Andy Diggle Is Off Action Comics Before He Began

It started as a rumor over on Bleeding Cool here.

And yesterday on Twitter, Andy Diggle confirmed it, saying he has decided to walk away from Action Comics for 'professional reasons'.

As a fan of DC Comics, I don't know what to say anymore other than I feel embarrassed for the company. They blew up their continuity and established a new one which is muddier than the old one. They have had revolving doors on the creative teams of some books. They had a 'summit' where the editor in chief apologized for stomping on creativity. They have had innumerable instances where they have pandered to the lowest common denominator to sell books starting with Starfire being a sex-starved vapid alien and continuing to the present when they are currently publishing a book where Superman punches a pregnant Lois Lane to death. They have monthly columns on comic websites where they sound absolutely cheery, saying that all is well with their line. But I see the sales on their books eroding. I see creators jumping ship. And I see a lot of bad stories.

And now creators aren't trying to get to write a Superman book ... heck THE Superman book ... in a year when we are celebrating an anniversary and a movie for the character.

Nope ... creators are leaving the book. Before their first issue is even published.

We may never know the 'professional reasons'. But I can't help but feel that it was, again, editorial interference, the 'powers that be' not letting Andy Diggle tell the story he wanted to. So congratulations to him for walking away.

But it makes me sad as a fan.

That sadness shows in my purchases. 50% of my books are DC books, the lowest percentage of titles I purchase from them in a long time. Three of the DC titles I buy are close to being dropped by me. Three more are nearing cancellation numbers.

All this after we were given the most jumbled and inconherent of Superman crossovers I have read, a story where Supergirl is initially the enemy and then tries to stab the villain to death.

It just feels like DC is a burning Rome and Dan Didio is playing the fiddle. 

Who would want to work for them? First it sounds like editorial fiats change the directions of things on a whim and at last minute. But what must be more frustrating is editors accepting a creator's direction, publicizing it, and then making them change. Why accept it in the first place if they didn't think it was a good idea? How insane was it that we had 'new directions' of New 52 four issues into their inception!!

But most of all, I will wonder just what Diggle was going to do with the Superman character. Outside of Morrison, I haven't read a consistently good Superman in a long time. The powers that be have called him a loner in the New 52. He is presented as a guy who reads Lois Lane's text messages, floats over people all the time, and generally isn't very nice.

Diggle had a different and more classic take on the character. Here was one of his first interviews about his run: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/andy-diggle-actions-comics-bright-optimistic.html

And a couple of quotes:

Nrama: Yeah, a recent issue of Superman established that the two have quite a bit of history. Does that mean the story is a dark one?
Diggle: Tonally, I’m wary of taking Superman himself dark. He’s inherently a bright and optimistic character. I think if you mess with that too much, you’ll break the core concept. I’m known for writing rather dark and cynical stories, which works great when you’re writing a characters like John Constantine or The Losers – I’m just not going to put any of that into Superman himself. I’m pouring all my meanness and cynicism into Lex Luthor and the new villains I’m creating, and then letting Superman react to that.

Nrama: How would you describe your vision for Superman as a character?
Diggle: I think the ultimate definition of heroism is self-sacrifice, and Superman is the exemplar of that. He’s driven by conscience. So no matter how much he does, how hard he strives, he can never rest on his laurels. There’ll always be that nagging doubt at the back of his mind that he could have done more... or should be doing more, right now. He’s pretty tough on himself.
 
That's right. Superman was bright and optimistic. It is the core of his character. He is the exemplar of self-sacrifice. But he is hard on himself and strives to do even better.

Apparently that doesn't fit in the mode of the New 52.

Best of luck Andy Diggle in all your future endeavors. I think I'll miss this one that might have been.

Sales Review: February 2013

The sales figures for February have been released over on ICv2 and thanks to the '50 states of the JLA' and continued strong Batman titles, DC seemed to be doing okay. The list of the top 300 titles are available here:http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/25233.html As always, ICv2 does a great job breaking everything down.

For me, despite the news that the 50-covered JLA topped the charts and sold 300K, a quick perusal of the sales charts is intriguing. In the top 30 books (#30 being Marvel's Fearless Defenders #1 which sold north of 55K) DC has 11 books. Basically 1/3 of the top 30. Of those 11, 6 are Batman books and 2 are Justice League books. Aquaman slides in at #22 and may have been helped by the Throne of Atlantis crossover. Green Lantern is there. And Action Comics is #25, the only Superman book in the top 30, selling 56K.

