Rebirth ?

It was mid-afternoon on Friday when Bleeding Cool ran an article that had a rumor that DC was thinking of blowing everything up again, renumbering all their books at #1, and basically starting over. Here is that link: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/01/22/dc-comics-to-relaunch-everything-with-1s-again-this-summer-with-a-filmtv-bent/

Now this was just a rumor but the idea of DC scrapping the New 52 just 4 years in and rebranding the universe to fit in with the other media versions of the characters seemed preposterous. Didn't it?

Well shortly after that story Jim Lee and Dan Didio tweeted the above image. Most likely spurred by the Bleeding Cool break of the story, they probably felt they needed to get ahead of the game.

Now this is one image and one word - Rebirth - but to me it spoke volumes. And it also spoke to how splintered I am psychologically as a DC fan right now.

You see, I have long had issues with the New 52 and it's treatment of the characters I love. Remove Grant Morrison's initial Action Comics run and Superman has been all over the map but no where near iconic. He's been aloof, a monster, powerless. He has been away from the Daily Planet. The Kansas farm boy has decided he can love a goddess.  He has had no relationship with Lois. He has been hated and shunned by Lana and Perry. And he has been hated by the people of Earth. No longer is he an inspiration to do better. He isn't trusted.

Supergirl went from being an angry, cold, distant young woman who hated her family and Earth to leaving the planet, dying at the hands of her father, being resurrected, and then becoming a Red Lantern.

And the whole vibe of the universe is humorless and dark. From Forever Evil to Future's End to Doomsday viruses to The Truth, I would never ever ever want to live in the DCU.

So I should be welcoming a reboot with open arms? Right? I mean, I should be hoping that DC leadership realizes the mistakes it has made, wipes the universal slate clean, and gives me back my heroes.

But if this is truly a universal rewrite, it also means that I have to start back from square one. And that means losing the few successes this new universe has brought me. From Burnside Batgirl to Harley Quinn to the last issues of Supergirl, I have read good stories. From Starfire and the rocker Black Canary to the odd but engaging Martian Manhunter, there has been some wins in DCYou. Do I lose those books?

And lastly, if the New 52 seemed like a Hail Mary pass by DC to be relevant again, another universal reboot just 4 years later seems like a pathetic grasp for readers by a leadership group who has lost my trust.

Am I honestly supposed to believe with the people in charge that this new Rebirth will be better than the New 52? Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

If the New 52 was a perfect jump-off point, couldn't Rebirth be the 'cut the cord' moment?

So the windmills in my mind are spinning. I don't like much of the New 52. I have been clamoring for change almost weekly on this blog. I should be thrilled about a change!

And yet, another change this soon after the last makes me realize that right now DC is in complete disarray. It's one thing to rationalize this as something Marvel just did. It's another thing entirely when you add in this was just done a handful of years ago.

There are many mantras I have used over the course of my time on this site. One I use all the time is apt here.

Good stories trump all.

Just give me good stories DC. I'm ready for them.

But another misstep after the line wide missteps of the New 52 would be catastrophe.

DC All Access Print Version

I sometimes have to laugh at DC's publicity people and how at times they don't seem to have read the very books they are promoting.

So the back page of this week's DC Comics is the print version of DC Comics All Access. And it is promoting Supergirl. That is usual a happy event for me, showing that the company is trying to bring attention to the character.

But this is promoting the angry Supergirl. And it starts with the tantalizing line 'Did Supergirl just kill Lobo???'

Is Supergirl a murderer?? Not exactly the best tagline for a teen hero.

But let's move on. Because that didn't bother me.

This did ...

Why would anyone who has been reading this book think it would be a hoax for Supergirl to be a Red Lantern? Doesn't it seem completely consistent with the book and how DC has been marketing here?

Fighting and rejecting Superman.

Crushing the world.

Trying to kill H'El?

Selfishly happy that the universe is unraveling around her in Krypton Returns.

She hasn't been acting like someone where it would be ludicrous for the Reds to recruit her.

A better line would have been:

"This is no hoax, people - Kara accepts Earth, reconciles with Superman, and becomes a hero!"

