More Channel 52 Misinformation

After reading Supergirl #19 I was thrilled that Supergirl and Power Girl worked together to fight a common enemy and help each other. It was a welcome change from the usual darker stuff we have seen in the New 52.

Then I read the Channel 52 promotion at the end of the issue and discovered that DC still doesn't know how to market this book. Or care to market it correctly.

You might recall I had a hard time with a prior Channel 52 which talked about Supergirl as being a furious and out of control. Now this week it talks about Supergirl 'battling' another Supergirl.

So despite not one punch being thrown at each other, DC wants to market this issue as having a fight between Supergirl and Power Girl ... a fight I might add that many were happy not to see.

It once again shows that DC doesn't want to trust what its creators are doing. Or doesn't know how it wants to present Supergirl. They still keep shoving that angry isolated girl in our face even when stories don't hold it up.

Also, while I love Freddie Williams III art, the Power Girl costume he drew never even made it into the first issue of Worlds' Finest. That's the original Perez design that was scrapped.

I do like Vartox' character and his obsession with Power Girl as a running gag.

Anyways, for anyone who read this promotional piece and thought there would be a fight, I am sure they were disappointed. And for me, I read the issue and was glad there wasn't a fight but then read this and was disappointed.

Review: Supergirl #19

I was unsure what to expect in Supergirl #19 which came out a couple of days ago. Let's face it, the book is in the midst of some turmoil. We are just out of H'El on Earth and the terrible characterization of Kara there (and I won't mention the relatively inscrutable plot). We had a guest scripter in Frank Hannah last issue who handled things decently if misunderstanding that Power Girl would know who Supergirl is. This was Mike Johnson's last issue before Michael Alan Nelson comes on board.

And as if all that creative upheaval wasn't crazy enough, it appeared we were going to have another fight between Supergirl and Power Girl.

Suffice it to say, I would not have been surprised if this issue was something of a mess, a placeholder until Nelson took over.

Instead, I got a very entertaining issue, an issue that was respectful of Supergirl, an issue that seemed to regrasp all the movement in Kara's character that happened before H'El on Earth, and began a friendship between the two Supergirls as opposed to going for the cheap thrill of a cat-fight.

Fare thee well Mike Johnson. I would have liked to see what was planned next.

Also back on the issue is Mahmud Asrar and does he ever deliver with this issue, drawing not only Supergirl in his usual superlative manner, but Power Girl as well. It is clear by his art that Karen is an older Kara. She looks like it!

On to the review.

Last issue, Kara collapsed from Kryptonite poisoning and (I assumed) a military troop came to scoop her up and run. I mean, it is an easy mistake to make. The US military has been portrayed like Hydra in DC Comics for a while. But know I don't know if it is the military or a Luthor sent squad.

Anyways, it think it is a 'Team Luthor' wetworks team, there to bring Supergirl in. I do like the idea of Lex trying to take advantage of Kara's apparent illness to further study Kryptonians. While I don't think this will make Lex a steady rogue of Supergirl's, I bet his tentacled female assistant does grow in prominence.

I did like one of the trooper's comment wondering how strong a fully grown Supergirl would be, a slick way for Johnson to bring Power Girl into the action.

Karen makes short work of the soldiers and whisks Supergirl away.

Johnson immediately rectifies the problem from last issue where Power Girl seems unclear of who Supergirl is. He has Karen say that she has been aware of Kara since the 'Great Wall' incident way back in Supergirl #2. She has been avoiding her not out disgust or being uncomfortable. She didn't know what would happen if they met, maybe universal destruction. It shows a lighter and more likeable feeling to Power Girl.

But when the K-Poisoning began effecting her/them she sought out Supergirl. The two finally touch and origins and memories flood into each other. This is a great page by Asrar showing that, making Kara/Karen one person. Suddenly the two understand each other, know each other. Unlike Jeph Loeb who had them 'short circuit' and fight each other, Johnson has the two of them grow closer. Just wonderful stuff.