Is DC worried that there is such a disparity in their top selling books. Are they worried that it seems fans are only coming out in droves for Batman? I suppose Marvel isn't worrying about the glut of XMen and Avengers books up there. Of course, they hold 18 of the top 30 and that includes some new titles - Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy.

But when you get past the top 30, I just see a bunch of DC titles that seem to have lost the blighted momentum of the New 52 launch. And new books did not fare as well as Marvel's. Katana and Vibe sold just south of 30K, not the best beginning.

Supergirl #17 was the #73 title on the list. Sales basically stayed same with the book selling a couple of hundred units less than the last issue. Unfortunately, this was the penultimate chapter of the super-family crossover. I would have hoped for a blip in sales rather than standard erosion.

I suppose I should look at the upside. Sales are stable around 30K which, in this current market, is very strong. But I see lots of other books sales dropping faster than I would anticipate.

Will H'El on Earth ending and a new writer invigorate the title? Will sales drop faster? Or will Supergirl fans stick around ... all thirty thousand of us.

Review: Superboy #18

Superboy #18 came out last week, the first issue post-H'El on Earth. Of all the characters in that arc, Superboy came out the best. Over the course of the story, he recognizes Superman for the hero he is, joins the fight against H'El, refuses to give up when Supergirl pounds him, and is crucial to H'El's 'defeat'. On top of this, much of his heroics occur when he is clinging to life after H'El devastated him on a genetic level. It was refreshing to see him take such a step forward, even while I sadly watched Kara take two steps back.

With H'El behind us and a fresh persecptive from Kon, as well as maybe new readers on board, and new writer Justin Jordan a couple of issues away, Superboy #18 seemed like as a good an issue as any to recalibrate the book. And this issue does just that, even if most of the story is told by the villain rather than from Superboy himself. It is an outsider learning about Kon and that works well here ... after all, we are outsiders too. Scott Lobdell comes back on the title as writer here continuing his efforts with the character from Superman.

I usually applaud RB Silva's art on the book. But this issue looked a bit rushed and not as polished as I am used to. I liked the clean crisp look of the earlier issues. Iban Coello chips in on a handful of pages.

Now you might remember a few months back that I blasted this book for having Superboy become a bank robber. As much as the writers tried to convince me, this wasn't a victimless crime, it is a major crime, and this wasn't ignorance of the law since he went out of his way to elude capture.

I want my heroes stopping bank robbers not being bank robbers.

Well, someone in DC must have felt the same thing. Because here, on the opening page, is Superboy realizing that what he did was wrong and returning whatever money he has left. And he feels remorse. Despite the standard 'I am a living weapon' opening comments, he clearly is growing more human, manifesting a conscience. And I, for one, am glad. Because there is only so far you can go with the 'angry bitter clone doing what he wants to do when he wants to and not caring about anyone else' path. It pretty much is a literary dead end. So kudos to editorial or Lobdell or DeFalco for moving Kon back onto the hero's path.

You know what did confuse me though? Kon himself looking so spry! What exactly happened with the 'I'm dying, my genes have been ripped apart' plot point? Like so much of H'El on Earth, it seems to have been ignored or forgotten. That annoys me as a reader.

Of course, this is comics and crazy coincidences are bound to happen.

So it turns out the night that Superboy is returning the money he stole, Plasmus is going to rob the bank. That's crazy! It is an easy way to explain away the missing thousands and shift the blame away from Superboy.

It also allows us to see Superboy's growth once again. Here he tries to stop Plasmus from performing the very same 'victimless crime' he commited just a couple of months ago. It is an interesting turn of events, flipping Kon's recent decisions on their heads.

Also, Kon quips his way through the fight, putting him more in line with the last rendition of the Superboy character. I wonder if this is a super-super-super-soft reboot, tweaking the character just a bit.

We are then introduced to the DCnU version of Dr. Psycho. He is nearby, acting as a psychic, and fleecing some folks desperate to hear from the hereafter.

When we first meet him, he is spouting vague statements trying to convince this woman he is contact with the dead. But during this phony reading, he is using telepathic powers to learn ATM pin numbers, account numbers, etc. He is going to rob her blind. So ... if he is a decent enough telepath that he can learn codes, he can't skim her for memories from her past to convince her he can talk to the dead?

He has escaped from H.I.V.E. and is on the run. That lower panel was confusing at first. It took a while for me to realize that was a flashback of him hiding and not him talking to someone else in the room.

And is it just me or is there a whiff of the old Legion reservist Kid Psycho in his look.