Because that is more unbelievable given the 28 issues before.

So why would they write that?

Because people think of Supergirl as a young optimistic hero trying to help and occasionally failing but always learning.

It doesn't matter that for 2+ years she has been this bitter, angry, sad, isolated person. For many it would be a hoax for Supergirl become a Red. Because no one wants Supergirl to be a Red ... even if DC wants to shove it down our throats.

I have said it before and I will repeat it.

Supergirl fans don't want to see her dark. 

And fans of dark characters don't want to read Supergirl. 

That's why these takes always fail ... ALWAYS. That's why they feel like hoaxes. That's why it is wrong.

I mean, the Red Lantern story is here and happening. And maybe it is appropriate because that promo piece enraged me. Because it is ignoring what DC has done to this character since the New 52, trying to make it seem like this step to become a Red Lantern is a big one, and odd, and out of character ... when really, for the most part, she has been an acolyte in waiting.

I'll continue to hope that Tony Bedard means it when he says he is using this to reset things. 

That better not be a hoax!

Why DC Needs Vibe

I have talked for a while on this blog about some of the issues I have with the current New 52 DC Universe, this feeling that it is an overwhelmingly depressing place to live.

 The powers-that-be will call it grim and gritty, or realistic. But the truth is that the longer this universe and these books come out, the more unrecognizable things are becoming. There doesn’t seem to be a super-hero who is happy being a hero, happy to be helping people. Superman is a loner who doesn’t want to mentor his family, someone who floats over everybody. In countless books, in continuity or out, he has become a killer. Supergirl is a disaffected teen running from her new world. Her father has once again been turned into a super-villain. Superboy is a brainwashed weapon, a bank robber who carries the DNA of a maniacal genocidal alternate future son of Clark and Lois.  The Amazons seduce and kill men to create the next generation, trading male children into slavery for weapons. Wonder Woman is a warrior only, never an ambassador for peace.  The Legion can’t be made dark enough to sustain a title and so it is canceled, replaced by JLA3000, a book that Kevin Maguire is kicked off of because the book needs to be darker than his art can support.

It felt as if the whole DCU was cut from the same grimmer and grittier cloth.

And a palette of one color becomes boring pretty quickly.
 
Throughout this new universe, I kept looking for a least one book that might have a different viewpoint, a book where characters were being heroes because it is the right thing to do. Someone who realizes that in this world it is harder to be good but you have to … because, to quote the competition, with great power comes great responsibility.

The new Ameythyst? The Teen Titans? The Justice League? Have you read those books? Nope.

Maybe Demon Knights? After all, the purest and most noble of characters, The Shining Knight, amidst others that are beautiful shades of gray. It was doing it. But that book has already been canceled.

And then there was Vibe.

Initially written by Geoff Johns and Andrew Kreisberg and then handed over to Supergirl-scribe Sterling Gates, Vibe stars a character trying to do what’s right in a cynical and grimy world.

Cisco Ramon is a teenage boy given fantastic powers. He is approached by the government group ARGUS to be part of a new Justice League of America and he jumps at the chance. He wants to honor the memory of his presumed fallen brother. He wants to help his family. He wants to help people. So he jumps at the chance.

Given the codename Vibe, he goes beyond the missions given to him, patrolling the streets and trying to fight crime. Why? Because it is the right thing to do.

And when it becomes clear that ARGUS isn’t exactly acting above board, when Cisco realizes that ARGUS is imprisoning people, making Vibe try to capture innocent people, asking him to attack other breachers, he says no. He doesn’t fall in line. He doesn’t follow orders. He does what’s right! He turns against his bosses and helps the people who really need it. People like Kid Flash and Gypsy. It isn’t easy to do that. It isn’t easy to stand up against government-funded evil and be a hero. But he does it.

Moreover, his ethics inspires others to do the same. Dale Gunn, his handler at ARGUS, is portrayed as a good man who at some point decided to follow orders even when he thought the orders were wrong. He did this to protect his family. He is a perfect reflection of Vibe. He was Vibe. That is, until he compromised his principles and fell in line. When Dale sees Vibe helping Kid Flash and Gypsy, he begins to question his own decisions. He even helps Cisco’s brother break into the Circus to rescue his brother.

