Review: Batman/Superman Futures End #1

September has been the Futures' End crossover month for DC Comics and so far it has been something of a mixed bag. Action Comics and Green Arrow were great. Supergirl was very good, if a little flawed.

For me it seems like when the stories are simply looking at a possible future, they tend to be character driven and strong. When they lean too much on the happenings of the Futures' End mini-series, they don't shine quite as much. Of course, I am not getting Futures' End and that may be while they feel flat. Maybe without knowing the main story, these issues don't resonate.

Batman/Superman Futures End #1 falls into this latter group. This is a future that seems tightly tied to the Futures End main book. There has been a falling out between Batman and Superman already. Superman has 'left humanity' to farm in the desert. And Batman is left licking his wounds and wondering what the world would be like if Superman was still around.

This is basically a Batman book. Superman appears in one panel. And writer Greg Pak does a good job of showing us Bruce's inner thoughts about Clark. There is anger about Superman's leaving. But also disappointment. Pak does such a good job writing Superman and making him a beacon of inspiration for others. Here we see that his goodness may have rubbed off a little on Bruce, if only that Bruce recognizes he isn't that symbol of hope.

The are is done by Jack Herbert and Cliff Richards. There thin lined, shaded look is crisp and works well here.

Now it is my own fault, but I really don't know what has happened prior to this story that leads to the dystopia of the world 5 years hence. It sounds like there was an interplanetary war (maybe Earth 2?) and somehow this main DC Earth was victorious. But part of that victory led to Superman isolating himself. It also led to Bruce being significantly injured and unable to act as the Batman.

Here we see Bruce seething as Clark's name is read as one of the dead. He knows Superman isn't dead. That instead he has abandoned mankind. He knows Superman could help here ... but won't.

The world is celebrating this victory, united and pulling together. But Bruce knows it will all fall apart soon. The world needs Superman.

We learn that the act which drove Superman into hiding was done by Bruce himself. Batman did something to end the war which Clark found so objectionable that it broke up the friendship. Here was see Batman remembering that time period. He did 'what Superman couldn't'; he had different boundaries than Superman and did what 'had to be done'. The result is Superman attacking Batman and then retreating.

What could incense Superman so greatly? Did it kill a huge amount of people?

I know I don't want a killer Batman. I know I don't want a sulking Superman.

And so Batman begins cleaning up his world. Using a robot suit, he picks up the rubble of the Batcave. Bruce talks how Superman could clean it all up in seconds. But I think he is talking about more than the cave. Superman could clean up the world ... if he was only around. If Batman hadn't driven him away.

And so I think there is this self-loathing here by Batman. The world needs Superman and the hope and goodness he brings. But he isn't around because of Bruce.

But we also know Batman is stubborn. He won't apologize for what he did. He won't apologize to Clark.

So the world keeps careening on.

But then a bigger threat happens. Metallo, who had been imprisoned on Venus (!!) has broken free. More than ever, acutely, the world need Superman.

Batman swallows his pride and heads to the Fortress to try to convince Superman to come back. But Kal isn't there. Instead Stee let's Batman know that Bruce isn't welcome.

Now, more than just the act Batman did, the word trust is thrown in. Whatever Batman did, it was ugly on multiple levels.

This is Batman though. He gets into a new robot suit, designed by Hiro the Toyman. And he somehow uses massive amounts of Kryptonite energy to short out Metallo, defeating him.

Of course Batman wins. He has been unstoppable for the last 15 years or so in comics.

But it isn't a clean victory. Batman was pummeled. Those injuries we saw in the beginning of the issue are worsened. He is paralyzed.

And then the rather poignant ending. Alfred talks to Bruce about a letter he found, a letter Bruce wrote to Clark but never gave him. It must have been an apology.

Paralyzed, stuck in his hospital, realizing even more that the world needs Superman, Bruce calls for Clark.

But we see he never comes.

