I have enjoyed much of Jeff Lemire's work at DC and was very excited to hear about him doing Justice League United with a roster of many of my favorite DC characters. I am still reeling from Lemire's 'bull-headed loner' Supergirl comment but holding out hope.
One of the things I like about the book is Lemire's introduction of a native Canadian superhero named Equinox, one of the Cree. He speaks about her here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/equinox-new-cree-teen-superhero-joins-dc-comics-lineup-1.2588623
All sounds great. I mean it.
But the above cover is the one that was first solicited for the book. There's Kara front and center, in the classic S-shield costume. It was this cover that made me think the Red Daughter story arc was going to be limited.
In the article, we see the newly solicited cover.
Suddenly Equinox is front and center in Kara's spot. She even is striking the same pose that Supergirl did in the original.
I suppose it makes sense to showcase Equinox. She is the new character and a nice example of diversity.
Unfortunately the side effect is that Supergirl is pushed so far into the background she seems like an afterthought. A chimp has more prominent cover space.
I wonder if that is a sort of way to show she is going to be part of the team but not in the first story arc. Like she is part of the team but in the distance, in the future. At least she is still in the S-shield.
But jeez ... Supergirl is a teeny tiny element here.
There is no explanation for this image in the article but my guess is it is a variant cover or maybe a future cover. There is Supergirl in the red panel ... hinting at her current Red Lantern life? The colors might be random ... why would J'Onn be yellow and Stargirl green?
Still, I wish Supergirl could have had a more prominent space on the cover.
Bullheaded loners move to the back of the team shot, but seriously, Equinox will sell about as many extra copies of this comic as would Solstice or Skitter.
ReplyDeleteI'm no artist but I think the group shot image is a bit jumbled in both versions of it. Already there's not much sense of symmetry or togetherness because of the different scales and distances from the 'camera', especially with Animal Man so close and J'onn looming in the background. Having Kara in the top corner looking so far away makes it even worse! I think I'll try and get the Equinox-centred cover if that's a variant for #0, although where her right leg is going is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteThe interiors look nice though, you can see all of the screencaps from the CBC videos here: http://imgur.com/a/zSg9P
I'm looking forward to this. Equinox sounds very interesting! Apparently there's going to be a tenth character, another woman, joining the team down the line as well, giving JL United 50:50 gender parity.
Lemire said over on themarysue today that
ReplyDeleteShe’s an angry loner who doesn’t get along with everyone. But then I want to take her somewhere completely different. I want to see her grow and change and become part of a family rather than just being a member of a team.
That sounds like we're not going to get the growth from the Red Daughter arc after all and that DC will keep playing this out.
Well, to play devil's advocate it could just mean the growth will take place over a longer period than we all hoped, and this will be a title that syncs in a loose way with Red Daughter.
ReplyDeleteDisappointing for those of us who just can't find the interest in seeing Kara as a Red Lantern for any period, but not necessarily an indicator at all for no plans for character growth.
Let's hope 'the Mary Sue' notion doesn't prove prophetic, and Equinox gets all the attention.
ReplyDeleteThe optimist in me is pleased that Lemire at least seems to want Kara in a happier place.
I wonder who the tenth member will be. Is Hawkgirl too obvious?
Sounds like the Stranges will be sharing the one spot on the team, with one absent while the other zetas in.
Martin Hawkman has already been confirmed as the tenth member of the JLU. I think it was stated on the official announcement.
ReplyDeleteHawkman has been part of the publicity from the start, I'm responding to Thomas's comments, above.
ReplyDeleteMy hope would have been that once the Red Lantern is gone that Kara would be more open to embracing people than turning them away.
ReplyDeleteIf she is still an angry loner after the Red Ring then why do that story at all.
I'll have to see how it plays out. But this feels like Lemire is going to play this as just another cycle in the unlikable Supergirl tilt-a-whirl.
Let's just get her to being a likable optimistic hero again. And if you can't do that in this book because Stargirl is in that role than kick Kara off and have her be in a new Titans book.
I am feeling frustrated about this.