Vibe, the young hero, inspiring others to be better! In this market, it’s a wonderful change of pace.

Long time Supergirl readers shouldn't be surprised that Sterling Gates has a handle on a young hero, striving to do what's right, and learning their place in the world.

Outside of the optimism of the book, and as a great bonus, Gates clearly has a comprehensive knowledge of the DCU, dropping in such other-dimensional beings like Lady Quark, Maaldor, and the Warlock of Ys … Easter Eggs for long time fans.

What could be better?

The last issue of Vibe sold just over 12,000, a probable death sentence  for the book.  

With title after title after title showing a grimy world where heroes can’t be heroes, who don’t like being heroes, who don’t want to be heroes , in a dark gray world, can’t DC have one title that brings the light? That has optimism?

Sometimes I want a horror movie. Sometimes I want a comedy. Sometimes I want a drama. What a boring world this would be if there were only horror movies!

Can’t comics have the same? Isn’t there room for something more positive? Especially in the DCU where things are so dismal right now that next month I am going to be rooting for the villains because ‘evil is relative’ and there are even worse villains.

Unbelievable. 

And please … before anyone says I am old-fashioned and want a saccharine world of the Silver Age … I will defend myself by listing some titles on my pull list: Conan, Fatale, Danger Club, Satellite Sam, Rachel Rising, and Revival. I am not against darker stories. I am not against violence in stories. I understand the world we live in. But I also know that I want options in my entertainment. And I sometimes want to believe in the inherent goodness of humanity and in the existence of heroes.

That’s why DC Comics needs Vibe.

In this market he is the Unlikeliest Hero.

Why? Because he is a hero.

Mahmud Asrar Off Supergirl

A bomb sort of dropped on Tuesday when artist Mahmud Asrar announced that he was off Supergirl. He discusses it over on his blog here:  http://mahmudasrar.com/post/55608652850/a-farewell
And he discusses the decision over there. It is well worth reading.

Supergirl #20 was his last issue even though he has several more covers in the chute. I have had my issues with the New 52 Supergirl, from the decompressed early issues to the 'disaffected' publicity.

But if there was one thing that I never had a problem with it was Mahmud Asrar's artwork on the title. It was slick, stylish, and fantastic. His style seemed so well suited for Supergirl. He drew her like a teenage girl. He had a tremendous ability for facial expressions to add emotion to a script. And he was able to show joy in her despite the book being darker than expected. Even the commission above, used in his farewell post, shows that.

He doesn't come right out and say exactly why he left the book but for his career and life he needed to move away from the book. Everything I have read by Asrar, he loved being on the book. I can remember a Twitter thread when he wanted to know who had drawn Supergirl the longest, as if he was wondering he could reach that plateau.

  And on Twitter, Asrar felt he needed to say in very measured words that it was not his health that made him leave. It was something else.

I may be placing my own conspiracy theories on this tweet, but it sounds like he had some issues with DC Comics and wanted to take the high road.

I say this because we know it isn't comics that he is walking away from. Heck CBR just announced that Asrar is drawing the Indestructible Hulk Annual, coming out soon here.

It has to be something specific to DC. 

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

I don't want to lose sight of the reason for this post. I come not to bury Asrar but to praise him. He will always hold a place of importance for Supergirl and her fans. He was a shining new star for DC Comics who is moving across the aisle to the competition.

I will miss his tremendous art on this book. I can only hope that at some point in the future we see more Supergirl by him.

I think you looked great Supergirl.

Farewell Mahmud Asrar. You have a fan here.

New 52 Temporary Tattoos

I have been relatively intrigued in the branding of DC heroes to the general public since the New 52 was unveiled 2 years ago. While some characters are basically wearing the same costume with a few tweaks, others look quite different. Let's face it, the subtle changes to Batman, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman's respective costumes probably aren't obvious to the average person.