Whatever Bruce did, that rift is a chasm, that wound is deep. Superman isn't coming back. And Bruce is alone.

The issue ends with a great line. This world got the hero it deserves ... Batman, paranoid, willing to cross some lines, and hurting.

It seems that the current comic world has put Batman up on a pedestal. It has made him all-powerful and uber-cool. It has made him him look brilliant while making Superman look naive and moronic. This is the first comic I have seen in a while to show that a world where Batman is the inspiration is going to be a a dark place.

For that reason only, I have to applaud this book. Too bad the undercurrent of why this happens is that Superman has gone into hiding, something I don't think Superman would do.

Overall grade: B

Supergirl TV Show Heading TO CBS

There is going to be a Supergirl television show.

Repeat that sentence.

There is going to be a Supergirl television show. 

I don't think there would be a time in my life where I wouldn't face that sentence with skepticism and disbelief. For a lifetime Supergirl fan like me, it simply sounds to good to be true.

And yet here is the news of a multi-season deal being inked between Warner Brothers, producers Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler, and CBS.

There is going to be a Supergirl television show.

And you can read about it here: http://deadline.com/2014/09/supergirl-tv-series-cbs-dc-greg-berlati-ali-adler-836682/

Now, as someone who has endured some pretty rough interpretations of Supergirl, I read the initial rumors with some trepidation.

But this news confirming the series comes with this blurb which made me smile.

Born on the planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El escaped amid its destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be.

Producers Ali Adler and Greg Berlanti have a great track record of converting comics and super-heroics to the small screen. This is CBS' first foray into a super-hero show so it will probably promote the heck out of it. I anticipate commercials with the Big Bang Theory cast.

And the show itself sounds great.

She is little older that I anticipated.  But she embraces her superhuman abilities. She embraces the role of hero. This is someone stepping out of the shadows to do good. (And isn't that one blurb just begging for a 'emergency secret weapon' line??)

I have been a fan of Supergirl for over 30 years. I have loved her resilience and passion. I have loved her dedication to justice, writ big and small. I have marveled at her self-sacrifice and heroism. And I have waited for the rest of the world to notice and join me for the ride.

And now it looks like that will happen. She will headline a show on a major network, in front of the eyes of millions, acting like a hero.

I didn't think I would ever say these word seriously. Thank you WB, CBS, Adler, and Berlanti.

There is going to be a Supergirl television show!!!

Review: Supergirl Futures End #1

 

I  have been singing the praises of Tony Bedard's recent work on Supergirl, rehabilitating her character and making her more heroic, more inspirational. I also have been bemoaning the fact that his tenure on the book is all too brief.

I also know that I was not looking forward to reading Supergirl Futures End #1. Crossovers have not been nice to this incarnation of Supergirl. And just when the character was turning the corner, was being 'good', she is thrust into a dystopian future five years hence. The cover displays her as a bladed cyborg, working with the Cyborg Superman, her twisted father. And the solicit talks about her reconciling with her father in the most horrific way.

I thought we were moving away from this!

Amazingly, and perhaps not surprisingly given what we have read, Tony Bedard is able to make lemonade out of the lemons of Futures End, crafting a story which shows ... eventually ... Supergirl's strength both mental and physical. This isn't a perfect story ... how could it be given the overall circumstances ... but it at least ends with a heroic Kara. And I have to be happy with that.

Art is by Emanuela Lupacchino and it shines. I feel like over the last couple of months, Lupacchino has really grown comfortable with Supergirl. The book flows beautifully. And it is a style which fits the character very nicely.

 The book starts with Cyborg Superman (Herald One) and Cyborg Supergirl (Herald Two) floating above Earth. The two initially worked for the Collector but broke free of his control and started their own mission, to find a world where the inhabitants could be genetically manipulated to become neo-Kryptonians, recreating that 'perfect' world.  Earth seems to be the right place. Humanity 'looks' like Kryptonians. And there are Metans ... called neo-Sapiens ... that could be the building blocks of a new race.

