This Week's Channel 52

When DC announced the 'Channel 52' pages to appear at the end of their books, I thought it was a decent idea. Sure, I still miss old-fashioned letters pages but this seemed to be a new-tech version of the old 'Daily Planet' pages. While I peruse lots and lots of comic web sites, maybe something from these pages would push me to try a new book.

Because that's what this is right? Built in advertising writ as content. A comic version of product placement. It even comes in a nice slick package. Freddie Williams II is one of my favorite artists. The 'anchors' are fun characters. Bethany Snow was a Brother Blood disciple in the old DCU. Add Ambush Bug, Calendar Man, and Vartox and you have a cast that is charismatic.

The truth is it hasn't worked for me as much as I hoped. The 'news items' are pretty vague and don't tell me enough about books to make me think about sampling.

And then there was this week's version ...

Now remember, this is supposed to be publicity for books. This is supposed to sell the characters, maybe giving a bullet point about who/what they are to try to entice new readers. Look at how poor Supergirl is portrayed.

This is how DC wants to market her ...

Supergirl is described as a 'hostile young lady'. Hostile. And a 'lady'.  She is 'opposed to Superman's mission', opposed to, in shorthand, truth, justice, and the American way. It is even hinted she might be leading a Kryptonian invasion.

Her picture has her scowling, fist clenched, holding rubble.

Contrast it to Superboy, the living weapon, the bank robber, the one who wanted to shun Superman early on in his own book, is portrayed in an iconically heroic pose. There is literally a spotlight on him. He has his hands on his hips. They question his loyalties as well, but not as in-depth.

Hostile young lady opposed to Superman's mission

Now maybe you are thinking that Snow's words aren't that far off. In H'El on Earth, she was opposed to Superman. And she has been hostile.

But remember, this is supposed to be how they are marketing Supergirl for new readers. I am more concerned that that is how DC imagines her. That is how they want to sell her. And it isn't going to work. It hasn't in the past.

And it also ignores fighting the World Killer's, saving New York City, fighting the Black Banshee, and all the other good things she has done.

All of these things make me depressed.

"Strike a heroic pose Kon!"

Ironically, Superboy, the mind controlled living weapon brainwashed to kill Superman, is getting something of a heroic makeover in his own book. He is returning the money he stole from the bank. He has a new outlook. Maybe DC realized the 'bad boy' route wasn't selling.

I am not begruding Superboy being shown in a positive light. In fact I applaud it. I look forward to him being more of a hero.

But why market Supergirl with that failed strategy?

Bullet Review: Ame Comi Girls #1

After a series of character driven one-shots that collected the digital first episodes, all of which were connected into one big story, DC (it seems) decided to make Ame Comi girls an ongoing team book. And so last week we had Ame Comi Girls #1, the beginning of the Rise of the Brainiac story.

As I have said before, I had no plans to read this book mostly because the costumes are so ridiculous I felt they would detract from any story that was being produced. Enough people whose opinions I respect recommended the book as a fun and wild ride, showcasing heroic women (even if they are barely dressed). And, somewhat surprisingly, I have agreed with their assessment. This is a crazy book which is very entertaining.

Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray continue a breakneck pace bringing all the heroic women and villainous women of this Ame Comi Earth together to save the world. The art this issue is by Eduardo Francisco and he takes advantage of the Ame Comi dress to show lots of half-butts right smack dab in front of me. I know I shouldn't be surprised ... this is Ame Comi. Outside of that, his art is very good. He is called upon to draw wild big action shots with many characters as well as some quieter moments and does both with a nice anime flair.

The big loser in this issue? (sigh) Supergirl. She spends the issue brainwashed by Brainiac, tossed around by Wonder Woman, and eventually hog-tied. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Here is a brief review.

The Dark Supergirl arrived last issue and sort of wiped out the lower tier heroes. That explains Steel, Flash, Catwoman, and Robin all unconscious or trapped on the background.

With the undercard out of the way, the main event starts: Wonder Woman versus Supergirl. This is pure warrior Diana as she vows to bury her sword in Supergirl's chest.

Meanwhile, Batgirl sneaks onto Brainiac's ship in hopes of shutting things down. Since the computer has organic components, Batgirl realizes she can shut this thing down the same way she would shut down a human's nervous system. A jolt from a taser does the job, temporarily short circuiting Brainiac and her drones.