Somehow touching has temporarily removed the effects of the K-poisoning. I suppose this is one of those comic book things that will have no easy explanation. Although I suppose touching your super-strong alternate universe doppelganger probably will make you feel better.

Now there is lot for these two to talk about. They might both be Kara Zor-El but they have different origins, different parents, different Kal's, and different tragedies in their lives. Certainly there is a lot that can be mined here. Perhaps the biggest thing is Karen showing Kara that you can carry on despite great loss, that you can remove the heavy weight from your heart and persevere.

But before there can be much small talk, Team Luthor shows up to try to recapture them.  I love how the two fight together! And not only that, they seem to enjoy working with each other saying it feels 'so right' to be battling as a team.

This is 1000% better than the standard 'Power Girl vs. Supergirl' battles we have seen recently.

When the soldiers cannot slow them down, Luthor sends in Apexx, his muscle-bound lieutenant, to battle. We here both from Apexx and Lex that this is simply a test of strength, can the two hold out against him.

To continue a trend, Power Girl's uniform get shredded in battle. But even she seems to recognize the pattern saying 'another frickin' outfit bites the dust'.

Now one thing I don't understand is why Apexx talks about how this is supposed to be a test against both Kara's. How could either he or Lex anticipate Power Girl showing up? And how do they even know she is Kryptonian?

Again though, the two Supergirls act like a finely trained unit, working together to bash Apexx soundly. I love it.

I also love how the fights in this issue shows the sort of ferocity in battle we have seen from all the incarnations of Supergirl, that determination and viciousness that manifests when she is fighting evil. Here it is even better because it is a double dose.

Unfrotunately, the Kryptonite poisoning cure is temporary and Supergirl collapses in a greenish heap again. She tells Power Girl to take her to Sanctuary and since they share memories now, Karen knows just where to go.

The computer recognizes both as Kara and allows them in. In a sort of humorous conversation, it refers to both as Kara in a way that could be confusing. The medical systems begin working on Supergirl to stabilize her.

And when Karen says she is underdressed, the computer creates new clothes for her, an outfit that Power Girl thinks will work just fine.

Meet the new Power Girl, same as the old Power Girl. I have to admit, there is something right about seeing Karen back in this costume. And how interesting that Sanctuary knew to make this outfit for her!

I love Asrar's take on her. Everything about this, from the costume to her body language to the look of confidence on her face just works perfectly.

When Supergirl arrives, improved but still poisoned, the two share a brief moment. Supergirl tells Karen she's beautiful. Power Girl promises that they will work together to find a cure for Kara. It is a powerful panel, again showing Supergirl what she can become if she easily opens up and allows others in.

But again, before any more conversation can happen, Sanctuary must finally realize there shouldn't be two Karas. One must be a clone. And we know what Kryptonians typically think of clones. Defense systems come on line in a nice cliffhanger.

What a great issue. Without H'El to muck things up, Mike Johnson is able to pick up where he left off. We saw how Supergirl was slowly realizing Earth was her home, making friends, and accepting her life here. Now, by encountering Power Girl, by sharing those memories, she knows that triumph over grief can happen. Even that moment at the end when Power Girl says they will work together speaks volumes.

But best of all, is that Power Girl and Supergirl don't fight each other. They fight together. The interplay between the two is easy and feels natural. I really really hope that when this poisoning plot is over, we see the two sharing a cup of coffee somewhere and just chatting about the turns their lives have taken. These two should be friends, the same way that Kal should be part of both their lives.

Of course, this is something of a bittersweet issue. Because as great a Mike Johnson's characterization is here, he is moving on. While I think it took a while for this Supergirl title to find its compass, I think it was pointed in the right direction with Kara heading towards optimism and heroism.

And it is always good to see Mahmud Asrar on art. His stuff sings this issue.

Overall grade: A

Happy Anniversary Action Comics #1, 75 Years Strong

It is hard to believe but 75 years ago today Action Comics #1 hit the newsstands, introducing Superman to the world.