Any book whose title is a quote from Voltaire at least has some potential.

Immediately there are some funny details about this opening scene. Supergirl speaks of how 4 years ago the Cyborg made her perfect, erasing her memories. She only knows she was miserable and hated Earth.  The truth is that if this was done after the first year of the title, I would believe that sentiment. But recently Kara hasn't been miserable and seemed to embrace Earth. Odd ...

What is missing is any fact of her willingly joining the Cyborg.

 Kara's presence on Earth is detected by Shay Veritas who sends someone after her.

What I like about this is that Veritas clearly cares about Kara, as does this unknown plane pilot. 

But here is what really grabbed me. Veritas says that Kara hasn't been on Earth for nearly a year.

So was she fighting with the Cyborg 4 years ago? Or was she on Earth one year ago? Something isn't right here.

I hope this isn't just an editorial flub.

 The pilot turns out the be one of the 'neo-Sapiens', Captain Comet. Comet is able to repel Cyborg Superman briefly so he can enter Supergirl's mind.

I love this semi-splash page. Kara's memories and psyche are laid out nicely here. I love how Comet's eyes are huge, peeking into Kara's mind. I love how the internal Kara is wearing a completely white costume. It makes me think that Kara thinks she is better than what her body is doing. She is pure, in white, even if her Cyborg form is blasting other planets, trying to genomorph them.

And I love that Supergirl, at some point, joins a version of the Wanderers. You can see versions of the 30th century group here - Photine instead of Quantum Queen, Quiller instead of Dartalon, some bird person like Ornitho. And this team of super-heroes are 'in awe' of her.

No I am biased but I always thought that Supergirl would be the leader of the next generation of heroes. Remember when James Peaty had her impressing Damian and M'Gann? So having her be the inspiration within her own group makes me happy. She was their role model.

But there is more to this story. The group went out to try and stop the Cyborg's reign of terror. But during one of these battles, he grabbed Supergirl and left. Was this only a year ago? Does the Cyborg know he is Zor-El??

Now there is something else a little odd here. We learn that Kara and Captain Comet are romantically involved. Maybe this was the love interest that Bedard hinted about in interviews, and not Michael from last issue.

But wasn't Comet born the night Superman's rocket landed, Kal's rocket blasting over Adam's delivery is what triggered his mutation ... that is if Grant Morrison's story is still in continuity. I don't know if I like Supergirl dating someone 15 years older than her. To be fair, I don't know if that origin is still intact for Comet. And Lupacchino draws him looking as young as Kara.

 Comet's mind-meld with Kara opens up her mind. She suddenly remembers who she is and is horrified by what she has become and what she has done.

This set of panels is depressing. She still doesn't know this is her father. But she is curious. I wonder if part of her knows. But that second panel,  where she looks at her robot hand, revolted by what she is, is sad.

 At least we learn through all of this that Kara didn't willingly join the Cyborg on his genocidal strikes. Rebelling against him, the Cyborg Superman tries to take control of her robot parts. Supergirl is literally fighting herself.

And then we get this great panel. It is a very visceral image as Kara rids herself of the evil in her body, ripping off the purely mechanical limb.

Somehow this sequence of Kara fighting herself seems to sum up a lot of her problems in the New 52. I have always sensed that this Kara is a good person, someone who cares and wants to help, but she was so overwhelmed by anger that she couldn't act.

Unfortunately the Cyborg is still pretty strong and overpowers Supergirl. Just as it looks like he might kill her (his own daughter!!), the rest of the Wanderers show up.

You want proof that Supergirl can be an inspiration, a role model, an example of self-sacrifice? Read their words. Every one of them would die for her. She must have been tremendous in this group. Too bad we'll never read those adventures (unless this is a peek at some of the student body in the upcoming Crucible Academy).