And yet, when I see Superman or Supergirl merchandise outside of comic stores, they are still wearing the more classic togs.

So imagine my surprise when one of the supergirls at home gave me this sheet of temporary tattoos she got at an 'end of year' school party. These are the New 52 versions of all these characters ... and in an item marketed at kids to boot!

These were produced by Savvi and here is a link to their home page: http://www.savvistuff.com/
While there are a couple of Superman and Batman products by the company, I couldn't find this DC universe sheet anywhere. Too bad! I wanted to see that else is being offered! 

Here is a close up of the Supergirl tattoo. It is a very nice heroic pose, poised for action. But the expression is great. And, surprisingly, the costume looks pretty good here.

I like that Wonder Woman and Batgirl get solid representation here as well. Heck, Batgirl's tattoo is bigger than Batman's!!

Bottom line, I like seeing Supergirl marketed to kids in any way. I like that DC in some way is trying to streamline things from a comics and merchandising viewpoint.

Poll: What Grade Would You Give This First Year Of Supergirl

We are one year into the DCnU reboot and I thought it would be a good time to poll the audience to see what you have thought of the book so far. What grade would you give this year's worth of Supergirl stories? Poll to the right.

In looking back at the pre-reboot discussion of the character, I was more than a bit worried. It sounded as though the new take was going to be of an isolated, alienated, disaffected, persecuted young woman. I worried that we might be straying closer to the beginning of the 2004 reboot Supergirl rather than the 'hero on a journey' we saw the last 3 years of her own book.

As usual, the publicity pieces didn't capture the true feeling of the book. Sure, some of the broad strokes are there but the truth is in the details.

I thought I would bring up some of the bigger concepts that have been in the book.

The biggest theme for me has been that Kara is basically a stranger in a strange land. Unlike prior incarnations of Supergirl, where she basically knew she was being rocketed to Earth, this Supergirl awakens to find herself on an alien world.

The original Kara knew Argo City was doomed, knew about Superman, knew about Earth. The later Supergirl knew she was being rocketed from a doomed Krypton, following Kal to Earth. This Kara doesn't know how or why she got to Earth. She is lost.

In some ways, that makes the main theme of this book one of dealing with grief. And I think that this Kara is working her way through those 5 stages. Even if she says that Earth will never be home in that second panel, she seems to be accepting her new situation more and more.

It hasn't been an easy transition with plenty of victories and defeats.

No two panels better illustrate that point better than the last panel of Supergirl #6 (where she is happy to have defeated the World Killers) and the first panel of Supergirl #7 (where she feels she needs to escape the attacking military).

If there is one plot point that I would like to see resolved sooner rather than later is this persecution from the military and police. This Supergirl seems to have a good moral compass, wanting to protect the innocent, wanting to help. It is hard to continue to do the right thing when you are vilified for it.

At least the public seems to be swayed to recognizing her heroics.

The big mystery is still out there of course. Who rocketed her to Earth? And from where ...Argo or Krypton?

We have seen glimpses of Kara's life on Krypton, heard from Zor-El and Alura, seen her lessons, and her mother's involvement in her romantic life. We also know that Zor-El is killed. And that Supergirl's pod was in orbit around the sun for at least 5 years.

All these things are linked. But clues have been lean. Answers are around the corner but had it been too long without a true 'origin'?

During her stay she has actually made a decent number of rogues. The World Killers. Simon Tycho. Black Banshee.

And while I think their last interaction was better than the first one, I still think there should be a better relationship between Supergirl and Superman. The scene in Supergirl #12 was a step in the right direction.

Add to that some crazy new powers like super-intuition and a solar flare and we have had a pretty crazy first year of the DCnU Supergirl.

Initially the first issues seemed to decompressed. But once the stage was set, I think pacing has been fine. Mike Johnson and Michael Green seem to have a grasp of just who Supergirl should be. And Mahmud Asrar's art has been breath-taking.

So please vote. And comments are always welcome! I'll tell you my grade when I review the poll results next week!

