New DC Titles - World's Finest; DC Cancellations

Just a couple of days ago when I was reviewing sales, I wondered when the news of the next wave of DC titles would be coming out. I didn't have to wait long. Over on USA today, Bob Harras revealed news of the next titles DC would be launching. Here is the link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2012-01-12/dc-comics-unveils-six-new-series/52504982/1

For me, the most interesting reveal was a World's Finest comic starring Huntress and Power Girl.

Here is a blurb about the title:

while Huntress and Power Girl are stranded on our world and want to return to theirs in Worlds' Finest, written by Paul Levitz with art by George Perez and Kevin Maguire in rotating story arcs. "What does that mean to be exiles from that Earth 2?" Harras says. "We thought it'd be a nice thing to bring this concept back and to really, as we did with the 52 initially, reconcieve it and freshen it up."

So, as a Huntress fan and a Power Girl fan, I am going to be in for this title. Add to that art by two of my favorites, Perez and Maguire, and I will definitely be in. I have liked the current Huntress mini-series so hopefully Paul Levitz can continue the momentum he is building there.

Now you know what I would have really loved? A World's Finest book with rotating Superman/Batman family members. Supergirl/Damien? Superboy/Batwoman? Batwing/Steel? All sounds good to me and could keep the title fresh. I have talked many many times here about the next World's Finest and who it should be. I had hoped Supergirl would be one of the members.

The other titles include Batman Inc. by Morrison (I'm in), Earth 2/JSA by James Robinson and Nicola Scott (I'm in), Dial H (probably not), Ravagers (probably out) and GI Combat (probably out).

In reviewing sales, I also wondered when the first cancellations would be announced. I didn't have to wait long for that either. Here is that quote:

to keep the line of books at a tight 52, six series launched in September are ending with their eighth issues: Men of War, Mister Terrific, O.M.A.C., Hawk and Dove, Blackhawks and Static Shock.

I don't know if replacing two failing war books with one new war book makes sense. I am sad to see Hawk and Dove go, mostly because I bet Sterling Gates had great ideas for that book long term.

Wow ... never a dull moment in the DCnU!

The New Steel

Over on the Source Blog, DC has released some preview images of Steel's appearance in Action Comics #4. Here is the link: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/12/05/steel-joins-dc-comics-the-new-52/

John Henry appears both in the main story by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales but also a back-up feature by writer Sholly Fisch and artist Brad Walker. The above image is from the Fisch/Walker feature.

I like the sort of stripped down, semi-low tech feel to this suit of armor. For some reason it reminds me of the Tin Man from the Oz books. And I am glad the hammer remains a part of the get-up. Looks like John Corben (playing the role of Metallo/Brainiac drone) is about to taste the pain.

There looks like there will be some good characterization as well, contrasting Irons with Luthor. That should be a nice wrinkle to Steel's origins.

The thing that strikes me though is Steel's place in the DCnU.  If Superman is truly the DCnU's first super-hero to appear then Steel is it's second! That's pretty cool ... unless this isn't considered super-heroics.

As for the creative team on the back-up feature, I only know Fisch from the Johnny DC books (Super Friends and Brave and the Bold) that I read with the supergirls at home. I thought Fisch did a fine job there writing upbeat stories and expanding the DCU into those books. I'll be interested to see what he does in a more mainstream book.

And artist Brad Walker has drawn a lot of issues here and there. He penciled Supergirl #31, one of the last chapters in the underrated Kelley Puckett run. This was a pretty dramatic issue where Supergirl tries to convince Thomas' mother to try whatever she can to save her son. Here Supergirl recalls the chance her parents took in trying to save her, how that was risky and difficult, but showed the depth of their love. Walker did a really great job here.

With the addition of Steel to the DCnU, Team Superman is back to it's full roster. Let's hope they can all eventually get along and team up!

Green And Johnson On CBR

I am a bit late in covering this but writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson did an interview on CBR about Supergirl and it is well worth reading. Here is the link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=34847

As folks who come here regularly know, I was a bit put off by the original publicity around this book. Supergirl was described as being 'hell on wheels', someone with no 'affection for humanity', someone you shouldn't 'piss off'. And all of those things seemed to be moving away from the core of what the Supergirl character was all about. It didn't seem right and smacked of the earliest issues of the last volume, an erratic bunch of issues with a snarky, unheroic, and frankly unlikeable character.

And yet, each subsequent interview with the creators hasen't necessarily negated those prior comments, but seemed to put them into a context of growth. Those comments might be true at the beginning of this book but it sounds like there is an end. I have grown to be more optimistic about this book and interpretation of the character, especially given some of the nuances of the first issue.