What has happened after that is legend. A caped figure hoisting a car was something new in the market. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's strange visitor from another world swept the planet.  Superman became the father of a whole genre of comics, becoming a worldwide recognized character, the epitome of heroism, fighting for Truth, Justice, and The American Way. We met Clark Kent and Lois Lane, intrepid reporters. And we saw incredible strength and nigh-invulnerability for the first time! Suddenly 'super-hero' was a word.

I am sure that other sites are going to do much more comprehensive reviews of the impact of Action Comics #1 and Superman. So I figured I would instead do a quick homage post about Action Comics #1 and Supergirl.

Back during the 'Death of Superman' era, with Superman presumably interred, Matrix Supergirl took it upon herself to fill his void, becoming the 'All-New Metropolis Marvel'. What better way to show how she was being introduced into this role than by doing this homage cover to the original, the iconic pose of Supergirl now hoisting and smashing the car dominating the central part of the cover. But I have to applaud artist Jackson 'Butch' Guice including the men fleeing the scene, including the one in the lower left hand corner. His exasperated look on Shuster's cover has always stuck out in my mind so it is funny to see that reproduced as well.

I think Matrix grew immensely in this arc.

And many of you know I loved Peter David's Fallen Angel comic, both the DC and IDW version. I think David sort of 'nudge nudge wink-wink' continued Linda Danvers story from Supergirl in Fallen Angel.

Once the book moved to IDW, David removed the 'Is she Linda' argument completely, writing the Angel's true origin story as a literal angel called Liandra who was banished to Earth. But David also decided to maybe slip in one more chapter to Linda's story. A young woman with powers named Linda was the 'first Fallen Angel' of the city of Bete Noire. In a quick 2-parter, she returns and teams up with Liandra for an adventure.

To keep the 'Danvers-ness' aspect of the story high, artist Kristian Donaldson adorned the issues with homage covers including this version of Action Comics #1, here Linda smashing the car while Lee oversees in the background. (The second part has an homage cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #7).

Happy Birthday Superman, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane!

Review: Batman #19

It seems like I dropped the ball when the New 52 was announced. I did not pick up Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. So it should come as some surprise that the Batman #19 is the first issue of the run that I have bought and, interestingly enough, it was because of the back-up story.

I had heard via Scott Snyder's twitter that Superman guest-starred in the back-up feature and since classic World's Finest stories haven't been common in the DCnU, I figured I would pick up the book. Sure, Superman and Batman both star in Justice League. But we haven't seen them one on one.

Ghost Lights was written by James Tynion IV with great art by Alex Maleev. I haven't read anything by Tynion before although I have heard good things about his work. I applaud his use of the supernatural in this story as it puts Batman and Superman on a more even playing field. And I love Alex Maleev's art. His dark inks work very well with the story.

But most of all, I liked the interaction between Superman and Batman in this story. They clearly are friends. And their personalities shine.

The story opens with the Gotham police surrounding an apartment building. People are dead in one of the apartments. Those who enter the building to investigate don't come out.

These GCPD officers are drawn to the apartment by a ghostly light which leads them to the door. Only one escapes, shrieking about the horror he has seen.

Batman, of course, have been scoping things out. Superman arrives.

I love the fact that Superman has been calling Batman and comes in person to check on his friend. Damien is dead. Superman is checking on Batman to make sure he is okay, the way good friends would. It is what Superman would do.

And I like how Batman doesn't even let Superman finish the sentence. It feels like Batman doesn't even want to think about it right now, instead burying himself in work. He doesn't even want to hear the word Damien.

This interaction alone made me glad I bought the story.

The two enter the building and are also led to the apartment by the ghost light. I like how Tynion mixes in some Smallville into the conversation, again showcasing just the tiniest bit the differences in the heroes.

He also showcases how the supernatural effects Superman. His vision powers are definitely off, unable to focus or concentrate on the more eerie aspects of this adventure.