Jim Lee's Superman Costume Design

The DC Source blog has begun posting some of the back material for the JLA-Origins trade collection, on sale today. Some of that back material is the costume concept art for the DCnU redesign. Here is the Superman page: http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/05/01/justice-league-sketchbook-superman

The picture to the left is Jim Lee's original concept art and the rest is from Cully Hamner. And I have to say I appreciate these behind scene creative peeks and really up close looks at these new costumes. There are some elements of these new costumes that haven't sat well with me. I mean, why mess with iconography. But this look let me focus a bit on the good, the neutral, and the not so good.

The good. I have to say  the thing that stands out to me as an improvement is the treatment of the cape. I like the black shield on the cape. And, for some reason, I really like the fact that it tapers to a point in the back. And it is said that it attaches directly to the costume as opposed to being tucked into the shirt. I jhope he can take it off to carry something in if needed. And, as always, I like when the S-shield is large on the shirt. It should be.

The neutral: I have come to accept the lack of red shorts and even the high collar.

The not so good: I just think that all of these new costumes tend to run a little bit too busy. I want a sleek Superman. So all these creases and piping and recesses and seams just seems to make it feel cluttered. And the piping is supposed to be red! Even busier.

I just think the costume should be emblematic of the man. I don't think of Superman as being this fussy or detail oriented about his fighting togs. So I don't think his clothes should be either.

This is the same sort of complaint I have with the new Supergirl uniform, the same sort of unnecessary use of piping and corners (although Kara's looks relatively unadorned when compared to Kal's).

Scott Lobdell On Superman ?

Over on Bleeding Cool, it has been reported that Scott Lobdell will be taking over the Superman title in September. It is a brief post, but here is the link:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/04/30/scott-lobdell-take-over-superman-comic-from-jurgens-giffen/

I really don't know what to think here. I don't know if Lobdell is the right writer for Superman ... and remember I am liking his Superboy. I am not a hater. But still ...

But more than the announcement specifically of Lobdell, I wonder why the new Superman book (if this is true) will have three creative teams in 13 issues. It goes back to my questions when it was announced that Perez was off the book. It goes back to my questions when writers and directions where changed in the middle of opening arcs of the DCnU titles.

What is DC thinking? Who is in charge of okaying these books and creative teams and directions? And why do they seem so bad at it? And why do they seem so eager to change directions before some books can pick up momentum or word of mouth?

Did George Perez say 'I only want 6 months on Superman?' If the answer is yes, should DC have okayed him taking the helm of a major book as it was about to redefine the biggest character in the universe? If the answer was 'no', why was he pulled. If it was because the first story was clunky (which I think it was), why didn't the powers-that-be realize that before giving him the reins?

So Perez leaves and Giffen and Jurgens step in as creators. And, whew, at least the first 2 issues made me feel comfortable with them writing the book.

And now I read they are off the book. And a new writer will come on board.

The problem here is that we have yet to define who Superman is in this new universe. What his relationship with his supporting cast? Which enemies are known commodities and which need to be re-introduced? How is Superman perceived in this universe? I want to learn about this new Superman ... but with rotating people with rotating ideas and no clear vision, I simply can't. There is no foundation to build on.

So the real question is this ... why? Why is this happening to Superman? The Batman books have solid creative teams and a direction. Wonder Woman's creative team is there for the foreseeable future despite some outcry. Superman will have 3 creative teams during its first year.

Why is there such instability? Are the creators opting in for a short time? Or is DC pulling the plug on their stories early on. And if that last statement is true, why did DC okay the stories in the first place if aren't what they are looking for.

I ask DC to take the advice of Superman above as they move forward with their decision on the book, on who will guide Superman into this new incarnation. Use an extra bit of judgment when you decide who is going to write the book. Do they have a clear consistent vision? Do they know Superman and where theyt want to bring him? Do they have more than one arc planned? Check the direction and then double check it to make sure you are satisfied with the direction. And then assign the writer.

Maybe Lobdell has a three year plan. Maybe his stories will be great. Maybe DC is finally going to settle on who they want Superman to be. I hope all of the above is true, although I have my doubts on all of the above.