Much like with H'El, I don't quite know what Psycho's powers are. He definitely is a telepath. He is drawn to Superboy's power and states he will 'drain' him of that power. And then, a surprise to even Psycho himself, he astral projects, leaving his physical body and entering Superboy's mind.

Now these are my favorite pages in the book, a look into Superboy's mind. Here, in the rec room of his mind Fairchild is doing the watusi with Red Robin, his neighbor Dallas is playing twister with Psyblade, Ridge is kicking back with a beer. There is even a battle in the background. And yet, despite that frivolity and action, Superboy still feels himself to be 'other', still a thing in a nutrient tube, still separate. That isn't explained ... it is just shown. And that is powerful. Internally, he still has a self-image of 'it'.

While all of that is happening, Superboy is basically trading blows with Plasmus. One blow is jarring enough to throw Psycho's astral self out of Superboy and back into his body.

It is clear that Psycho isn't too confident with his powers or his ability to defend himself. That is a pretty empty 'kneel before' statement.

Plasmus and Superboy re-engage leaving Dr. Psycho to figure out his next move.

So after being surprised that he can astrally project a couple of pages ago, Psycho decides to jump again, try to drain Superboy of his power, or (even better) possess him and take control of his body.

Just a couple of minor gripes here. Nothing major. But it seems off that Psycho is so confident in being able to do this when a couple of pages ago he didn't know how he jumped and was basically 'trapped' in that tube.

But more importantly, we know very little about Psycho but one thing we do know is he wants desperately to protect and shield himself from harm. So it seems odd that he would leave his physical body, which is defenseless while he is 'out of body', in the middle of this Plasmus/Superboy war zone. At least find a corner to hide in before doing this.

Again, minor gripes.

Ah, but what a cliffhanger. Inside Superboy's mind, Psycho runs into Lex Luthor who has been waiting for 'him'. My guess is this is some pre-recorded message deep in Superboy's mind from his other 'daddy' Luthor. Psycho was basically the first to plumb those depths, even before Superboy himself.

It isn't much of a surprise to hear that Luthor is part of Superboy's DNA given the prior incarnation. But I am glad that piece of his history has carried forward. I also think it is interesting that this is yet another layer in Superboy's mind. There is reality. There are N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s subliminals where he courted Rose in Smallville. There are Harvest's subliminal subliminals where he is brainwashing Kon to hate Superman. And now there is the Luthor zone of his mind.

That's a lot of layers. Will it be more parfait than onion?

I have to say that I liked this issue more than most of the last half-year of this book. Superboy seems to be on the right path again. While I am sure there will be speed bumps at least he seems to have a better concept of right and wrong. The panels showing how he imagines himself was very interesting, a nice look inside. And Lex as daddy! All good.

I don't know enough about this Dr. Psycho to have a clear leaning. I loved to hate the old Wonder Woman villain so this guy might suffer in comparison.

And RB Silva's art just seemed rougher than usual, which was just a bit distracting.

Still overall, a nice step in the right direction.

Overall grade: B+

June 2013 Solicits

The June solicits for DC Comics were recently released and boy, it looks like it might be an expensive month for me as new titles are being introduced and some great trades are coming out.  And there is one spectacular surprise this month. Well, an expected surprise if there is such a thing.

Here is a link to CBR's listing of all the solicits: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44222

SUPERGIRL #21
Written by MICHAEL ALAN NELSON
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR

It’s Supergirl vs. the mysterious Mekka—but what is the secret of this new menace? And what is Lex Luthor’s envoy Alphina planning against Kara?

The cover for #19 has Supergirl crushing the world. The cover for #20 has her dying. Now the cover for #21 goes back to the 'angry Kara' genre again. Can't we at least get an action shot of something that happens in the book.

This is the second issue of Nelson's tenure on the book. The addition of a new menace and a Luthor derivative as a nemesis sounds like a good direction for this book to be going in. Not much more to comment until I actually read what Nelson is going to do. This cover doesn't convey Supergirl looking for joy.

ACTION COMICS #21
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Backup story written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and BATT
Backup story art by PHILIP TAN
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
1:25 BandW Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL

Superman is betrayed by his own DNA! And in the backup story, learn The New 52 origin of The Parasite!
 

One thing that I have noticed is that DC is getting pretty sparse with their issue descriptions. I suppose his DNA could have been used to make the monster on the cover? Or maybe it has a weakness to be exploited?

My instincts tell me Diggle will be very good on the book so I remain hopeful.