Entering the apartment, the two are greeted by a ghost surrounded by dead bodies (including hers). The floor is covered with magic symbols and circles. Again, Superman's vision is worthless here unable to focus on her in any way.

I am somewhat surprised how matter-of-fact all of this is for them. Piles of corpses and a ghost ... no biggie. Let's ask her some questions.

She lets them know what they are up against, pointing to the ceiling.

Now you might think that either Superman or Batman, well-seasoned heroes, would look at the ceiling when they entered the room. Certainly this demon isn't camouflaged in any way. But that would have eliminated the conversation with the girl ghost and the nice 'look up' moment she got the page before. I suppose we can chalk this up to artistic license. Or the supernatural. Or both.

One thing I am glad about? That this demon isn't a Cthulhu knockoff. It seems like every demon these days needs innumerable tentacles. They should take other forms like this  nasty giant mouth with eye-stalks. This looks more like something from John Carpenter's The Thing than H.P. Lovecraft.

Anyways, it was tremendous to see Superman find Batman to talk to him about Damien. And this adventure seems like a nice fun way to show how the two interact outside of JL meetings.

Definitely worth reading.

Overall grade: A

Sales Review: March 2013

I have decided the best thing to do is just continue to blog. 

Comic sales were overall up last month while DC continued to suffer a bit from strong Marvel releases, cohesive stories at Marvel, and a series of publicity missteps by DC. It hasn't been pretty for DC these days. And personally, I wonder how that translates to sales. I have to admit, not much of what DC has recently released has grabbed me. As always, ICv2 does a great job of breaking down sales. Here is their list of the top 300 books for March 2013: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/25462.html

 

Supergirl #18, the first issue post-H'El on Earth, a book with a hidden creative team, and in many ways a transition issue while we wait for writer Michael Alan Nelson comes on board, saw the book fall below the 30K mark for the first time. In fact, the issue is down 7% from the prior issue.

So the anticipated 'bump' from H'El on Earth is quite the reverse, no big surprise given how odious Supergirl was in that arc. It is sad how basically everything that the character was in the prior year plus was simply ignored and undone by H'El. 

And I am not surprised that readers left. The book has something of a lame duck feel right now. It feels like the time between Kelly and Puckett, the forgotten Bedard issues of the last incarnation.

What we need now is a splash to bring people to the book. And I don't know if fighting Power Girl is the right way to do it.

But it seems to me that maybe DC simply doesn't know what to do with Superman or his family of characters. I know that reading stuff on-line doesn't necessarily reflect the majority but there seem to be lots of Superman fans who are pretty unhappy with the way Superman is being portrayed in the 'new 52'. And you can include me in that group. 

And sales seem to bear out that the new approach to the character isn't selling.

Action Comics #18 was the end of a Grant Morrison run on the title. It sold nearly 62K, a very very healthy number in this current market. But shouldn't it have sold more? 

Meanwhile, Scott Lobdell's Superman has slipped below 50K. And Superboy is selling around 24K.

Now I know these are all decent sales in the comic world of 2013. 

But shouldn't these characters draw more readers?

I long for the day when Superman is written like Superman, with quality creators, and soars to the top of the charts. I hope that Supergirl becomes the strong and optimistic hero she should be.  Maybe Superman Unchained and Batman/Superman will bring about a renaissance.

Boston Marathon Explosion

Earlier this week I was in a spirited conversation debating the new origin of Superboy.

Two nights ago I was thumbing through DC's Who's Who to help out a friend writing a story.

This morning I was organizing my backpack for the upcoming Boston Comic Con.

Today 2 bombs went off at the end of the Boston Marathon and one at the JFK Library, killing at least 2 people and injuring dozens. And I feel the way I felt on 9/11.

I am exhausted with this world right now.

I have to remind myself that comics are the fun part of my life.

July 2013 Solicits

DC Comics finally released their entire solicits for July 2013. The entire list is available here on CBR

While most of the hubbub has been around the impending Trinity War, the return of Vic Sage as the Question, and the 'crossover event of the Summer', I was more impressed with the sheer volume of Superman associated stuff coming out in July. I am sure the timing is perfect for the Superman movie release ... but let's hope the quality is there.