And then we get a nice ending panel. Kara strips her body of the cybernetics. But scars and all, Captain Comet loves her and is happy she is back. She might have tried to force perfection on races with the Cyborg but that way doesn't work. And something as simple as a kiss can be perfection.

So how should I regard this story?

Should I dwell on Cyborg Superman somehow defeating and brainwashing Supergirl? That she destroyed races with him? That she still seemed to harbor some anger?

Or should I look at how she was a hero with the Wanderers? That she was their leader. Should I look at how hard she fought once she was in her right mind?

In the end, I looked at both equally. And in some ways I am tired of stories where Supergirl realizes she can be happy and a hero and will put her past behind her. What I really really really want is that past behind her, a dot in the rear view mirror, and her acting like a hero. These stories of redemption for her are great. It is great that she decides to be an inspiration and a hero.

But it is time ... let's have a long long run of Supergirl being the inspiration and hero.

Still, for a Futures End crossover, this was one of the better issues. And Lupacchino's art is just fantastic.

Overall grade: B+/B

Sales Review: August 2014

ICv2 has posted their review of August 2014 sales over on their site.

For me, I am always trying to figure out what to do with these sales numbers, especially with books that have multiple covers. Remember, these aren't readers ... these are orders. My store seemed to order more copies of some DC books to give the choice of 'regular' or 'selfie' variant. And that seems to bear out in this list of sales. Harley Quinn #9 had a selfie variant and orders broke 71K. Harley Quinn #10, without a variant, sold 58K. My guess is the second number is more indicative of the books overall popularity.

Now this month I had a lot to mull over. Perhaps the thing that shocked me the most was that Multiversity #1only sold 90K. (I know ... saying only sold 90K in today's market is silly.)

Here is ICv2's list of the top 300 books from August: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/29603.html

Supergirl #34 was on sale last month.

This was a Superman:Doomed crossover, although in my mind, it was barely a Doomed book.

It also was the first post-Red Daughter storyline, showcasing a new direction for Kara. In this book she seemed to embrace Earth for the first time, told emergency workers she was there to help, met Michael who taught her about being positive and making the most of life, and even added a little romance!

This was a great issue!

Now, most likely because it was a Doomed crossover, sales were pretty robust for the book.

Supergirl has a very steady sales history, always hovering between 22 and 23K. Last month it sold 22802 units.

Supergirl #34 sold 26510, up 16%.

I can only hope that some of the new people reading this for the Doomed aspect might stick around. Of course, this is nearly Tony Bedard's swan song. Will people want to stick around for a 'lame duck' creative direction.

In the end, all that matters is that more people read Supergirl last month than the month before. Hurrah!!

Now I usually take the latter have of this monthly post to look at sales of another book, one whose sales are dropping near a danger zone, a book which should be doing better.

Here I highlight two books.

First off, I will freely admit I bemoaned JH Williams leaving Batwoman. I loved his art. I don't know if I 100% loved his stories which seemed a little trippy and a little clunky. But it was eye candy. And I know the controversial backstory to his leaving.

But I have very much enjoyed Marc Andreyko and Jeremy Haun's run more than the earlier issues. The stories are much tighter. There is great action and character growth. The art is very good, suited for the material. There has been an undercurrent of horror which I believe is going to surge forward.

And here it sits at just below 17K.

And there, right above it is Elektra. In many ways it reminds me of the early issues of Batwoman. Haden Blackman is writing it (as he helped Williams co-write the Batwoman book). And the art, here by Mike Del Mundo, is simply gorgeous, a painted style which flows. It too is selling around 17K. And now it seems like Elektra has been canceled.

Hope Batwoman survives a bit longer.

Review: Smallville Chaos #2

Smallville Chaos #2 came out last week and this arc has certainly lived up to its title. It is totally chaotic in this book right now with 3 ongoing plots  happening, each one unraveling in front of our eyes. It isn't pretty right now and I'm not sure which arc is the most frenetic and hectic right now.