This interview adds to the optimism. I have pulled some pieces from it and thrown in some comments, but the entire interview is worth reading. Here are the parts that grabbed me.

CBR News: You were the writing team for quite a while on "Superman/Batman." When the "Supergirl" title came up for grabs, how did you get involved -- did you actively seek it out? What attracted you to the title?

Michael Green: This was a rare and fun incoming call. Eddie Berganza reached out to us and said, Something big is going on here, can't quite talk about it, but do you have any time?" The answer to that question is always, "We'll make time!" He said, "What do you think about Supergirl?" As it happens she's a character Mike and I had thought about a lot and had a lot of ideas for and have pitched things about before that just weren't [pitched at] the right time. So when he said Supergirl, we were both like, "Hang on a sec!" and we were able to just [list] idea after idea of things we'd been dying to do with her anyway.

Mike Johnson: She popped up in our "Superman/Batman" book a couple of times -- we had a lot of fun doing an issue with Rafael Albuquerque on art where she teams up with Robin and they go into Arkham Asylum. Even at that one issue, she's just a really fun character to write. She's sort of got all the fun, cool stuff that Superman can do, but her personality is so different that she's just a blast to write.

So already in the first question, there is a couple of things that I loved. First off, these guys have been thinking about Supergirl already, have an interest in the character. I have always said when creators have a passion for the characters they are working on, the product is usually fantastic.

But moreover, they reference Superman/Batman #62 (reviewed here by me) an issue I love. That was a great Supergirl issue with spot-on characterization. She's a 'fun character' to write, with all the 'fun, cool stuff' of Superman. That doesn't sound like someone who thinks Supergirl is a sullen, angry, disaffected character.

CBR: Because you guys had the chance to write Kara before, when it came to reboot her for the New 52, did you go back to those "Superman/Batman" issues to figure out what you wanted to keep, or were you inventing a whole new Supergirl so it didn't matter what came before?

Green: We think she's still ultimately very much the same girl, but what we get a chance to do is tell the story of how she got to be that familiar Kara -- we get to tell her beginnings on Earth. As it turns out, that's a really underexploited story with tons of potential for exploring what it's like for a girl like her to land on Earth and experience it for the first time.

Johnson: I think the core character is there, whether you are reading Sterling Gates' run on the character or seeing her now, in this new light. The core qualities of her being heroic, but also being very relatable in terms of how she handles her powers and her experiences in this crazy alien world she wakes up in, those, of course, don't change. As Michael said, we're getting this great opportunity to go back to this earliest part of her experience and tell it in a new way.

And even more good news. They think that 'ultimately she is very much the same girl' as all the other Supergirls that have come before her. There is an understanding that one of her 'core qualities' is 'being heroic'. And that is crucial for me. Supergirl has always (I guess I should say usually) been heroic, trying to do what's right. Heck, they even reference Sterling Gates' run as being indicative of her core qualities and I think that means they 'get' who she is.

The big question behind this response is how long is 'ultimately'? I felt that in Sterling Gates' run that she was really on the hero's journey. And I think she made a huge step in that journey in the BizarroGirl arc. That was 2 years into his run.

I don't need Green and Johnson to move Supergirl through the journey quickly. But I need progress. If I get 2 years of pissed off, alienated Kara ... well that's just too long.

CBR:Talking about the first arc, you've set up the mystery of how Kara gets to Earth, you have her crash-landing and getting the worst reception possible for a confused teenaged girl in the first issue! Where do you go from here?

Johnson: It's a big planet; it's a big galaxy, a big universe! Issue two, I think you can see from the cover, is showing her introduction to her cousin and the idea of whatever he has to tell her, it's not that she's automatically going to take him at face value. If you woke up somewhere bizarre and someone walked up to you and said, "Earth is destroyed," you're not going to say, "Oh, really?" and start crying. You're going to want answers for yourself. On the flip side, he's not necessarily going to believe that she is who she says she is. That's really the foundation for issue two. Getting into three and four, we dive into answers about the pod she arrived in and the nature of it and who sent those big killer robots to retrieve the pod in issue one, so there's a lot more answers there. Beyond that, when we start getting into five and six, we start to get more information about the circumstances surrounding her past, why she was sent and what the circumstances were for her arrival.

Green: Sort of in the overview way, the first bunch of issues and the story will be, for us, Kara going through the questions of, where the Hell am I, how did I get here and ultimately, what is my place here now that I am here? Those aren't easy questions to answer, and they're not questions that have definitive answers. Her role on Earth isn't obvious and it's going to be evolving.