There is no doubt I will be poorer after this month, especially given the surprise at the end! That was a good surprise. And the 'new writer' of Action Comics after Andy Diggle/Tony Daniel run was named. That wasn't as good.

Onto the solicits.

SUPERGIRL #22
Written by MICHAEL ALAN NELSON
Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
Careful what you wish for! Kara may have found a home away from Earth, but it’s at a price that Superboy will have to pay to a major Superman foe!

We still haven't read any of Nelson's Supergirl yet so it is hard to know what to expect. This looks like Kara is either going to try to purge herself of emotions by becoming a machine or maybe plugging herself in to a machine. I wonder if the 'home away from Earth' is becoming more robotic so she doesn't feel emotions. Could the Superman foe be Brainiac?

Hard to judge the tone of the book by the cover. But certainly this doesn't look like Supergirl 'looking for joy'. I do like that both Superboy and Superman are mentioned here, making me wonder if we are looking to a more cohesive 'family'.

Nice art and colors by Mahmud Asrar. The light/dark nature of the cover reminds me of this.

ACTION COMICS #22
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
Backup story art by PHILIP TAN
A group of warriors from space come to Earth in search of their new king—and they’ve set their sites on Superman to lead them!

So Grant Morrison writes a classic and somewhat metatextual take on Superman. Andy Diggle comes on board and writes one issue of great Superman characterization, including Lois. But he is forced off. And so who does DC put on the book ... Scott Lobdell!

Now I have had my issues with Scott Lobdell on Superman. I don't think his vision of Superman easily jibes with mine. And I don't think I am alone.

So DC decides to hand him the keys to the kingdom and put him on both books! I assume that this stay on Action is temporary until DC can find someone to take the book but what creator would want it now? Anyways, could this story be a recycled version of the original Superman Annual #1? That plot is still out there. You can find that solicit here.

SUPERMAN #22
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
Confronted with a Psi War, Superman falls before one of its leaders, the H.I.V.E. queen!

Despite my prior rant, I am interested in this Psi War storyline by Lobdell in the Superman book. Telepathy/mental attacks have always been an underutilized weakness of Superman. And this re-imagining of the Queen Bee looks striking. 

SUPERMAN ANNUAL #2
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL and FRANK HANNAH
Art by PASCALE ALIXE
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
What repercussions lurk beneath the surface from Brainiac’s first attack—and how does it all set the stage for the battle of Metropolis? Plus, how can the Man of Steel fight something he can’t physically stop!

I hope that this issue helps clear up the Brainiac/Collector conundrum in my mind. If I follow, Brainiac is the name of the AI on Krypton. The Collector was a being saving pieces of civilization that were going to be destroyed. They mixed in Morrison's issues to become the computer system of the Fortress.

So now we have 'Brainiac' as a villain. So hopefully a flashback will explain things.  Nice to see Frank Hannah's name on the book. I wonder if he is a Superman family fan? And Pascual Alixe's art is solid.

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #2
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Backup story art by DUSTIN NGUYEN
The technological terrorists called Ascension are growing bolder with every attack, creating problems only Superman can solve—and that’s with help from the world’s greatest detective, Batman! But the mystery that’s really got them both worried is the unknown figure that’s been shadowing Superman! And in this issue’s backup tale, Jimmy Olsen takes center stage as Metropolis reacts to an event that’s shaken the city to its core!

Nice cover with Superman in a war time scene, pressing a tank, clutching an American Flag. Pretty iconic.

And nice inclusion of Batman as a guest star. Might as well try to cash in on Batman's current popularity. Too bad he isn't on the cover (not that a Snyder/Lee book needs a guest star to cash in).

Here is hoping that this book lives up to the incredibly high expectations I have set for it. 