It is a nice moment and pretty smart and brave of Babs.

As I said, Supergirl gets treated pretty shabbily here. Screaming her death threats, she gets tossed around by Wonder Woman for several pages. I was hoping Supergirl would be the hero here somewhere.

With the pause in the fight, the others regroup. In a nice moment, Catwoman confesses she is probably down to 7 lives after this.

And, as I said above, after getting tossed around by Wonder Woman, Supergirl is tied up and remains helpless for the rest of the issue. Should I be surprised with this treatment by Jimmy Palmiotti?

And there are Diana's cheeks! I don't know if I needed to see them.

And I shouldn't be surprised that Power Girl is the main hero in the story either. Palmiotti loves Power Girl. Heck, I love his Power Girl.

At the center of the Earth, she meets Brainiac's central core drones. Their mission is to start the destruction of the Earth. The Brainiac towers (as seen in the above panel) will suck all the knowledge from humanity, giving Brainiac the information she craves while reducing mankind to neanderthals.

Of course, Karen can reason with the machines, convincing them maybe they should stop this needless act of mayhem.

And there are Karen's cheeks!

One part I did like was the core drones downloading Karen's memories. We see some important moments from her life including a classic Superman-esque shot of her lifting a tractor.

What caught my attention was this kiss. Who is this guy on Ame Comi Earth? Have we met him?

And I shouldn't be surprised that seeing her life convinces these things to break their programming and agree not to destroy the people of Earth.

It is a heroic act and shows how a life helping people can inspire.

Despite the revolt of the her drones, Brainiac isn't done fighting. She thinks she can still win. And she ends up capturing Power Girl with the transfer of information ongoing. Hmmm ... maybe Power Girl doesn't get to do all the heavy lifting in this story.

And we get an even closer look at Karen's cheeks!

I am of two minds with this book.

This issue continued a very fast pace with lots of action and fun moments. I finished the book and was entertained. Power Girl is treated very well. And Wonder Woman also has some nice moments showing her strength and her unwillingness to admit defeat. So that is the good.

Those nice moments contrast sharply with Supergirl's treatment. She is a villain in this book. Maybe I could look that other way a bit more easily if this wasn't happening as the H'El on Earth debacle happened. And, unfortunately, comics are a visual medium and reading this book with these skimpy outfits and gratuitous shots makes me feel just a bit icky. The fun aspect of the story so far has outweighed these downsides. And I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by either of these things.

I think Franscisco's style perfectly fits this book.

Overall grade: B

Review: Smallville #11

Last week was a busy one for comics to review. So here I am, over a week out since its release, reviewing the print version of Smallville Season 11 #11. And I still have one more book from last week to talk about!

Smallville has been a happy accident for me, a book I grabbed because of Bryan Q. Miller as writer more than it being a Superman book. So far, this book has stunned me with how great it is. We have major plots running through 'episodes' while subplots percolate in the background. We have a more classic take on Superman and a very strong Lois Lane presence. There have been more and more characters from the DCU worming their way into the book. And there is just a great mix of action, drama, and humor! There isn't enough humor in the New52. There isn't enough heroism in the New52. There isn't enough Lois in the New52. And so this comic is where I go for those things.

This 'episode' is Haunted, a Flash-centric story about Bart Allen trying to outrace the Black Flash of death. While I don't know if I follow all of the Speed Force philosophy details that are revealed here, the basic story is strightforward. How can Superman save the day, save his friend from dying?

As with prior issues, one of the answers comes from some true comic book science delivered by Emil Hamilton. I worry that the character might become something of an easy crutch, always having the technology to provide a solution to a tough problem. That said, the device he creates this issue is pretty slick.

The art on this issue is done by Jorge Jimenez. He has a great handle on what camera angle impacts the story best. And I think his speed effects are very nice, in particular the more inky speed trail left by the Black Flash.

The main plot, as I said, is the Black Flash stalking and trying to kill Bart Allen. Part of the problem is that 'speed storms' are erupting around the Earth, aging and killing nearby people. With nowhere else to turn, Superman and Impulse seek out Jay Garrick, the Flash from the JSA.