Green: We really want to see her become a hero on Earth, rather than just be one. It's a long journey.

So again, part of the draw of Supergirl is the fact that she is becoming a hero, she is learning. So it makes sense that those earliest steps will be more difficult. But they want to see her become a hero just like I do.

CBR:Just looking at the solicits, it doesn't seem like it is a foregone conclusion she'll even be a hero.

Green: Exactly! That's why the point of view of that girl is really important. We wanted to just imagine what would it be like to be someone who had a life and family and world you expected that you could rely on, to literally wake up in a new environment and have insane capabilities. You wouldn't jump to, "I guess I'm a superhero on this new planet!" You would start with, "What is this new planet? What are these creatures? They have a language, I should probably learn that. How do you find food around here? There's a thing called money?" It's a little bit of a fish out of water story, just learning what this new place is. Only once she develops a relationship with the place and the people in it does she realize that she has something here of value that's worth giving of herself to protect.

One thing you've really been emphasizing is that she's not a human girl, she's an alien trapped on a world that's not her own. How are Kryptonians different from humans? Is it huge fundamental differences or more of a culture clash?

I had to chuckle here because it reminded me of Cosmic Adventures #1. In that comic, Landry Walker covered her confusion over Earth culture (and the concept of money) in the span of 2 pages.

But also a bit of pessimism here. When the interviewer has to ask 'are you going to make her a hero?' it makes me nervous.

CBR: So you aren't really setting up a traditional superhero story. Much of it is Kara acclimating to life on Earth.

Green: It'll be there, too. We still have plenty of things for her to be dealing with -- we just wanted to make sure, while she was dealing with more traditional superhero problems, there was a set of character and circumstances and point of view to follow. It wasn't just a girl in a costume punching, but our girl in a costume punching.

So there will be super-heroics in this book. But it sounds like characterization is as important as action. And I need both.

CBR:Going along with that, how do you set up a rogues gallery for a character who doesn't even know if she wants to be on Earth? Is it hitting those ideas of exploitation?

Johnson: That is a great question. It's sort of an interesting challenge for this book, when we're not dealing with someone who set themselves up as a superhero and then the super villains will follow in time. Our super villains are really coming out of her story. Again, the villain in issue three and four is a new villain we're really excited about, a new arch-villain for Supergirl that, again, in terms of tying it to the story, it's the villain behind what happens in issue one. In fact, you hear his voice on the first page of the first issue. Then, the villain for five and six, we're going to be reintroducing an old character from the DCU, but the way that she comes to interact with Supergirl very much comes out of what Kara is doing and wants to do and needs to do at that moment.

Green: The way they meet is pretty far out. Not in a '60s sense, but in a literal sense!

Johnson: There's a teaser! [Laughs] Then, after that, we've already teased that we're bringing back Silver Banshee, but we're bringing her back in a very cool way, retaining the coolest aspects of the character and then going even farther with what she looks like and especially what she can do.

Okay, I am calling it right here. Blackstarr is going to be the villain in issues 5 and 6. It has to be. And I am glad that Silver Banshee is coming back as a Supergirl rogue. She 'feels' like a Supergirl villain so I am glad that is a returning part of the Gates' run.

So we have creators talking about a fun, heroic Supergirl who is going through a journey that is difficult at it's outset. Doesn't that just sound better than a pissed off, Hell on wheels, isolated, alien who has no affection for humanity?

The bottom line is that these interviews make me think Green, Johnson, and Asrar (in his interviews) all know who Supergirl is. It is just a matter of getting her there. I hope I get to meet these guys at some point so I can pick their brains a bit more in depth about the character of Supergirl.

The Rest Of My DCnU Week Four Purchases

Unlike the other weeks this month in the DC relaunch, there wasn't much released that enticed me into an impulse buy. I ended up only getting 3 DC books. Superman, JL Dark, and the Flash. And Flash was a last minute addition only because I heard such great things about Manapul's art on the book.

I briefly thought about Firestorm, Aquaman, and Hawkman. But in the end, there wasn'tenough about those books to get me to spend money. Maybe I am missing something. I'll keep my ears open.

But here is the outcome of the rest of last week's purchases.

Justice League Dark seems like a book tailor made for me. I was around when Vertigo first started and devoured the early (pre-Vertigo) Hellblazer book as well as the Peter Milligan Shade the Changing Man. I loved Matt Wagner's Madame Xanadu. And I have always had a soft spot for Zatanna.

