costumed persona upon <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman</span>, but we'll see how <span style="font-style: italic;">effective </span>is imitation. And <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lois</span> is right when she says "So it's true-- all the good names <span style="font-weight: bold;">are </span>taken." Jimmy could have been <span style="font-style: italic;">a bit more imaginative</span> in choosing a name. Oh, I know it's because in a <span style="font-style: italic;">previous incarnation</span> of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC Universe</span> he was "<span style="font-style: italic;">Mister Action</span>" for (if I remember rightly) <span style="font-weight: bold;">WGBS</span> News, the station's sort-of-ombudsman. <br /><br />We have a look-in on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span>, who's looking for help from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zatanna</span>. Mary really <span style="font-style: italic;">does </span>have some <span style="font-style: italic;">serious </span>anger issues, though I have to admit having shared <span style="font-style: italic;">similar feelings</span> towards hecklers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> is getting a bit <span style="font-style: italic;">uncomfortable </span>with some of the policies of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Athenian Women's Shelter</span>. We're starting to see a few <span style="font-style: italic;">cracks </span>in their facade -- just what is their <span style="font-style: italic;">real agenda</span>?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Darkseid </span>is making a bit more of an appearance here. He shows a few <span style="font-style: italic;">unexpected depths</span>, though he really doesn't want anyone to know. I mean, he <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">really </span>doesn't want anyone to know. Plus, we see someone whom I think is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bug</span>, though I had <span style="font-style: italic;">thought </span>he was <span style="font-style: italic;">killed </span>a few decades ago. Then again, on "<span style="font-style: italic;">New Earth</span>", who knows?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>follow through on their idea to enlist <span style="font-weight: bold;">Penguin</span>'s help in hiding -- at least <span style="font-style: italic;">briefly</span>. We get a connection (finally!) to the events of <span style="font-weight: bold;">52</span>, as well. Where's that going to lead? Well, <span style="font-style: italic;">that's the question</span>.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-44719542218644573102007-07-18T21:32:00.000-04:002007-07-19T19:52:39.096-04:0041 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzSFFz2dsgqhEZ5fhkWyECaVRIHAThmVSXU86wdYYSHrd-ZrAnYQJihZKBDMHPr4gXnzJFVsgdzDyiZI4Mzoj8iaPDn_Zcn0wGNr4gghmD-y-QtydNWqj7ISTbvqdcEBHTqS8ug/s1600-h/CTDW-Cv41-ds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzSFFz2dsgqhEZ5fhkWyECaVRIHAThmVSXU86wdYYSHrd-ZrAnYQJihZKBDMHPr4gXnzJFVsgdzDyiZI4Mzoj8iaPDn_Zcn0wGNr4gghmD-y-QtydNWqj7ISTbvqdcEBHTqS8ug/s320/CTDW-Cv41-ds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088718485638783122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">"Seriously. Nice work."</span><br /><br />That's the opening line to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 41</span>, and it's also a <span style="font-style: italic;">fair review</span> of the issue, as well.<br /><br />At last, as we've seen in the past few issues, the story is <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">finally </span>starting to move forward.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pied Piper</span> find a (somewhat damp) way out of their predicament, but find themselves in a bit of a <span style="font-style: italic;">different </span>pickle, ending up in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gotham City</span>. They're (as they put it) "<span style="font-style: italic;">public enemies numbers </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">one and one-A</span>!"<span style="font-style: italic;"> Trickster </span>seems to have an idea, though, as to where they can go for help. Seems he's buds with the <a href="http://lloydi.com/travel-writing/round-the-world-trip/country/05-australia/04-tasmania/images/penguin.jpg"><span style="font-weight: bold;">proprietor</span></a> of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Iceberg Lounge</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span> is trying to implement his idea -- <span style="font-style: italic;">to become a superhero </span>-- and, by this point it seems like he's got a truly <span style="font-style: italic;">doofus </span>plan to achieve it. I dunno, in the end it might all <span style="font-style: italic;">work out</span>, but to me it looks like it's mainly got potential to humiliate him <span style="font-style: italic;">beyond all description</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mister Action?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span> just gets a look-in here, as she questions the <span style="font-style: italic;">changes </span>to her personality since she gained <span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Adam</span>'s powers. She's not as <span style="font-style: italic;">oblivious </span>to what's been happening as it's appeared. It looks like she's about to pick up a <span style="font-style: italic;">mentor</span>, welcome or not. Can anyone say <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso</span>?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Choi</span>, along with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob the Monitor</span> (you had to be there), have left for the <span style="font-style: italic;">Palmerverse</span>, in search of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span>. First stop, the jungle land from the long-ago <span style="font-style: italic;">Sword of the Atom</span>.