So I am knee deep in reviews but I figured Saturday might be a better place to cover a couple of quick things that I noticed in perusing the internet and reading comics.
Even though I wrote a passionate post about how I won't be reading Futures End anymore, I can't help but run into coverage on the internet. This week's issue seemed to cover the funeral for Green Arrow including a nice eulogy by Animal Man.
I will admit I am something of a sucker for big double page splashes of heroes coming together, even if it is for a funeral. Good job by Jesus Merino for bringing the right tone and point of view here.
But one thing I couldn't help notice was that Kara wasn't there. And I haven't read anywhere that she appears in the book as someone paying respects. You would think if Supergirl was part of JLU that she would be there.
Here is the one peek at Supergirl I have seen in coverage, a flashback of the JLU evoked by Buddy's speech. But the words say how great the team was ... all the more reason to be unhappy that Supergirl wasn't there. Maybe this will be explained later.
In fact, I have a theory.
The 'masked' Superman I have seen looks suspiciously like Wildfire from the Legion. Maybe the person inside the suit is made of energy, contained inside that suit. And maybe THAT is Kara. She has that sunburst power in the New 52. Could she have turned into energy and be stuck inside the genderless suit?
Of course, the Legion Lost folks are still on Earth. Maybe he is Wildfire.
If I am right, someone needs to tell me!
The other thing that caught my eye was the preview of the Johns/Romita Jr book in the back of many books.
There was a lot to think about there. The fact that Titano is now a robot that can be shattered is one. Makes me miss the Silver Age. The fact that Clark is walking around the Planet like he is on a job interview makes me think Johns is going to get rid of Clarkcatropolis.
But there is one thing that truly grabbed me and it is this panel. And it again reminds me why I think the current folks at DC just don't get Superman.
This is the current Superman - post-Forever Evil, post the Morrison stuff, post-Doomed; this is the guy who has been around. And he has felt alone all of his life?? ALL OF IT?
Part of the foundation of Superman is that he feels like he is one of us. That he has embraced humanity. That the Kents taught him to be someone who helps. So he shouldn't feel alone from that upbringing. If we are talking about people with powers - he is in the Justice League, he is dating someone near his power level, he may (or may not) have been part of the Legion, he fought The Wraith. He shouldn't feel alone from that point of view.
And oh yeah ... HE HAS A COUSIN! Of course, the Superman/Supergirl relationship has been squashed and torn apart. But he has blood family nearby!
Why would Johns say he has felt alone all his life. I don't want a loner Superman. Or a Superman that feels alone!
At least he said his name is Clark Kent.
Lastly, Pak, Soule, and Lobdell are making the round about Doomed. Below are links to their interviews on Newsarama and Comic Vine.
http://www.newsarama.com/21138-soule-pak-explain-doomsday-s-new-mode-of-superman-attack.html
http://www.comicvine.com/articles/interview-charles-soule-and-greg-pak-on-superman-doomed/1100-148763/
Some good stuff there about the series including the news that Supergirl #34 will be a Doomed tie-in.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. Back with reviews on Monday!
Hey Anj, (I'll be posting this comment in the most recent post too) about Ultimate Spider-Man, you could always start with the first trade "With Great Power..." but if Peter Parker has never grabbed you I would totally recommend to give the Miles Morales era a shot, it has the things you like, a new young hero trying to live up to the mantle of the one before him, people just trying to do the right thing, and it's funny and upbeat.
ReplyDeleteThe first trade of the Miles era is "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man vol.1: Who Is Miles Morales?" Hopefully you'll find a copy and read it, and I really hope you'll like it, let me know how that went! :)
P.S: Yes, I totally recommend you to read the Miles Morales trade, forget about the Parker trades, read Miles first and you'll like it just fine. Trust me!
You have been pushing this so much that I feel remiss that I haven't actually gone out and bought it.
ReplyDeleteI promise, next trip to the LCS I'll look for the Morales trade.
Thanks again!
About Superman feeling alone is a big part of Geoff Johns Superman, present the last time he wrote the character.
ReplyDeleteI actually like it, because it creates a connection with the timid guy. Superman always had an appeal to the timid person, the guy that nobody pays attention and would love the girl next door would notice that he is a "Superman" inside.
That line jumped out at me too, Anj. I hate it, it's so wrong.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you think of the 'alone' as him being shy.
ReplyDeleteBut I also think that the 'every day ... until now' is still off.
I know I've complained about that 'I've always been alone' thing before, Superman/Wonder Woman #3, if I recall, where Supes tells Batman he knows nothing about his people, etc. when he has a cousin born on Krypton who could share everything he could want to know with him! Now, I can deal with the estrangement between them that they're writing in the books - even if I don't actually LIKE it - but when they write Clark as if he barely remembers she exists, it gets on my nerves, because it just makes him look like an ass.
ReplyDeleteIf Pak, Soule and Bedard keep them estranged at the end of Doomed and after the end of RDoK, I'll be very disappointed. The two characters have encountered each other and been through major events enough times by now for some progress to be made. If the climax of H'el on Earth and Krypton Returns weren't significant enough, one would think the third major Superman event would be it. So I'm glad she's part of Doomed and interested in seeing how her book ties into it.
He feels alone because its hard for him to fit in. Which makes sense. He's been different all his life. This isn't post-Crisis where he didn't gain a single power till his teen years thus spend all his childhood feeling pretty normal. Not only has he always been different, he's back to always FEELING different. That's a powerful thing, regardless of him always having loved ones in his life up until Ma and Pa passed on.
ReplyDeleteNow, I don't want Superman being someone who refuses to let anyone in his life in any shape or form. But to this point, at least before Diana, a Superman who feels alone because its just been very hard to find anyone who can relate to him and whom he can be completely honest with? To me that's just a classic element of the character that I'm rather glad to have back. I had 20 years of the fully assimilated and fully comfortable from a human POV Superman. I'm glad they went back to a more classic mold.