Now all of them are together in the mainstream DCU fighting the more mystical threats? It sounds like a 'big name' Shadowpact! I liked Milligan on Shade and Human Target and I am hoping he can recapture some of that insanity in this book.

The first issue is a sort of 'mystical' bringing together of the team to fight the Enchantress. But no one seems to necessarily be in their right mind here. Shade is still wallowing in self-pity and pining for Kathy George. Madame Xanadu seems pretty fatalistic. And a very young looking Zatanna is described as unstable by Batman. This will be a weird team if John Constantine is the sanest amongst them.

The art by Mikal Janin is very good here, although the expressions on characters occasionally seems flat. But it looks like fun. So I am sticking around.

Initial rank: 'Short term'
Verdict: 'Short term' but anticipate long haul

I am admittedly a 'Wally West' guy. I once said if Barry came back I would stop reading comics. And I didn't particularly like the short term Barry Flash title written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Francis Manapul.

But I do like Manapul's work a lot. And there was a lot of publicity about his work on the net, about how great it was. So I bought Flash #1. And I have to agree it is a very beautiful book. Manapul does a good job of conveying super-speed. And there are some Steranko like uses of title pages and sound effects.

But the character of Barry didn't grab me here. There are nice moments to be sure like here where Barry admits that he takes all the cases, all the murders, personally. But there was no 'oomph' here. And the opening plot of a friend of Barry's cloned and wrapped up with some bad guys wasn't enough to get me to come back.

I might buy a Wally book though.

Initial rank: 'Better grab me', especially as an impulse buy
Verdict: 'One and done'

Anj's DCnU Pull List

The DCnU starts in earnest today. This is the first major release of the 'new 52'. As such, I have had to do some adjusting of my pull list. As has been said in countless places, this is both a jumping on point and a jumping off point.

While I am sort of sick of universal reboots, and particularly vexed by some of the decisions with this one (Barbara Gordon not Oracle, no Lois/Clark marriage, alienated and angry Supergirl), there are a lot of interesting creative teams and books coming out worth at least a peek.

As such, my pull list is split into three categories:
1) the long haul  -those books I anticipate collecting long term unless something dramatic drives me away

2) the short term - books I will give the first 6 issues or so to interest me, books I think I will like

3)the 'better grab me'  - books that have 1 or 2 issues to really grab me or I am moving on - sometimes it is part of the creative team or a character which will make me look

Here is my pull list with some commentary:

1) The Long Haul:

Supergirl - no big surprise here.  Supergirl is my favorite character and as such I feel I need to support her if she is in a solo book. I also feel like I need to bear witness and let my thoughts be known about the way the character is being handled, whether it be good or bad. I have heard enough about her lack of affection for humanity and whether that translates into isolation and cynicism. The time has come to read the book. It can't be any worse than the Joe Kelly run.

Action Comics - another no-brainer. I am a Superman fan and a Grant Morrison fan. I loved All-Star Superman. The feeling I get is of going back to the earliest Siegel/Shuster stories and showing how this young man became a hero. I have high hopes for this book even though we have heard similar things about Superman as have been leaked about Supergirl. He feels alien and alone. He has no tether to humanity. He even is touted as being 'modern and cynical' as if that's a good thing for Superman. We'll see. Morrison rarely lets me down.


Superman - I thought Perez did a fine job with his Wonder Woman revamp. But I don't have the same faith with him as a writer as I do Morrison. And I wonder just how he will manage a potentially disinterested Superman. Much like with Supergirl, I feel I need to watch this closely and let my feeling be known.

Legion of Superheroes and Legion Lost - I have always been a huge Legion fan and so I will continue to support the team. I wonder if the comic world can support 2 Legion books even if they are in completely separate time periods. Paul Levitz is on the main book with Francis Portela (whose art I like a lot). But I don't know if I like the new recruits enough to care about them. Legion Lost is set in present time, a plot I usually don't like for the Legion. But Pete Woods is on art and it stars three of my favorite Legionnaires - Wildfire, Dawnstar, and Timber Wolf. I do wonder if I will end up choosing one or the other.

Hawk and Dove - I have always been a Hawk and Dove fan having collected the mini-series and series in the 1980's. Add Sterling Gates on as writer and I am pretty sure I am in for the long haul. I hope Rob Liefeld captures some of the juice he had when he first did the mini-series.

Wonder Woman - I think I have been won over by the publicity and pictures I have seen of the book. It helps that I like Brian Azzarello's writing and love Cliff Chiang's art. Chiang's art alone would probably be enough to make me look at the book. But add to that Azarello doing a 'horror' feel on Wonder Woman and I am feeling enthusiastic.