SUPERMAN #21
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by AARON KUDER
Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM
1:25 BandW Variant cover by TYLER KIRKHAM

Witness the horror of Hector Hammond as Metropolis burns! What happens when a city is taken over by a nightmare?

This looks like an homage cover to a Green Lantern/Hammond book seen recently. I think telepathy/mental attacks have always been an underutilized strategy against Superman and at least is different from magic and Kryptonite.

I like Aaron Kuder's art. It has a Frank Quitely feel to it which should look good here. But where has Kenneth Rocafort landed?

 SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Backup story art by DUSTIN NGUYEN
1:300 BandW Variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

When thirteen satellites fall from the sky in one day, the logical suspect is Lex Luthor—even though he’s still locked up in prison! But a stranger question remains: If Superman didn’t stop the last satellite from falling, who did? There’s a mystery hidden where even Superman can’t see it—Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE!
This debut issue also includes a bonus two-sided, tipped-in poster measuring 11.6875” x 18.875” that is part of the reading experience and can be easily removed for display!
 

I suppose this is the biggest mega-star creative team on a Superman book since Morrison/Quitely on All-Star Superman. The thing that I like about this solicit is the plot sounds very retro to me. Superman catching falling satellites. Luthor pulling strings from behind bars. And yet, you just know Snyder is going to knock this out of the park.

Superman needs some buzz ... desperately. I don't know what could be bigger.

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #2
Written by MICHAEL AVON OEMING, BRYAN J.L. GLASS, JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art by MICHAEL AVON OEMING, JOELLE JONES, GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI and SAL BUSCEMA
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI

Comics’ finest talents have assembled to bring you all-new, non-continuity short stories featuring the Man of Steel himself — SUPERMAN! This month’s issue features a super artist lineup featuring the work of Michael Avon Oeming (Powers), Joëlle Jones (FABLES), and Giuseppe Camuncoli (Superior Spider-Man) with Sal Buscema (The Incredible Hulk)!

With the Orson Scott Card debacle behind them, Adventures of Superman can now be recognized for what it is ... wonderful mixture of great talent. To be honest, they had me with Michael Avon Oeming. The rest is gravy!

And the old school costume appears on another cover of this book. Fascinating!

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by JAE LEE
1:100 BandW variant cover by JAE LEE
1:25 BATMAN variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
1:25 SUPERMAN variant cover by GUILLEM MARCH
“We Can Be Heroes” blank variant cover available

A new epic begins with the debut of this new, ongoing series! Don’t miss the first fateful meeting of Batman and Superman in The New 52!

To be honest, I am on the fence about getting this book on a monthly basis. I didn't get Superman/Batman regularly when that came out. I think the team of Pak and Lee is astounding and I would like to read more of the 't shirt' Superman so I will be in for the first arc.

I will try to get a blank variant cover in hopes of one day having Mike Maihack do a Batgirl/Supergirl commission on it.

SUPERBOY #21
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by KEN LASHLEY

Krypto comes to the rescue as Superboy is on the trail of Dr. Psycho and the new, mysterious H.I.V.E that has infested Metropolis.

I am glad that Krypto has some role in the DCnU. I actually wouldn't mind it if he became Superboy's pet, reminiscent of Kon and Wolfy on Young Justice. I don't know if I like this new Dr. Psycho as a villain (having just read Superboy #18). So I hope he doesn't become the main baddie.

WORLDS’ FINEST #13
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by ROBSON ROCHA and WAYNE FAUCHER
Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

As DeSaad’s Hellhound hunts Power Girl and Huntress, the duo must struggle with how far underground they’ll have to go before they can turn the tide and take the fight back to the man who’s been impersonating the missing Mr. Terrific.

I was hoping that Dr. Bedlam was impersonating Mr. Terrific. This implies it is Desaad.

This 'going underground' piece of this arc is interesting. It seems that the two have been trying to be low-key in their costumed lives. But how will Karen Starr run Starrware if she is on the run.

This book seems to be heating up after a somewhat slow start.

I don't know Robson Rocha at all. We know Kevin Maguire is leaving the book. Is Perez off as well?

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #14
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by DANIEL HDR
Cover by PETE WOODS

Reunited with Supergirl, Clark must find a way to keep the peace between EarthGov, the Legion, and all of…New Krypton?! Plus, Booster Gold and Skeets struggle to find their place in a world that doesn’t want—or need—their help. Superman’s 31st-century adventure continues in “Argo” part 2 of 3.