<br /><br />Back in <span style="font-style: italic;">Gotham</span>, at the <span style="font-style: italic;">Athenian Women's Center</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> has to restrain <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harly Quinn</span> from trying to demonstrate their peacefulness by <span style="font-style: italic;">breaking a few heads</span>. While she might be off her infatuation with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker</span>, she certainly hasn't lost the violent edge she had as his girlfriend. Question is, is she <span style="font-style: italic;">still homicidal</span>?<br /><br />Finally, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legionnaires </span>tell <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> that he's not to return to the <span style="font-style: italic;">30th Century</span>. This is the 30th Century <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legion</span>, right? Doesn't look much like the <span style="font-style: italic;">31st Century</span> one. Then again, there's been so many reboots of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legion </span>that I've lost count. He stays behind with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Una</span>, one of the parts of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Triplicate Girl</span>. Without her counterparts, I'm not sure just what, <span style="font-style: italic;">if any</span> powers she has. Umm. Maybe this is the current continuity explanation of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Duo Damsel</span>?Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-16999953172543360882007-07-16T12:43:00.000-04:002007-07-16T14:21:55.913-04:0042 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTtQ8sCvYvD3ulFonXUN8ljh26wt3x9Kt6aa8F-jKoLQqEnEfIWfG7hakStHv45iENcKz3QbUMx-Ahm16H_cL4XSOLWIVMkcN-r74BE3LZdO6WNSK0uRuM-CvB1VASFmOhZquSw/s1600-h/CTPR_RPCS_Cv1b_solicit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTtQ8sCvYvD3ulFonXUN8ljh26wt3x9Kt6aa8F-jKoLQqEnEfIWfG7hakStHv45iENcKz3QbUMx-Ahm16H_cL4XSOLWIVMkcN-r74BE3LZdO6WNSK0uRuM-CvB1VASFmOhZquSw/s320/CTPR_RPCS_Cv1b_solicit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087842960850460786" border="0" /></a>Beginning with the death of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash </span>(from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster</span>'s dream point-of-view), <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Countdown 42</span> is finally bringing in the event that the whole "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rogues</span>" storyline was about. I think it was a <span style="font-style: italic;">mistake </span>having the whole rogue build-up here, and then have them do the deed <span style="font-style: italic;">offscreen </span>(in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash 13</span>), and then return to <span style="font-style: italic;">Countdown </span>without even a look-in at what happened. Not everyone who reads <span style="font-style: italic;">Countdown </span>reads <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash</span>, and the folks who'll later read the collected edition won't have immediate knowledge of the events of <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash 13</span>. So yeah, I think belatedly <span style="font-style: italic;">showing </span>what happened is a good idea.<br /><br />Then we see they've been captured and handcuffed together by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deadshot </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Multiplex</span>. Who they're working for is (pardon the expression) <span style="font-style: italic;">up in the air</span>, though they do make it clear they're working for <span style="font-style: italic;">some sort</span> of government agency. The captured duo do manage to <span style="font-style: italic;">stage an escape</span>, only to discover (belatedly) that they were being held in a moving airplane. <br /><br />The expression "<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">look before you leap</span>" comes to mind.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span>, probably because of the long-term coma, is a tad out-of-date on <span style="font-style: italic;">who's who</span> in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>universe. Not knowing that the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Riddler </span>is now one of the <span style="font-style: italic;">good guys</span>, she's on the verge of taking, um, <span style="font-style: italic;">drastic action</span> against him when she spots him in the vicinity of a robbery. Convinced to give him a chance to prove himself, they wind up fighting <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clayface</span>. Mary goes awfully close to the line... She throws <span style="font-style: italic;">Clayface </span>into orbit, with the idea that he'll be freeze-dried, and eventually re-enter. As she puts it, "<span style="font-style: italic;">He's just dirt... and dirt will come back to earth sooner or later!</span>"<br /><br />We can see how she seems -- <span style="font-style: italic;">split</span> -- in her reaction to what she did. Part of her is shocked and horrified at her actions, the other part takes a '<span style="font-style: italic;">good riddance to bad rubbish</span>' attitude. It certainly seems as though she inherited <span style="font-style: italic;">more </span>than just her powers from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Black Adam</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Riddler </span>suggests, not entirely in jest, that she find a <span style="font-style: italic;">mentor</span>, one who specializes in dealing with <span style="font-style: italic;">anger management</span> issues. <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>has already hinted that she gets involved with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eclipso</span>, whom I suspect <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't</span> who the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Riddler </span>had in mind.