The inclusion of more DC characters creates a richer universe in this book. Here, we had seen Jay (at least in photos and paintings) in the JSA episode so this just builds on some internal continuity. It seems as though Jay also saw the Black Flash in the past. His way of avoiding death was to simply stop running. His leg was injured in an adventure and he decided not to get it fixed. This avoidance of danger rather than facing it head on is an interesting plot point and slightly diminishes Jay.

That said this a great panel, a nice shot from below accentuating the status of Jay.

There are a couple of subplots brewing out there. While the Tess/Lex story is my favorite, the Crisis on Earth 2 one is also fascinating. Last issue, our Chloe went memory diving into the mind of the dead Earth-2 Chloe. (That machine allowing her to do that was one of those magical Hamilton moments.)

It seems that interaction allowed Chloe to absorb the memories of her doppelganger. In a great flashback, we see the Clark of that world killing his Smallville classmates at high school graduation, an elimination of all 'meteor freaks' in one blow. I love that Miller put a couple of the 'freaks' into the scene, even Amy Adams fat-guzzling killer.

That world's Chloe only escaped by bring some Green K with her.

The origin of the Flash's and Bart in particular comes into a bit more sharper focus in the story. In the initial Impulse episode, we saw that Bart had several fake identities he was using, all names we recognize. Now that there is actually a Jay Garrick, that coincidence needs to be explained.

Bart states he awoke with his powers and has little memory of his life before the speed. The names he chose 'came to him'. The amnesia is an interesting wrinkle. Is it that the Speed Force basically washes away everything once it 'possesses' the runner? At the very least the words 'Wally West' made it into the print of a DC comic. Man, I miss Wally!

Of course, you would think this would have come out at an earlier date. That's a minor quibble.

As I said before, the Speed Force stuff here doesn't make the most sense to me. Miller does his best to tell me what I need to know ... and maybe I do understand it ... but it doesn't feel like I do.

The Flashes don't create their speed, they get it from the Speed Force. The Black Flash, I guess, is some manifestation of the Speed Force, coming to reclaim this energy. To sustain itself, the Black Flash must 'feed' on speed energy. So it is the Black Flash which is sending out this speed energy into people, having it rev up people, and the reclaiming it ... increasing the Black Flash's energy.

Okay ... I don't get it.

Bottom line, the only way to avoid is to stop running (like Jay). And Bart doesn't like that answer.

Meanwhile in the memories of E2 Chloe, we see that she seems a bit more devious than our sweet E1 Chloe. She ends up sleeping with Oliver, even though that Earth's Ollie was committed to Lois.

It seems to be more of a physical relationship. But Chloe also seems to be training Ollie to be the weapon that kills the evil Clark of that world. Could she be taking advantage of Ollie, using passion as a means to an end, manipulating him into taking on Ultraman? Either way, Chloe ends up sleeping with her cousin's near-fiance.It has a high creepy factor even if this a darker Earth. Creepy that Chloe would do it either for thrills or strategy. Creepy that Ollie would cheat on Lois.

I have to admit, I don't recall the episode well enough to know how all this turns out.

One thing I have liked a lot about this comic has been the representation of Superman as an inspiration and role model.

When Jay calls his speed powers a curse, Clark steps in with some inspirational words. Powers can be a blessing if they don't own you, define you. Jay recognizes that sort of leadership in Superman, akin to Hawkman's in the JSA.

It was the emo, angst-ridden, listless Clark that made Smallville the show sometimes maddening. Since donning the outfit and going public, at least here in the comic, he has shaken off that ennui and been much more the hero I expect in Superman. Nice couple of panels here showing how powerful a hero like that is.

As I have said before, the Tess/Lex subplot is my favorite. Unfortunately it sort of takes a back seat this issue. Lois is close to getting all the answers, having discovered a Lex-penned note was done with Tess' handwriting.

When Lois can't get more information out of Otis, she calls upon Steph Brown Barbara Gordon to come in and help. Otis was a bit smitten with her before. Maybe she can woo some information out of him.

I do love how Steph Babs initially thinks Lois wants her to beat the answers out him, invoking Liam Neeson's famous line from Taken. Acckkk .... this is Steph!! I'm not striking that one through!