Batwoman - Of all the 'long haul' books, this is the only one I am putting on the list solely for the art. It almost doesn't matter what the story is like. JH Williams art needs to be looked at. Add another favorite, Amy Reeder, into the mix and I am on board. Let's hope the stories are good.

2) The 'Short Term' books -

Superboy - I have never been a big fan of Conner. I loved Jeff Lemire's vision. I don't particularly like the look of the redesign here. I do like RB Silva's art. I feel I owe it to the Superman Family to at least give this book a change to grab me.

Justice League - Will it come out on time? Will the stories be fast paced or built for the trade? Will we see all the heroes get a chance to shine in the spotlight? Will it live up to its hype? This book was on the 'Long Haul' list until I read the first issue. I wasn't wowed. I am hoping I will be.

Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps - I think I need a little break from the spectrum and the entities. Much like the apathy I was feeling near the end of New Krypton when I desperately wanted to just read Superman stories, I want to read GL stories, just them and not them as part of this tremendously galactic ring war. I have enjoyed these books for a while. But I think I need them to step it up a bit.

Justice League Dark - The idea sounds just crazy enough to work. As a fan of John Constantine, Zatanna, Shade the Changing Man, and the Enchantress, I am looking forward to this book more than many others. But I think I need to see the story before committing beyond the first arc/half year. Of all the books on the 'Short term' list, this one could easily move to the long haul.

DC Comics Presents - hard to put this title anywhere else. If the stars and creative teams align I will pick up the arc much like I did with the 'Classified' books. First arc stars Deadman, a character I don't really like. But I love Paul Jenkins' work. And old friend Bernard Chang is on art. So I will be there.

3) The 'Better Grab Me' books -

Captain Atom - DC should give Freddie Williams a raise because I am only trying this book because I love his art. I don't know much about or care much for prior iterations of Captain Atom. Stanley Lau is doing covers. I have liked what little I have read by writer JT Krul in the past. Will I be interested enough in the Captain to keep reading?

Justice League International - I am about to speak heresy but I never 'loved' the Bwa-ha-ha Justice League. And I don't like Booster Gold. So why am I sampling this book? Two words: Aaron Lopresti. I loved ... LOVED ... his time on Wonder Woman. We'll see if the story equals the art.

Animal Man - I loved the Morrison Animal Man. I liked Pete Milligan and Jamie Delano's Animal Man. I liked Jeff Lemire's Superboy. Will it be too dark?

Demon Knights - I liked Paul Cornell's time on Action a lot. I figure I would look to see what he does with a different set of characters.

To put some context into decisions, as much as I love Kenneth Rocafort's art (and I think he is amazing), the idea of Red Hood, Speedy, and Starfire in space is such a goofy idea to me that Rocafort alone won't lure me to Red Hood and the Outsiders.

I will try to let people know what I books I continue to buy and will review the usual books here (maybe adding bullet reviews of Hawk and Dove).

So what is everybody else interested in? Which books are you all buying?

Bullet Review A Week Too Late? The New Justice League

With the DCnU coming out tomorrow, I thought I would take a quick look back at Justice League #1. Tomorrow I'll review my new pull list.

I realize that Justice League #1  is the 'how they became the JLA' story in the DCnU, set 5 yrs ago when superheroes were urban myths. But it's biggest weakness, as a result, is that we don't get the whole team in this first issue. It is almost entirely Batman and GL. I almost wish there was an opening 'one and done' story showing the team together and then the retelling of the origin. Or a framework story which leads into the origin. As it is, I feel this issue was almost too slow of a burn. When will Wonder Woman join in? Issue 4? For something as 'huge for comics' as this release, it should have shown the whole team together. I mean, if this is a jumping on point for new readers, for people where this is their first comic ever, this might seem weird. Where is everyone?

The story is semi-interesting in that it is the first time everyone in the book meets each other. Hal's overconfidence in the ring and Batman's overly cautious nature shows these are 'young' heroes. Their interaction was good, showing quickly the basis of each individual's personality.

And Jim Lee does his usual great art.

But this could have easily been solicited last year as JLA Year One #1. This read like JLA: Secret Origin, just another retelling of the team's beginnings albeit with new costumes. There just wasn't enough juice in the issue for what I thought it would be. This was supposed to be an event.

Overall grade: B

Mike Maihack' Supergirl/Batgirl Book

A couple of weeks ago, I posted this cover by Mike Maihack who proposed an all-ages Supergirl/Batgirl for the DC Fifty-Too web project. His concept of Supergirl arriving at Gotham High and slowly becoming friends with Barbara caused enough of a stir on the web that over on his blog, Maihack did a 6 panel page for this version of the characters.