And Superman deserves better. The book and his fans deserve more than a revolving door of creators with different ideas and themes.

Argo City - DCnU

I have been reviewing the history of Argo City in its various incarnations. Today is the final chapter, as I review what little we know of Argo City in the DCnU.

So how much of Argo's history have Michael Green and Mike Johnson chosen to keep intact? And how much do we simply not know yet. Both the Silver Age and the Modern Age history of Argo City was covered in a page or so of story.  But this Supergirl's origin is still a mystery. So there is much about Argo's fate that has yet to be revealed.

All this has been revealed over the last couple of month's in Supergirl.

In Supergirl #5, Supergirl flies into deep space to the coordinates of Argo City and finds the city in orbit around a blue sun.

It definitely looks to be the silent floating graveyard that we have seen in the Silver Age version of the city.
There is no dome here. I do like the wisps of atmosphere over the city, showing some remnants of atmosphere.

There are a lot of questions to be answered here. How did the city get here? What happened to it? And who put up the stargate that leads from Argo to Earth and vice-versa.

But it is clear the ground isn't Kryptonite. Supergirl is able to explore the city and finds it abandoned.

So if we assume that Krypton exploded more than 2 decades ago, then the city has been in space for that long. But how long has it been abandoned? When did everyone die? With the planet's destruction? Shortly thereafter? Years later? And, the question that I keep coming back to, where are all the bodies?

Thanks to the sun crystal, we get some more history.

In the DCnU, Zor-El creates a forcefield and an atmosphere machine he hopes will save the city. But this isn't a weather dome. And it isn't outright said to be Brainiac tech. It might just be Zor-El's smarts that made it.

But there's more.

 The force dome is still too risky for Zor-El. So to protect her, he puts Kara into a protective pod. It isn't a rocket! It's a pod. So we don't know who sent the pod towards Earth. The last survivor of Argo?

I just like to throw this in ... what does Zor-El hope Kara will learn the truth about?

Is there more to his successful saving of city than he is revealing? Is it how he created the dome that he hopes she discovers? Something about his saving the city? Or something else entirely about his research?

Zor-El gets assassinated in the next panel ... so it is therefore implied that he died on Krypton. Not on Argo!  Zor-El not being in the city to help lead the survivors is a big change from the prior Argo City's (assuming he didn't live to see the city get ripped away).

So some some more info about the city is then revealed by an unlikely source. Reign tracked the city and found it beneath a broken force field, its atmosphere gone, and the population dying.

But there are more questions raised here.

What broke the field? Meteors like in the Silver Age? Brainiac like in the Modern Age? Or something new?

More importantly, when did Reign find the city? Recently? Years ago? How long has Argo been a dead city?

And if Reing came down and saw the dying population, where are they?  Maybe just aren't not shown in the comic? Or are they buried? Or somewhere else?

I still wonder if some of them are somewhere else, in a 'Survival Zone'-like Dimension. Part of that feeling is this vision of Zor-El and Alura, which seems like so much more than a vision. But if Zor died on Krypton from that shot to the chest, this seems impossible.

But then Argo City falls into sun. So there won't be a sort of permanent gravestone for Krypton any more.

So, in review, the DCnU Argo City maintained some of the key elements of the prior incarnations.

The El family saved the city by creating a force field and an atmosphere machine. The city is flung from Krypton's destruction city and the people survived. And the destruction of force field (however it happened) was key to its disaster.

But there are some differences or unanswered questions as well.
Was Zor-El in the city?
What destroyed the dome?
How long ago did Reign see the dying population?
Where are the bodies?
Who shot the Kara's pod to Earth and  who set up the star gates?

So there is definitely a sort of new shine on the old origin. But we need to learn more.

I tried to get some advance information. On Twitter I asked Mike Johnson if he could tease something about this new Argo. He said "Hmmm. How about 1) it's gone 2) we haven't seen the last of it"

My guess is we will learn more about the city via flashbacks.

So Argo City has had a relatively stable story in all its incarnations with some key changes to reflect the times. I have enjoyed this little research project a lot.