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Karate Kid</span> have a brief scene that -- well, I <span style="font-style: italic;">can't actually figure out</span> what's the purpose of the scene. It doesn't tell us <span style="font-style: italic;">anything </span>we didn't already know, and doesn't do <span style="font-style: italic;">anything </span>to illuminate the characters. We know it's a couple of pages <span style="font-weight: bold;">transplanted </span>from another issue. So... was this just put here to<span style="font-style: italic;"> fill two pages</span> that would have otherwise have been occupied by something that was <span style="font-style: italic;">deleted</span>? Perhaps we're seeing the <span style="font-style: italic;">first effects</span> of the change in editorship? <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Holly Robinson</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Harleen Quinzel</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span>) have a discussion about Harley's recovery, and her recruitment by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Athena</span>. Granted that <span style="font-style: italic;">Athena </span>is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">god </span>(small "g" type), I'd have thought <span style="font-style: italic;">Harleen </span>was too far gone to ever break away from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker</span>. So, is she posing as cured? Or, has she finally <span style="font-style: italic;">put Joker </span>into her past? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span> is still working on the idea of becoming a <span style="font-style: italic;">super-hero</span>, without a lot of success. There's not much more to be said about that, at least for now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>, and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitor</span> pay a visit to <span style="font-style: italic;">Ryan Choi</span> (the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Atom 3</span>), enlisting his help in searching for his predecessor, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray Palmer</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Atom 2</span>). We've been told that <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray </span>is the key to averting the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Great Disaster</span>. We'll see.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Palmerverse?</span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-1297546215573721732007-07-07T12:46:00.000-04:002007-07-07T14:03:39.117-04:0043 and counting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W2wTBHyO8iVvxMFj62qenQ_fPdZw6QsKRe-1tr0dRlnDjw-q9nDZfeRN3sm-bAk1PfAan0gJGpUNYWsVii6EbIa4bXU2DnjDJuZjHCLLS63whAGAf3I30yo71kseeq3A-aYN0g/s1600-h/CTDWN42.0203.net.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W2wTBHyO8iVvxMFj62qenQ_fPdZw6QsKRe-1tr0dRlnDjw-q9nDZfeRN3sm-bAk1PfAan0gJGpUNYWsVii6EbIa4bXU2DnjDJuZjHCLLS63whAGAf3I30yo71kseeq3A-aYN0g/s320/CTDWN42.0203.net.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084498119495830306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Well, it's about time!</span><br /><br />The story is <span style="font-style: italic;">finally </span>starting to move. Whether it's because <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Carlin</span> is now co-editing, I don't know, but it is an auspicious beginning to his coming on board.<br /><br />So, the main thread this issue is the funeral of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bart Allen</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash IV</span>). He wasn't Flash for very long, but in his roles as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Impulse</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kid Flash</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash</span>, he was central to a lot of things going on within the <span style="font-style: italic;">DC Universe</span>.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Flashes </span>are native to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Central City/Keystone City</span> twin cities on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Ohio/Pennsylvania</span> border (no prizes for guessing which lies within which state!), and they do seem to have a somewhat <span style="font-style: italic;">different </span>relationship to the locals than pretty much any other <span style="font-style: italic;">super-heroes</span> I can think of.<br /><br />(On an aside, why don't se see the term "<span style="font-style: italic;">super-hero</span>" much any more? Old timers are called "<span style="font-style: italic;">mystery men</span>", and modern ones are "<span style="font-style: italic;">metahumans</span>", but nobody seems to use "<span style="font-style: italic;">super-hero</span>" nowadays.)<br /><br />The first part of the issue is narrated by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span>, who goes into some depth on the special relationship between <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash </span>and the twin cities. Oh, by the way, isn't the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash Museum</span> in <span style="font-style: italic;">Central City</span>? Or is this another of the '<span style="font-style: italic;">discontinuities</span>' that will be addressed in the series? (Kind of like the whole <span style="font-weight: bold;">JSA/All-Star Squadron</span> being transplanted to <span style="font-style: italic;">Washington DC</span> thing?)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jay Garrick</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Allen</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bart Allen</span>'s identities are now a matter of public knowledge. Now the only <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash </span>whose identity isn't known is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wally West</span>. Ironically, <span style="font-style: italic;">originally </span>he was the only <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash </span>who was open with his identity. I know the in-story rationale is that most of the family and friends of the various <span style="font-style: italic;">Flashes </span>are gone, but there's a few key persons left. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joan Garrick</span> (Jay's wife), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Iris (West) Allen</span> (Barry's widow, Bart's Grandmother, and Wally's Aunt), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Linda (Park) West</span> (Wally's wife) and Wally and Linda's twins. It's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">not </span>going to be hard at all for folks to put two and two together and figure out that <span style="font-style: italic;">Wally </span>is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash III,</span> and there are some <span style="font-style: italic;">nasties</span> out there who would love a chance to do to the <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash's loved ones</span> what they did to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rogues are still out there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Two of them</span> are at the funeral.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pied Piper</span> and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trickster</span> showed up. Piper, I suspect, really did show up to pay his respects. Trickster, moreso, because he's the Piper's friend. Nice thought, guys, but not the <span style="font-style: italic;">smartest </span>move in the world.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monitor </span>(well, one of them) is there, with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Troy</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Todd</span>. He wants them to take off right away to search for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ray Palmer</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Atom II</span>), who vanished (<span style="font-style: italic;">literally</span>!) at the end of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Identity Crisis</span>. They know more about this than we do, but the basic idea is that <span style="font-style: italic;">Ray </span>is the key to averting the "<span style="font-style: italic;">Great Disaster</span>".<br /><br />I'm not sure where the "<span style="font-style: italic;">Great Disaster</span>" plot is going, but since in my (admittedly bad) memory it was supposed to have happened in <span style="font-weight: bold;">1984</span>, I <span style="font-style: italic;">am </span>curious to see how this all plays out.<br /><br />One suspects that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Monarch </span>(aka <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Atom</span>) has a large hand in this, as will <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sinestro </span>and his all-new <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sinestro Corps</span>, especially as the leaders of the Corps seem to be <span style="font-style: italic;">almost anyone</span> who's been responsible for a "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis</span>" in the past decade or two. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Including </span>the supposedly dead-and-gone <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Anti-Monitor</span>, responsible for the original <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis on Infinite Earths</span> way back in <span style="font-weight: bold;">1985</span>!<br /><br />On a (presumably) less cosmic note, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span> has been taken in at a women's shelter run by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Athena </span>(yes, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Greek Goddess</span>), and is just starting to relax when she meets one of her fellow guests, a former psychiatrist named <span style="font-style: italic;">Harleen Quinzel</span>. You might know her better as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Harley Quinn</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">the Joker's girlfriend!<br /><br /></span>Definitely, the story has finally started moving forward. Hopefully now we can get some momentum going.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39ZyhT26vNdKdykfqNOsPDLNP-UrSY_WVWWG0Oa522sd6jJvcjrdH9vWwkxDYS2ERPrbQOXgdlaDHEN8GwHPRhOgdc23SFXJeHn4e9Acsi65w7QmL9K9SdA9KbxWSTzr-0RzJFg/s1600-h/harleyquinn-con-04.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39ZyhT26vNdKdykfqNOsPDLNP-UrSY_WVWWG0Oa522sd6jJvcjrdH9vWwkxDYS2ERPrbQOXgdlaDHEN8GwHPRhOgdc23SFXJeHn4e9Acsi65w7QmL9K9SdA9KbxWSTzr-0RzJFg/s320/harleyquinn-con-04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084516467596118834" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729396.post-52491428778332898092007-07-02T19:42:00.000-04:002007-07-03T10:33:11.669-04:0044 and counting... (Finally!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMM_-HoCBDbdi-0lkptz0uzdjsm6ZCw5eyRaZlD0DzdlT5wX2jKy-ETiRKNpbqlH4ljUVp5jVwaUcGQBo8hbGXB0BVwcQhtl3MxVPd20bQKw5uEzRYWuUwnHF3T1mhOjgkcd7KqA/s1600-h/Countdown_Search.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMM_-HoCBDbdi-0lkptz0uzdjsm6ZCw5eyRaZlD0DzdlT5wX2jKy-ETiRKNpbqlH4ljUVp5jVwaUcGQBo8hbGXB0BVwcQhtl3MxVPd20bQKw5uEzRYWuUwnHF3T1mhOjgkcd7KqA/s320/Countdown_Search.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082961740974574322" border="0" /></a>Here we are, with a much-delayed look at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 44</span>. Many thanks to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Piper </span>for picking this up for me.<br /><br />This week I'm not going to do a page-by-page review of the issue.<br /><br />From the start, I've been a <span style="font-style: italic;">supporter </span>of the book. It started off with what I considered a really good kick-off. The story took a character whom <span style="font-style: italic;">nobody </span>cared about since she was created by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob Rozakis</span>, and made us <span style="font-style: italic;">care </span>about her -- and then promptly killed her off.<br /><br />Not that I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">happy </span>about the death of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker's Daughter</span>, but it was well-done and started the series off with a bang. And it was well followed-up upon, what with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span> visiting the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Joker </span>himself.