Emil Hamilton has turned machines that can download human personalities into robots into tech were living beings can absorb the memories of the dead.

So I shouldn't be surprised when he converts a suit designed for Clark to absorb solar energy into one that can absorb Speed Force energy.

With Paris in the midst of a bad 'speed storm', Clark races over and uses the suit to absorb the speed energy being stuffed into the citizens there. So while he gets juiced on speed, they survive.

Now that is an interesting look for Clark ... reminiscent of others ...

While I definitely think this is a riff on the Electric Superman look from the 90s, there are enough elements to make me wonder if Miller and Jimenez were trying to invoke some John Fox Flash into the design.

I suppose they look similar.

No surprise, the Black Flash shows up, all inky and nasty. The speed fight is on.

I love this ending. Despite being told to stay put because of the danger, Bart can't let Clark fight his battles for him. Clark is family. He races off to also engage.

Now, we know there is a Crisis in this book. We know Supergirl is coming back. Could Miller be truly playing off of THE Crisis? He wouldn't kill off the Flash and Supergirl ... would he?

As a 'print guy', I suppose the end of this story is already known. Maybe reviewing these digital first/print later comics doesn't make sense?

Anyways, this was another solid issue. I had more problems with this issue than prior ones. I don't quite get the Speed Force threat. I think the E2 Ollie/Chloe affair has a sliminess to it which belittles both characters a bit. And Hamilton again uses tech in a new way. But these are more like a popcorn kernel stuck in my back teeth, a little annoying but not enough to take away from the deliciousness of the bag of buttery goodness.

Overall grade: B+

Preview Of Action Comics #19

With Grant Morrison's Action finale around the corner, DC has released a brief 5 page preview of the new creative team - writer Andy Diggle and artist Tony Daniel.

Diggle has said a lot of good things about his thoughts on Superman as a character and these pages seem to confirm that. These are brief statements but they hold a lot of power.

'I don't like bullies.' Some old school Smallville wisdom there.

In Superman and even in Justice League, this Superman has been a bit of a bully, floating over everyone, reading people's texts, etc.

Superman isn't a bully. He doesn't like them.

'I'm here to protect, not to provoke.' One of the simplest statements about the character is that he is here to help. In the current DCU, everyone seems to be worried that he wants to take over. People should know he is here to protect.

This also is a good message. He won't start trouble but he'll end it. Again, he is here to help not be a vanguard for an invasion, not as a despot in waiting. He shouldn't be feared.

The art is pretty slick. Big moments need big art. Splash pages of Superman declaring some personal truths and demolishing giant robots is pretty big. Taking over the book after Morrison is an even bigger moment. Diggle and Daniels need to show people they are ready to fill in those big shoes. Something (literally) splashy like this works.

I recently heard that Diggle might not be too keen on Lois and I think that is a shame. We need Lois in this universe! But at least he seems to have a handle on Superman here.

I can't wait to see what is ahead.

Review: Worlds' Finest #10

Worlds' Finest #10 came out last week, another sly crossover in the Requiem for Damien Wayne.

I can understand both DC the company and writer Paul Levitz including a reaction to Damien's death by Huntress in the book. In many ways, Damien is sort of the Earth 1 equivalent for Helena. And the ideas of loss ... of worlds and families ... is so central to this book's core concept that it had to be included. So that is why Levitz would include it. Of course, for the Batman completionists, DC would want to include this scene as it would provide healthy publicity for the title. The bottom line, this didn't feel like a forced scene to cash in on Batman's current popularity.

The good news about this issue is that it continued to push the stories and plots forward in a way that was missing in the earlier issues where things seemed somewhat stagnant. We have had wonderful character moments in this book from the beginning. Now the plot of an Apokolips invasion is starting to bubble and boil rather than simmer.  And that is great news because I really like this book and the characters but was feeling frustrated about the lack of progress.

The art in the book is beautifully rendered by Kevin Maguire. His usual expressive work shines here. And I love this cover. I especially think the red skies works wonderfully. I am a big fan of Maguire and so a whole issue of his art is a great treat. But it is more like bittersweet chocolate. At the recent ECCC, Maguire stated that he is off the book.

Last issue, Michael 'Mr. Terrific' Holt sent an assault squad to Starr Island.