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #3
Written by MATT KINDT
Art and cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Comics’ finest talents have assembled to bring you all-new, non-continuity short stories featuring The Man of Steel himself: SUPERMAN! In this month’s issue, Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA), joins forces with X-Treme X-Men artist Stephen Segovia to bring you a day in the life of the world’s greatest Super Hero!

I am loving the idea of this book, bringing together dream teams of creators to tell their Superman story. The 'day in the life' approach is one of my favorites, especially when we see the Clark Kent portions of the day. I used to love those slice of life 'Private Life of Clark Kent' stories in Superman Family back in the day. I hope Kindt includes some Clark time in this story.

SUPERBOY #22
Written by JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by KEN LASHLEY
Has Superboy met his match: Psycho and the Teen of Steel continue to track down what they believe are H.I.V.E. psi operatives, with the help of Lois Lane—who Superboy feels a bond to that Psycho isn’t revealing. And Kon’s double may complicate things even more!

Well, we had a reimagining of Queen Bee in Superman. Why not a reimagining of Match here in Superboy? And the 'bond' between Lois and Superboy? Is it really genetic??

It would be weird if the 'Bizarro Superboy' is introduced before Bizarro!

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #2
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by JAE LEE
Batman and Superman travel to Earth 2, where they find familiar heroes who are trying to kill them!

I still am on the fence about this book. But seeing the Earth 2 Superman and Batman will definitely have me coming back this month. I love Jae Lee's art ... so I guess this will land on my pull list. That is a great cover.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #15
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER • Art by DANIEL HDR
Cover by PETE WOODS
Krypton’s past, present and future collide in the skies over New Krypton as the clock ticks down to oblivion. Superman, Supergirl, Booster and the Legion battle the unthinkable! “Argo” comes to its explosive conclusion in part 3 of 3.

I can't wait to read this arc with Supergirl and the Legion. I liked Daniel HDR's art on Legion and Green Lantern Corps so my guess is his Kara is going to be stunning.

But that Doomsday fist is concerning. I can't imagine Supergirl dying at the hand of Doomsday. She has to be alive to have a Crisis death hinted at. But should be a good brawl.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 SPECIAL #2
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art and cover by CAT STAGGS
When Lois Lane accepts an assignment outside of Metropolis, she gets more than she bargained for. Follow the Daily Planet’s star reporter to the Congo as she investigates the Angel of the Plateau! “Valkyrie” reintroduces Lana Lang to the series!

Where have Lois fans gone when they need to read a strong more classic Lane? Smallville.

So how great is it that the second Smallville Special seems Lois-centric. I thought how the show wrote out Lana (K-infused so can't get near Clark) was something of a cop-out. I would rather if the two simply agreed that 'you can't go home again' and that they outgrew their Smallville high school romance. By driving her away, I thought we didn't get to conclusively hear Clark choose Lois.

I am very interested to read how Miller has Lana and Lois interact. Will they be jealous of each other? Cautious? Or are they old friends who will immediately team up?

WORLDS’ FINEST #14
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by ROBSON ROCHA and WAYNE FAUCHER
Cover by RYAN SOOK
Desaad goes in for the kill as Power Girl and Huntress run out of options against a monster from Apokolips!

I love Ryan Sook.
I am glad that Worlds' Finest is highlighting the Fourth World aspect of Power Girl and Huntress' back stories.

I don't know if  Robson Rocha is the right artist for the book. Certainly it will be hard to fill the shoes of Perez and Maguire. What about Jesus Saiz? CAFU? 

DC COMICS: COVER GIRLS SUPERGIRL STATUE
DESIGNED BY STANLEY "ARTGERM" LAU
SCULPTED BY JACK MATHEWS
The Girl of Steel rockets out of the pages of her monthly comic book series and into your home with this breathtaking statue designed by artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau.
Measures Approximately 10" Tall  

And then the big ticket item. Solicited now and out in September, this gorgeous statue is a mere $99. Sigh. It is based on Stanley Lau's art and is stunning. I better start saving! It will make a nice addition to the shrine.

So overall a busy and expensive month!