<br /><br />There was lots of character bits and plot set-up. And it's been good. But we're about eight weeks into the series and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">nothing much has happened here</span>. Oh, things have <span style="font-style: italic;">happened</span>, such as the death of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash IV</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Bart</span>) at the hands of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Rogues</span>, or the revival of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash III</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Wally</span>) at the hands of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Legion of Super-Heroes</span>, the attack on Washington, DC by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Amazons</span>, etc.<br /><br />But they've all happened <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">offscreen</span><span style="font-style: italic;">! </span>Here in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>we've seen the build-up to some of it, and the aftermath of other parts, but not the actual events. Granted, the place for the death of the Flash was in his own title, but here it feels so peripheral that it hardly justifies <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>as being the "<span style="font-style: italic;">spine</span>" of the <span style="font-style: italic;">DC Universe</span>.<br /><br />(As an aside, the death of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash II</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Barry</span>) was done within the pages of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis on Infinite Earths</span>, but in that case the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flash </span>Comic was being canceled, and the story there ended immediately <span style="font-style: italic;">prior </span>to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crisis</span>.)<br /><br />The problem with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>, it seems to me, <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't with the writing</span> -- everything I've seen appears well-written, but it's <span style="font-style: italic;">poorly paced</span>, and it appears (so far) that most of what <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>consists of is <span style="font-style: italic;">interstitial </span>material. Nothing that's critical to other series', but material that kind of fills in the blanks from other stories.<br /><br />Now, there's story <span style="font-style: italic;">throughlines </span>in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>that appear to be specific to the series -- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Olson</span>, and (possibily) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Robinson</span>. Everything else, though, seems to be just filler material for other series. Even <span style="font-weight: bold;">Forerunner </span>appears to be there to provide a <span style="font-style: italic;">lead-in</span> to her own feature.<br /><br />Head writer on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown </span>is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Paul Dini</span>, so the slow (some might call it "<span style="font-style: italic;">lack of</span>") pacing seems puzzling. Paul is a <span style="font-style: italic;">much </span>better writer than this. I'm inclined, at this point, to ascribe the <span style="font-style: italic;">problems with pacing</span> (and <span style="font-style: italic;">ill-handled</span> interconnecting to the universe) to the book's editor, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Marts</span>. I know he's basically unfamiliar with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC Universe</span>, but the principles of storytelling should be pretty much <span style="font-style: italic;">pan-universal</span>.<br /><br />I know there's a <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">LOT </span>of dissatisfaction with the book among fans, and I'm guessing that it has translated into <span style="font-style: italic;">flagging sales</span> for the series. Given <span style="font-style: italic;">one thing</span> that was announced last week, it looks like the <span style="font-style: italic;">Powers That Be</span> at <span style="font-weight: bold;">DC </span>have taken note and are doing a <span style="font-style: italic;">mid-course correction</span>.<br /><br />Starting with the next issue (this week's forthcoming <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown 43</span>) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Carlin</span> is joining as <span style="font-style: italic;">co-editor</span>, and over the next dozen or so issues <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Marts</span> is transitioning off the book. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Carlin</span> is experienced at the weekly thing, since he was editor of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superman </span>books some years back when the franchise was run as a <span style="font-style: italic;">de-facto weekly comic</span>. Anyone remember the "<span style="font-style: italic;">corner boxes</span>" (actually triangles) that showed where the books fell in <span style="font-style: italic;">sequence</span>?<br /><br />No disrespect intended to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Marts</span>, but I'm guessing that he wasn't <span style="font-style: italic;">well-suited</span> to doing the <span style="font-style: italic;">weekly-comic-with-lots-of-interconnections-to-other-editors-books</span> thing. I'm certainly expecting the pacing to improve <span style="font-style: italic;">dramatically </span>as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Carlin's</span> vision begins to have a presence in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Countdown</span>.<br /><br />And, oh, <span style="font-style: italic;">by the way</span>, haven't we had enough <span style="font-style: italic;">crotch shots</span> of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Marvel</span>? <span style="font-style: italic;">We get the idea. </span> Lets move on.Kim EMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03762954899345234443noreply@blogger.com2