Bullet Review: The Other History Of The DC Universe #5

 The Other Side of the DC Universe #5 came out last week focusing on Thunder. It was an interesting capstone on the series since we started with a look at Black Lightning and his dealings regarding race. Now we see the look from his daughter who is dealing not only with race issue but sexuality as well. Kudos to writer John Ridley and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli for putting this issue and this series together.

As a big fan of DC history, I have found this to be an excellent series overall looking at the history of this comic universe from a different perspective. Hey, I am still learning. And as steeped in DC lore as this was, I could appreciate the story angles as it pertained to the cultural issues.

I don't know if I like hearing Black Lightning is a homophobe. That seemed a bit out of left field. But I did like seeing him as an overprotective dad. That I empathized with 100%.

I will freely admit that the Outsiders is a sort of blind spot for me. So I don't know if I knew any of the story references in here. I do wonder what people who read all these stories thought of this.

But I come here today to wonder once again if John Ridley is a Supergirl fan. She had already been mentioned pretty significantly in both Other History #1 and Other History #2. And here in this issue, she is name-dropped.

And as this is a story from the 90s, we are probably talking Matrix here.

Bullet Review: The Other History Of The DCU #2

The Other History of the DC Universe #2 came out last week and was another very interesting look at classic Bronze Age DC history through the lens of minority characters. This time it is Mal Duncan and Bumblebee. 

Written by John Ridley with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, the issue is a nice slice of DC history, walking us through the history of the Teen Titans and Mal and Karen's interactions with the team. We are talking about real-life timing of these stories, for the most part, with Ridley placing this squarely in the 70s and early 80s. 

I like that this issue we hear both characters recollection of not only the trials and tribulations of the Titans, of Mal's desire to be accepted and how he just wished to be super, and Karen's legit super-powers but her reluctance to toe the line. But Ridley also throws in actual Earth history - Arthur Ashe's victory at Wimbledon and the busing riots in Boston. 

Like last month, Ridley stuffs the issue with iconic images of DC history. It is a great read. And Camuncoli does a great job with the art, doing homages but also keeping it all very grounded when he has to.

But this is a Supergirl blog. And I have to say, I think Ridley is a Supergirl fan. Because just like last month (see here: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2020/12/bullet-review-other-history-of-dc.html ), there is a lot of Supergirl in this book. 

And Ridley treats her with great respect and admiration. 

Read on!

Bullet Review: The Other History Of The DC Universe #1

The Other Side of the DC Universe came out last week and it has been appropriately lauded as a look at marginalized groups and their place in the classic DCU.

Written by John Ridley with inventive art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, the book looks at the early career of Black Lightning and how he struggled as an African-American in the DC world. As a long time fan of DC, Ridley really hits my sweet spot of the Bronze Age, showing us scenes pulled directly from the original Black Lightning series and the classic Justice League of America 2-parter where the JLA invites Lightning to join their team, but do it in the most terrible way. I read those issues off the racks. But now I am looking at it from a different viewpoint.

Ridley puts us firmly in the mind of Jefferson Pierce and how he responds to the world around him. In particular, Pierce's thoughts on Jon Stewart and how Green Lantern acts in the DCU is fascinating.

 I am glad this book is on the shelf.

And I was glad that we got a Supergirl moment. For me, it meant that Ridley considered her an important part of the DCU. It even leans into more Silver Age Kara history and that makes me happy.

Supergirl Future's End #1 Cover

Since the New 52 has been introduced September has been DC's gimmick month - zero month, Villain's month, and now Future's End month, complete with 3-D lenticular covers! 

Last September, Supergirl didn't even merit an issue. Cyborg Superman, the 'Supergirl' villain, was part of the Superman title's issues.

Well, this September's issues include a Supergirl issue! 

Here are the complete September solicits from over at CBR.

You might recall the Supergirl solicit:

SUPERGIRL: FUTURES END #1
Writer: Tony Bedard
Penciller: Ema Lupacchino
Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli

At last, Supergirl reconciles with her father, Cyborg Superman – in the most horrific way possible!

Well now we get to see the cover. And boy it is a beauty by Giuseppe Camuncoli. There's a sort of Art Thibert feel to it. And Supergirl looks fierce. In Metropolis no less. 

I know I shouldn't assume anything from a comic cover but Supergirl in Metropolis albeit 5 years later. Maybe she really has patched things up with Kal.  

But what about the 'other' cover?

The solicit discusses the return of the Cyborg Superman.

The horrific way she reconciles with Zor-El is to become Cyborg Supergirl?

Well, I hope that isn't the story and would be something of a step backwards to whatever progress Supergirl would have made.

That said, who the heck knows what life is 5 years later in the DCU.

At least she gets her own issue and special cover.

And that first cover is great.

Review: Adventures Of Superman #2

I know I am always going to be hopelessly behind the times when it comes to reviewing digital first stories. I am an old-timer, waiting for the print versions, and therefore perpetually lagging.