Bryan Q. Miller has been leading us to a Crisis-event since the very first issue of Smallville Season 11 and this is the closest we have come. I have been completely impressed with Miller's approach to this undercurrent of a universal threat. At times it has surged to the forefront of the book. But when it hasn't been in our face, it has been simmering in the background. This time, our noses are shoved in the danger of the Crisis with one of the most powerful scenes I have read in this book.

Add to that the Eclipso-invasion in Metropolis and the Luthor-led hostile takeover of the Holt/Kord particle accelerator, and you get a Smallville book on shaky ground. Thank goodness Lois is a rock!

The art is handled seamlessly by Agustin Padilla and Daniel HDR, bringing the right energy to a wild ride of security forces, demonic hordes, and planetary destruction.

We start out in Metropolis where an army of Metropolis' citizens have been possessed by the Eclipso diamond shards. We have become somewhat accustomed to the Watchtower group, this justice league, being able to mobilize and deal with a threat. That isn't happening here. Tess can try to spearhead communication and organize the team ... but when no one can respond, she isn't of much use. Metropolis is on fire. Superman is on another Earth. Emil and Bruce are trapped in STAR Labs. Everyone is off-line.

Metropolis needs a hero!

Meanwhile on another Earth, Superman is trying to save the day. But this world is literally being carved into pieces by the Monitor attack ships. At the very least, he can smash the advance Manhunter troops, making sure they don't hurt the populace.

But it is clear that this Earth is dying. The skies are red. The planet is crumbling.

I do like this Superman fighting until the end.

But here is where this book suddenly silenced me. This is perhaps the most powerful scene I have witnessed in Smallville.

The Lois of this world has been trying to help people, to fight to save this Earth. But that Lois has given up hope. The people she leads, in a church, all turn guns on themselves, a mass suicide in the face of planetary destruction. Imagine that ... a Lois that has lost hope that much. Scary.

There is power in this panel. The bodies slumped. The hand on gun in the foreground. A faceless dead body lying down in front of us. And our Lois and Superman hugging each other, but tiny. They weren't able to save these people. Keeping them small adds a feeling of helplessness. Great stuff.

And don't forget the third plotline as Lex takes over the particle accelerator so he can use it and Monitor tech to contact other universes.

I always love when Lex panels have him saying noble things while the evils of his ways happen around him. Here he says he is going to save the world. All while his Yellow-ringed Lex Corps gun down the security force. I suppose Lex could have simply asked to use the thing instead of getting violent.

The dissonance between words and art work here. Lex is deluded.

Metropolis needs a hero. Suddenly they have one.

Hank Henshaw, digitally trapped in a robotic body, and quite mad a few arcs ago, decides he needs to do better ... he needs to help. And just like that he enters a bunch of sentry droids, creating an army of one, and takes out the Eclipso victims.

I am glad to see Henshaw redeemed. And glad he wasn't forgotten. He does look a bit like the helmeted Superman of Futures End, don't you think?

With the Earth dying around them, Superman goes to the one place he hope exists and can help them. This Earth's Fortress of Solitude.

It is clear there is no way to save this Earth. It is being eaten by waves of energy, just like the Crisis on Infinite Earths worlds.

Beautiful art here.

And now, the mandatory monthly 'Lois is Awesome in this book' moment.

Flying into the Fortress, this world's Jor-El recognizes Superman as 'not Kal' and embeds him in some sort of crystal. Lois tells Jor-El that he is making a mistake and when he asks who she is to question him, she answers appropriately.

She's Lois Lane.

This is who Lois should be. Strong and confident enough to stand up to anyone.

We learn a little bit more about Luthor's plots. He isn't trying to reach out to other Lex's any more. He is reaching out to someone else. Hmmmm ...

I bet he wants the evil Earth 2 Superman to join him on this world. Or maybe Zod?