And man, that irks Power Girl to no end. Levitz has done a good job juggling the complexity of Power Girl's personality. There is a sort of innocence about her, a whiff of Silver Age Supergirl. But there is also some ferocity and impulsiveness to her which is both a classic Power Girl and a more modern age Supergirl take.

So if Holt attacks her, she is going to retaliate. In what can only be described as industrial terrorism, she begins to level Holt Industry factories and headquarters. And since Power Girl is still a relative unknown on Earth 1, she is doing it with some subterfuge, mimicking natural disasters. It does seem like a bit of a significant strike back ... is it too much? Does this border on villainy? She is complicated and I like that.

I really liked the panels as Karen tries to feel for the sweet spot underground to level and empty Holt building via earthquake. 

Her surgical strike with an earthquake unfortunately spreads beyond the compound and suddenly Power Girl has to rescue innocents she has endangered.

Despite her training by Kal and her longer heroic career, she is definitely still on the journey. I love how she remembers some of Superman's words of wisdom. This is how easy it is to have Superman be in a 'Supergirl's' life without having him be a looming presence. Now these are very public rescues with people snapping pictures. Will this lead to a bigger public persona? Will Superman or Supergirl 'recognize' her?

As I said before, Maguire's expressive work is so fantastic. Look at that first panel. Karen is beating herself up for this disaster. Wonderful.

Since there seems to be a moratorium called on shredding the Power Girl uniform, Levitz and Maguire give us a different form of cheesecake having Karen in lingerie lounging on her bed while she sips champagne, eats grapes, and chats with Huntress on the phone. I still think it's gratuitous.

As for Huntress, she chastises Karen for letting her emotions get the best of her and overreacting with the Holt assaults. I like that Helena is the voice of reason here, trying to rein Power Girl in a bit. That said, Helena has certainly had some moments where she seems to lose control too.

Huntress has decided that unnatural catastrophes won't provide the answers they want so she tries to break into Holt's personal computer files.

The computer is protected by those T-globe thingies. They seem to be awfully easy to disable if a net can eliminate them as a threat. Heck, James from Team Rocket could defeat these things.

This was the only low point in the book ... and it isn't that bad.

The industrial espionage (after industrial terrorism!) is cut short when Karen informs Helena about Damien's death. The two travel to the grave where Helena tries to come to grips with her feelings. Nice surroundings for this scene - rainy and windy and dark. And the body language of the characters, that sort of blank face on Helena, the limp hair, it all talks about how powerless these characters are feeling right now. Death is inevitable.

Family and the loss of family is so key to this book. This was like losing a step-brother. It is one more body on the pile for Huntress.Good stuff here.

But despite that desire for family, she still isn't ready to meet the Earth 1 Batman. After 5 years on this planet, both Karen and Helena still can't imagine meeting their alternate families. It is so interesting ... somewhat baffling.

I do love how Helena, a former Robin, actually contemplates asking to take Damien's place! Can you imagine Bruce's response. He just lost one child that way. Would he let another star-crossed child take the mantle? I would love to see that conversation.

As for Michael Holt, he is marooned on Earth 2. So who is this guy claiming to be Holt and angry at the break-in.

Given the Apokolips connection, I am thinking someone like Dr. Bedlam, inhabiting a Holt construct.

I need some real Fourth World stuff in this book ... and soon.

The book ends with a cute joke. After all, how could Karen not know Holt was Mr. Terrific if she was so romantically involved with him? She replies he was actually just Mr. Good. Ooooh .... burn!

Good joke. But this was just after tear-soaked graveside despair! Too soon for some saucy talk? I suppose that you can't be sad all the time. Maybe Helena just wanted to get her mind of Damien and some good-natured ribbing of her friend could help.

So another good issue in a title that I feel is really getting its legs under it and moving forward. I really look forward to this book each month, a guilty little pleasure.

Now with Maguire leaving, who do you want to take over? I have been impressed with CAFU's efforts on this book the last couple of issues. He gets my vote.

Overall grade: B+

Review: Superman Family Adventures #10

Superman Family Adventures #10 came out last week and after the bitter taste of H'El on Earth this issue was like a little scoop of sorbet to cleanse the palate.