Adventures of Superman #2 came out last week, putting the fourth, fifth, and sixth on-line chapters of this series into print form. I gushed about the first issue and it's classic sensibilities on the character. This issue continued that trend with the entire issue being deliciously entertaining and one chapter standing out as being simply fantastic.

But the format also is great, a throwback of sorts. These are brief stories which need to have a beginning, middle, and end in a handful of pages. It is unlinked from continuity. And there is a sense of wonder and fun in the chapters so far that is sorely missed in the main books. While the words might be considered 'toxic' by the marketing people and despite it's 'Teen' rating, so far this book has been an all-ages book. I can read these stories to the supergirls at home. And they can learn about the Superman I grew up with here.

DC also probably knows that there is an opportunity here to cash in on the buzz of the movie here. I am sure it isn't coincidence that the cover pose by Giuseppe Camuncoli mirrors Henry Cavill's 'first flight' scene in the movie. Also, I am not surprised that the 'Man of Steel' name is so prominent on the cover. Luckily, this book's tone is far away from the movie's. Ironically, there are parts of this issue which seem to comment on the movie's more controversial pieces.

The first story in the issue is 'The Bottle City of Metropolis' by writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli.

The story opens with a nice discussion of what it means to be Superman and it is broad strokes showing just what people love about the character. He talks of the "sheer joy of being able to make a difference", "to help people", "to do the right thing", to l"ive a life in service of the greater good."

In an amusing sort of resonance with the ending of Man of Steel, he says that dropping a building on a bad guy is not what being Superman is about. Fascinating!

But in all he does, Superman notices the same man everywhere, something which seems impossible. This guy even appears in the Fortress. And he talks of how Superman being around makes the average man seem worthless and weak. It is the antithesis of what Superman wants people to feel.

But then, in the midst of a disaster that Superman can't seem to deal with, the same man arrives.

And suddenly he has a new outlook on Superman. How Superman is an inspiration. That he is the example to make us all Superman.

The story ends with a sort of Philip K. Dick 'what is reality' sort of twist, a bit of Total Recall switcheroo.

I loved the overall theme in this story. It covers just what Superman should be.

It is the middle story in the book that stands out. 'Slow News Day' was written by Joshua Hale Fialkov and drawn by Joelle Jones. It is simply phenomenal, playing on the Lois/Clark rivalry/flirtatiousness. There is sort of throwback feel to this, right down to the sort of 1940's fashion the two sport.

On this slow news day, Perry offers his two top reporters the 'honor' of covering a dog show. It is the classic 'dog' news story thrown around in the 50s. Lois bets Clark that she will get a front page story out of it, a better story than he can produce. Clark accepts.

Unfortunately, Clark is called into duty as Superman, delaying him from getting to the show. We see snippets of his duties - putting out fires, stopping the Toyman and his giant robot duck, corraling escaping zoo animals ... it is all so Silver Age.

But I also liked that last panel, a clear homage to the Donner movies where Superman acts as a rail to save a train. Again, with Man of Steel on the minds of the world, I thought this interesting.

He even gets called to save the timeline by Kamandi and Rip Hunter.

And when he comes back, tired, and with a beard, Lois is there, sporting a jaunty hat, to grab his picture.

I loved Lois in this story. And the story has a nostalgia feel to it without overdoing it.

With moments left, Clark zips to the dog show and writes his human interest story, enough to get on the front page of the local news section.

Meanwhile, Lois gets the front page of the Late Edition (do newspapers still have late editions or is this another nudge at the timing of this). She covered Superman while Clark was 'at the dog show'.

I love how Lois declares them both winners and thinks they should celebrate together. Man, I miss the Lois/Clark dynamic! So glad to find it here!

And Joelle Jones' art just sizzles here. Wonderful stuff.

This story is an A+.

The last story 'Best Intent' is written and drawn by Michael Avon Oeming. I was looking forward to seeing Oeming's take on Superman.

The story is a somewhat confusing time travel story. A timeline guardian asks Superman to help him find and stop another saved Kryptonian from becoming a galactic despot.

I have to say that after decades of reading time travel stories, I thought I could understand all the intricacies. But I will admit that even I am confused by this one.

It seems like there are three timelines here. The original timeline. The one where Superman and this guardian save the baby. Here Superman asks if he can raise this Kryptonian child as his own. The guardian seems to imply that it is this timeline that leads the baby (who turns out the be the guardian himself) to become this villain. And so, repentant, the guardian goes back in time to take the baby from Superman and send him onto a third timeline, one where he hopefully becomes a hero.

Maybe??

If anyone has another idea about this, a better understanding, I would appreciate it!

Still, I love the art here. Blunt and beautiful at the same time.

If anyone is looking for a sort of primer on Superman, if anyone is looking for that elusive Superman book to offer tweens to read and introduce them to Superman, this seems to be that book. How interesting that this 'out of continuity' book and Smallville are my favorite Superman books right now.

Overall grade of book: A