Here is the link: http://cowshell.com/buffalog/2011/09/02/a-little-6-panel-batgirlsupergirl-comic/

So that's a funny little strip showing how a major plot/villain like the Joker could be captured within a panel's time by Supergirl. I think this could be a very fun book to read.

I don't think that rotating Supergirl costume would work in any other vehicle other than an all ages book. And I like that Maihack captures some of the more famous looks of Supergirl as she whisks in and out of costume. Supergirl seems bright, sunny, and optimistic here.

Here is a blurb by Maihack about his take on the Supergirl/Batgirl relationship from Babs' perspective, at least at its beginning.

As for Batgirl, it’s important to note she’s not just a younger female Batman. Where Batman has become almost superhuman in his ability to do ANYTHING, Barbara has to work really, really hard to do what she does! I mean, she’s naturally super bright, but I imagine she still trains and disciplines her mind and body to a ridiculous degree both day and night in order to not look like a complete fool fighting next to the likes of Batman and Nightwing cleaning up the gritty streets of Gotham City. And then along comes this wonder-teen from Metropolis who’s able to do it all so effortlessly. And with better hair. That would be a fun relationship to explore.

Of course, this is a theoretical comic. But I don't know how long I would want to read a book where Batgirl seems jealous of Supergirl. I don't want to see 'Mean Girls' between Babs and Kara. Still, this is a cute six panels, one I will share with the supergirls at home.

But seriously, can't we just get Cosmic Adventures in the 9th Grade??

Supergirl Bullet Points

With six books coming out this week to review, there are a couple of small releases and topics I wanted to at least touch on.

First off, as part of a Twitter-storm of info, DC has been releasing splash pages from all the upcoming relaunches including this one from Supergirl. We have seen this page before but not fully colored.

I am pretty amazed at how I have already come to accept the boots, even thinking them interesting visually now. Still, the corners on the bottom seam as you transition from red to blue is still jarring, not sleek or aesthetic, and really the part of the costume I hope will be changed. I'd even be fine with the weird coloration if there was a simple single line/seam.

Another part of the publicity whirlwind has been the release of 'new villain' images. Over on his blog, Mahmud Asrar posted this head shot and linked it on Twitter with the newvillains hashtag. So this looks like someone we'll be seeing in the Supergirl book. Supergirl certainly has been fighting a lot of robots and mecha-suits lately. I wonder if this villain is responsible for the missing Kryptonian ship, maybe trying to assimilate/absorb the technology?

Finally, independent artists have been coming up with their own DC relaunches on a site called DC Fifty-too. This was one of the more recent additions by Mike Maihack. Here is the link:
http://dcfifty-too.blogspot.com/2011/08/supergirlbatgirl-1-by-mike-maihack.html

And here is his pitch:
Can the same blonde-haired, wonder teen from Metropolis who helped Barbara Gordon finally put an end to Killer Moth's week-long crime spree also be the new popular transfer student at Gotham High? Good thing they have superheroics in common because Babs' and Kara Zor-El's student lives are about to clash."

That's a rough tagline for a book that shouldn't come as any big surprise for those who have followed me online for longer than a week. I would take a more all-ages approach to the series, placing Babs and Kara in high school who, despite some social differences, eventually become best friends. That's when I would introduce an idolizing fourteen-year-old Mary Marvel to annoy the heck out of them.

So as much as I think this looks like a great comic, and certainly one I would read with the kids, I think I still would rather see the next all-ages Supergirl book be Cosmic Adventures in the Ninth Grade. Now if there was room for 2 all-ages Supergirl books, let's have this one too! The addition of Mary Marvel is a great idea.

Review: Action Comics #904

And so ends this volume of Action Comics.

Action Comics #904 came out a couple of days ago, ending the 73 year run of this incarnation of Action.  Written by Paul Cornell with art by Axel Gimenez, the issue ends the Reign of Doomsdays story arc. As with much of the Doomsday story, that portion of the issue ends with crazy plot discoveries, with things happening fast and with loose explanations. I shrugged my shoulders at that stuff. This arc has been a silly loud smash-em-up which was sometimes incoherent. I think it was meant to be high action like a loud summer movie release.

But there was much to like in this issue. Much much much to like. Because, knowing that this is the closing chapter in this version in Superman, Paul Cornell uses the issue to show us his thoughts on the Man of Steel. It is a reminder of all the things Superman is right now, all the things he should be, and maybe a reminder to the upcoming creators of the DCnU to not lose sight of what makes Superman special. And for those final pages, I want to openly thank Cornell. He said on page a lot of the things I have been thinking.