I will admit that this issue veered more towards Tiny Titans than prior issues. But this was chock full of silliness and joy and optimism and frankly, I needed it. In Superman, Supergirl is stabbing people in the chest with Kryptonite. In Superman Family Adventures she is eating breakfast with Kon and the Kents. It is good to see Supergirl smile every so often. And it is good for comics to be fun once in a while too.

With only a couple of issues left in the title and an endpoint in mind, creators Art Baltazar and Franco move things forward pretty quickly in this issue. And there is a healthy dose of outright zaniness. Add to that a couple of riffs from mainstream DC continuity and this was a silly issue which helped clear my mind.

Last issue, Brainiac was supposedly defeated and brought to Kandor to face some Kryptonian justice. However, a Brainiac drone crawled from the wreckage of the Brainiac ship.

The drone heads to the orbiting Fortress with its Brainiac based tech. And it picks its camouflage. It might say western cowboy but it looks much more like Nimrod in Vyndktvx' Anti-Superman Army. Nice!

Since this is Superman Family Adventures, I am a bit more easy with my continuity concerns. So I applauded the return of Lara to the living last issue.

In an interesting twist, Franco and Baltazar figured out a way to temporarily bring back Jor-El. Jor-El is usually seen as a Marlon Brando-like ghost in silver robes a la the Donner films. Now, using the 'red sun chamber' from Superman 2, they can grant Jor-El 24 hours of solidity.

Crazy? Yes. But fun and breezy.

In the aftermath of Jor-El's return, the Phantom Zone villains also escape. This time, at least initially, General Zod decides to rule the Earth by wooing people with delicious hot dogs. That is insane.

Those who read this blog back in the New Krypton days know how much I loved the Ursa character. Here her violent tendencies rear their ugly head. She simply wants to crush people. I love it.

Still ... just bizarre.

While Jor-El and Lara have some quiet time, Clark heads to the Kents to see his other parents.

I love that Clark gets flustered at the mere mention of Lois!

I called it before. I will say it again. Clark marries Lois in the last issue of this book.

As for the Phantom Zone criminals, Zod changes his mind and starts yelling ... you guessed it ... 'Kneel before Zod'.

And to help him with his destructive goals, Zod sprinkles red kryptonite on some of the hot dogs he is selling, turning them into Godzilla-like weiners.

I said this was a bizarre issue.

This is my favorite moment in the book. While Zod changes his mind to become destructive, Ursa tones things down. When she sees her old friend Lara suddenly friendship becomes more important than devastation.

It is truly fantastic. And it felt natural for some reason.

And things get better.

How wild is it to see Superman and Jor-El in the same heroic pose and fighting evil. There is something so Silver Age about that.

Meanwhile, Ursa and Lara continue to rekindle their friendship.

And the Zod/Superman fight on the car also smacks of a similar fight in Superman 2 as well.

The issue ends with a nice cliffhanger. General Zod is rounded up and is going to be tossed back into the Phantom Zone. But before he is imprisoned, he sprinkles some of his red Kryptonite salt onto Kandor which enlarges it, demolishing the fortress from the inside out. Kandor enlarged in the Arctic? Reminds me of the New Krypton story.

But Brainiac is also re-enlarged and suddenly a bigger bad than a hot dog selling Zod is around.

Okay, this was pretty bizarre issue. But you get the sense that Franco and Baltazar are moving all of these pieces of Superman mythos to end this book with some closure. Giant hot dogs aside, we have the return of Lara and Kandor. We have the Lois/Clark simmering romance.

I think we will see a wedding. I think we will see Rokyn. And I think we will have more fun stories.

I am grateful for this book.

Overall grade: B+

Mad Magazine Supergirl Variant

The Mad Magazine variant cover for Supergirl #19 was recently posted over on Wired.

The artist credited on the cover is Richard Williams.

I actually was worried that the Mad variant would have  Alfred E. Neuman in drag, so I am actually pretty happy with this. It is actually a fun little image with Neuman crashing into a flying Supergirl.

And if this comic could use anything right now it is an injection of fun.

That is a very pretty Kara too.

Hopefully I'll be able to grab one of these. This also represents Mike Johnson's last issue and the 'not WTF' gate-fold cover on the main cover.