Since the word 'Crisis' was mentioned in the first issue of this book, I have been waiting for Supergirl to appear. In the show she was shoved into the future so Clark could ascend. So what has Kara been doing with the Legion? This was the expected surprise but I have to admit I was giddy when I saw the cover. Bryan Q. Miller treated Supergirl well in his Batgirl book. I don't expect anything different here.

And I love this Supergirl costume, designed by cover artist Cat Staggs. There is some Kingdom Come Supergirl in there. There are the new boots from the current incarnation. It has a sort of military feel to it. It even has a whiff of Gates/Igle Alura. Just fantastic.

AME-COMI GIRLS #4
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by EDUARDO FRANCISCO and DEREC DONOVAN
Cover by JONBOY MEYERS

In this epic issue, Power Girl and Green Lantern battle Star Sapphire while The Atom goes inside Supergirl’s brain to remove the last vestige of Brainiac! Plus: Prepare for the origin and coming of…Sinestra!

I have to say that Supergirl has been treated oddly in this book. But as I recently said, it is a fun book, crazy and loud. So I am still in. Plus, this issue will be the rare instance to literally get inside Supergirl's mind. Nice cover by Jonboy Meyers.

SUPERGIRL VOL. 2: GIRL IN THE WORLD TP
Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON
Art by MAHMUD ASRAR, GEORGE PEREZ and others
Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
On sale JULY 10 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
The last daughter of Krypton has a friend: a young woman name Siobhan. Too bad she carries the curse of the Silver Banshee—and Siobhan’s father, the Black Banshee, isn’t far behind! Don’t miss these stories from SUPERGIRL #0 and 8-12!

Hard to imagine that these issues might be considered 'the good old days' for the DCnU Supergirl. This trade includes some good stories. Supergirl makes a friend in Siobhan and rushes to help her. She fights the Nanite suit sent by Tycho and is recognized as a hero by the bystanders. And the zero issue is filled with some great moments, including Alura on her knees crying as Kara is rocketed away.

Fare thee well Mike Johnson.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: DC COMICS PRESENTS SUPERMAN TEAM-UPS VOL. 2 TP
Written by MARV WOLFMAN, LEN WEIN, GERRY CONWAY and others
Art by RICH BUCKLER, JIM STARLIN, JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ and others
Cover by JIM STARLIN

Superman battles for justice alongside heroes including Supergirl, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Starman and more in these stories from DC COMICS PRESENTS #27-50 and DC COMICS PRESENTS ANNUAL #1!

As a younger reader, I loved the team-up books like The Brave and the Bold and DC Comics Presents. In many ways, those books were what exposed me to the DC Universe. There is no other place I would have learned about Kamandi, Ragman, The Unknown Soldier, The Creeper, etc. I used to love the one-and-done style of these adventures. This Showcase volume of DCCP includes the great three-part story introducing Mongul and the Warworld to the DCU. I covered the second two parts of that story here for those that want a sneak peek. First DCCP #28 with Supergirl: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-dc-comics-presents-28.html And then in conjunction with Diabolu Frank we cover the finale with the Spectre (over on the DC Bloodlines blog): http://dcbloodlines.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-dc-comics-presents-29.html

I know Frank covered the opening chapter with the Martian Manhunter in DCCP #27 over on his Martian Manhunter blog somewhere but I can't find that link! Sorry!

Anyways, this will be a fun book and cheap. So I will probably need to grab it.

SUPERMAN: PHANTOM ZONE TP
Written by STEVE GERBER
Art by GENE COLAN and TONY DEZUNIGA
Cover by GENE COLAN and DICK GIORDANO

Explore the history of Krypton and the origins of The Phantom Zone, Krypton’s otherdimensional prison, in this new title that collects PHANTOM ZONE #1-4 and DC COMICS PRESENTS #97.  

And then this goodie showed up. Finally Stever Gerber and Gene Colan's fantastic Phantom Zone mini-series is being collected. This was a wild hallucinogenic trip through the Zone with bizarre images and fevered dream sequences. It also includes the Phantom Zone villains running roughshod over the Earth. And yes, there are some great Supergirl moments. I briefly ... briefly ... cover it here: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2011/06/rip-gene-colan.html

And it also includes the even more bizarre DCCP #97, which is a pre-Crisis story told in a post-Crisis world. It includes the wild scene of Mr. Mxyzptlk throwing Argo City onto Metropolis like a K-missile, scattering the Kryptonian dead. Unreal. I reviewed that issue here:
http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2012/03/argo-city-silver-age-part-2.html 

I guess I have been doing this blog for a while when I can post links like that. Anyways, I am definitely going to get this one!

So lots of stuff to buy in June!  

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+