I would even like to think that he does the same with Supergirl. Kara had some big moments in this Action issues of Doomsday, showing what a hero she is. Maybe this was Cornell letting the upcoming Supergirl team know that they don't need to scrap all of her core identity.

And those pages elevate this comic into rare air of excellence.

Axel Gimenez art is very stylish and works well with this story. It is a little cartoonish at times and a little manga-like at times. In a story with such over the top action, that works well. I would definitely look to get a commission from him if I saw him at a convention.

Last issue, Superman was apparently incinerated in Doomslayer's ship. It turns out that he was no disintegrated, but instead transformed into 'information' and taken into the ship's database.

In a quick explanation (finally) of what has been happening in this arc, the ship turns out to be sentient and gives Superman some much needed exposition. The ship was an intelligent probe sent from another universe to explore ours. When here, it was first corrupted by Luthor for his purposes. And yes, Doomslayer is the evolved form of the Doomsday that Kara through down the cosmic rabbit hole a couple of months ago. He also took over the ship for his own evil purposes.

Luckily, the ship's sentience was able to grab Superman this way and teach him how to fix the ship and set it to teleport back to it's home destination. In fact, it will teleport away in a timely fashion so Earth won't implode.

Easy and quick answers to a tough plot.

Now if you are a Supergirl fan, you have to love this scene. Leading the charge against the Cyborg-Doomsday and shows some serious determination.

But her words resonated more with me than her right cross! "You don't get past me and you don't get to hurt my home!" This is the Supergirl I want to read, stepping into the role of Superman when needed, honoring the S-shield, and defending Earth as a hero should. Earth is her home!

Contrast that to the upcoming Supergirl, angry with no affection for humans.

Which Supergirl sounds right?

On the Doomslayer ship, Superman is able to fix the ship and set the warp field on a three minute timer. And Doomslayer, full of self-loathing, full of the rage of a Doomsday, does his best to get past Superman to stop that teleportation.

Is this panel another nod by Cornell to the 'old' DCU? Superman talks about being taught the 'rope a dope' style of fighting by an old friend. Of course, Muhammad Ali was the boxer whose specialty was the old rope-a-dope. And, in the pre-Crisis DCU Superman actually boxed Ali once. Is this referencing that story? I hope so!

The actually Doomsday, barely under the control of the Eradicator consciousness, is sent to the ship to help Superman while Supergirl and Superboy fire the defeated other Doomsday clones into the impending event horizon of the Doomslayer ship teleportation wake.

There is a nice little discussion by Superman here, that sometimes life is complicated and doing the right thing is tough. It is far easier and far more destructive to simply think of the world as a nail and hammer away at it.

Doomslayer is no different that Doomsday, always falling back on violence and death as a solution rather than a problem.

Realizing that the ship is about to leave this universe, and knowing that Doomsday is about to reclaim his body, the Eradicator tells Superman it was an honor to be his friend and throws Superman off the ship. The Eradicator sacrifices himself knowing the world needs Superman. And with that, the Doomslayer probe ship returns to its home dimension.

All that's left is the wrap-up. But most of it really is a credo on Superman as a character.

First off, Superman seems almost angry that the Eradicator sacrificed himself, angry because he thought he should have been the one to do that. Supergirl states the obvious - 'your example let him be a hero to the end.' And look at the look on her face. You just know that she would do the same thing.

That is part of Superman. He should be an inspiration to all super-heroes. They should strive to be like him.

And finally, finally, we get a prolonged scene with Lois, the reconciliation scene that we didn't see at the end of Grounded.

Cornell uses this quiet dinner to again state the basic tenets of Superman.

First off, Cornell (I think) comments on the citizenship fiasco from the Goyer story in Action Comics #900. Lois says that China wants to make Superman an honorary citizen and Clark simply doesn't want to go there again.

Nor should he.

And then, Clark again talks about how much he loved fighting alongside the Superman Family but not if that means the Family will sacrifice themselves. Clark thinks he is just 'some guy', not someone people should be following to their deaths.

Again, Lois (like Supergirl), reminds him that his example ... that his thinking that way ... is why the Superman Family strives to do the same. The Eradicator would have sacrificed himself for anyone just as Superman did.

And this, perhaps, was my favorite panel in the whole book.

I always say that it is the Kents that made Superman what he is. And Lois comes right out and says the same thing. Superman is a 'decent guy', someone old-fashioned, who lives a whole human life. Someone raised with the right values. Someone who puts others before himself.

All that reads 100% right to me. These are the reasons Superman is who he is.

Will he be like that in the DCnU? Without the Kents? While embracing his alien origins? Without Lois by his side?

Morrison seemed to grasp all these concepts in All-Star Superman. 'Kindly couple' being a key part in his short retelling of the origin. I hope he remembers them in the new Action.

And then, Lois asks Clark to take her home. Clark's a lucky guy.

Funny how that short speech seemed to answer all the nonsensical questions that led Superman to walk across America.

The last panel shows Superman simply as a man, someone in the crowd, not above it all. But grounded.

So this chapter of Superman comes to a close. And like many of these last chapters, the book has a sense of closure, ending on a high note.

But it also comes with the sadness of finality. Goodbye Clark and Lois as a couple. 

It is clear, based on this last issue, based on this last scene, that Cornell has a great grasp on just who Superman is. But we didn't really get to see him write a Superman story. We got the end of the Luthor arc and this Doomsday arc. I want to read more Cornell on Superman.

I want to read more of the Superman described in that last scene.Will the DCnU Superman have that feeling of hope, optimism, and inspiration? Will the new DCnU have a Supergirl that fights to defend her home? I can only hope so.

I can only hope so.

Overall grade: A

Does The Comic World Really Want An Immature And Irresponsible Supergirl?

I have tried to remain optimistic or at least even-keeled about this DC Relaunch, specifically how it relates to Supergirl. But it is getting harder and harder to maintain that outlook. It is difficult when I read that the powers at DC seem to have no understanding of the character and are talking like they haven't read the book in the past couple of years.

The latest sound bite, and maybe the one that has put me over the edge was this one from the Manhattan DC Retail Roadshow. Here is Bleeding Cool's coverage:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/06/27/the-end-of-writing-for-the-trade-%E2%80%93-dc-retail-roadshow-takes-manhattan/

Now there is a lot in that article where DC seems to be trying to alienate existing fans. In particular, it seems like every Batgirl fan has some legitimate gripe with the future. But here is the Supergirl blurb:

Supergirl- Another area of improvement DC is looking for is characters to sound true.  Supergirl, as she has been written, sometimes comes across as mature and responsible as a 40 year-old adult.  She shouldn’t.  She’s a teen who is still finding herself and her character should reflect that. 

So this initially struck me as utterly wrong and insulting to the writers who have written Supergirl so wonderfully since Supergirl #34. It makes it sound like she was some super-mature boring character.

But then I thought about it some more and frankly I think all this means is that Didio (or whoever is responsible for this blurb) has not read the book for the last two and a half years. Because yes, there were some times that Supergirl acted mature and responsible ... isn't that we want from our heroes? Isn't that true of all teens ... that SOMETIMES they are mature and responsible?  

The above statement sounds like the 'powers that be' think it is wrong that Supergirl sometimes acted mature and responsible ... sometimes. What does that mean? That they think Supergirl should never be mature and responsible?? 

Who would want to read a comic where the main character is immature and irresponsible all the time?

But most of all, it shows they either didn't read or had no respect for Sterling Gates' run and subsequently Peaty's and DeConnick's. Because, after all, she never acted like a teen discovering herself during their run ... (rolls eyes).

She was angry, even at those who she cared for. Sometimes she lost her temper and didn't do what was right. Like here punching Superman ...

Or snarking at Thara...

Or realizing that life isn't always rosy ...

Or angrily walking away from Thara again ...

Or punching out Dr. Light ...

Or taking off when her mother was yelling at her ...

Or confronting Lana about her illness ...

Or almost killing General Lane ...

And sometimes she was happy ...

Sometimes she was sad. She went through tremendous emotional trauma. Here she mourns Zor-El ...

And mourns Lana ...

And wishes her mother was dead ...

Sometimes she shirked her duties. 

And sometimes she was impulsive ...

And sometimes she pounded the snot out of people ... 

But always, always ...

And this is key ...

She came back to try and do what was right ... to keep moving along that hero's journey.

It did not take long to find all these examples. They remind me how lucky we have been these last couple of years.


What Supergirl am I going to get in September? 

Someone with no affection for humanity so 'don't piss her off'? Someone where that statement represents their perceived 'core' of the character? Someone that DC thinks needs to act less responsible? Is that who Supergirl is? 

Maybe Michael Green and Mike Johnson will be able to pull this off. Maybe their stories will be similar ... a young woman becoming a hero and making some mistakes along the way. Someone always striving to be a better person, a better hero.

But ...

But ...

But if she is always immature, irresponsible, irrational ... 

THAT ISN'T SUPERGIRL.