And we seem to be seeing some lack of 100% loyalty in Otis. I wonder if Mr. Berg is going to end up betraying Lex. He is the only one left who can. Booster Gold has been defeated by the Yellow Corps.

But back on the doomed Earth we see another power of Lois. The power to speak the truth, to love, help.

She tells this Jor-El that every version has worked to save Kal. Why shouldn't this Jor-El help save a different Kal. And then ... the soft please. It humanizes Lois a bit, shows her and Clark's love.

So Jor-El will help, if she will take him to safety as well. Shrunk to a power crystal, this Jor-El shunts the pair to a different Earth.

We see this Earth fade away. Worlds will live. Worlds will die.

Unfortunately, Jor-El doesn't send these two back to their world. Instead they land on shambles of an Earth. There are Manhunters amid the debris. The Monitors were here. There are also human skulls with omega signs burned into them. And a black crackling planetoid crashed into Earth. This place looks enough like Apokolips for me to be worried.

Chaos indeed.

I have to say this was a great middle chapter. The story moved forward on all fronts. We see the threat the Monitors are, an Earth vaporized. We see Lois and Clark use their brains to escape that fate. We see the emergence of a new hero. And we see the evil of Lex, suddenly openly and brazenly malevolent.

And we are that much closer to the Crisis. Unbelievable. Incredible.

Overall grade: B+/A

Review: Justice League United Futures End

Since the inception of the New 52 in September of 2011,  September has been DC's big month. We had zero month, a jump on 'origin' issue in 2012. We had 'Villains' month' in 2013. And this year, it is the 'Futures End' month, single issues looking forward 5 years at the title characters, a peek into a future that won't happen. 

Unfortunately, unlike the other Septembers, I have very little interest in this one. Where an origin issue or a story focused on a rogue might grab my interest and make me try a new title, a look at a future timeline that won't happen, in a dystopian future, in a story that has to be one issue long is no lure. Unless the public sentiment is that the issue is a can't miss or if it stars Steph Brown, I doubt I'll be picking up any titles that aren't on my pull list.

But even for the titles I do collect, I have wondered what these issues will add.

Justice League United Futures End #1 was a good issue to showcase what these issues might add to the present timeline. Five years hence, the JLU no longer exists. This isn't that team's book. But what this book does give us is a look at Equinox and her power set, seeing who she may become as she matures as a hero. And we hear snippets of what has occurred in that 5 year gap. So I guess the question is will some of these hints of the future come to fruition? Are these the fruits of future plotlines that that writer Jeff Lemire has yet to seed? If that is true, then maybe these issues are intriguing.

Jed Dougherty is on art here. His style is different from Mike McKone's, more like a thicker lined Frank Quitely.

As I said, the star of this book is Equinox.

We get a nice little opening adventure where she battles someone named the Polargeist. He appears to be some sort of cyborg who also adds robotics and ultimately controls animals. We see him, riding atop a weaponized polar bear trying to hijack a tractor trailer.

There is lot to like here. Equinox calls herself the guardian of the land and its people. She frees the animals. She uses her powers to freeze the Polargeist. And she is greeted by the people she has saved, a group who clearly loves her. She is probably the Superman of Canada.

But she can't dwell on her triumph because the Martian Manhunter contacts her with a cryptic 'they are escaping!'

We might not know who 'they' are but Miya does. And it must be something big because she immediately leaves and tries to organize a group of heroes to help her and J'onn. Her first stop ... Animal Man.

You can feel the love that Lemire has for Buddy Baker and his family in this scene. While the Futures End world looks like Los Angeles in Blade Runner, Buddy has a nice suburban home with a pool, gleaming in the sun.

Buddy has retired but business is business. He sends Maxine inside so he can talk shop. I love that second panel. You can feel how aggravated Maxine is, hands clenched, shoulders low, storming off. Great information conveyed by the art. That is my favorite panel of the book.

While Buddy also received J'onn's message, he is 100% retired ... for real. This time he means it. He won't help Miya.

And then we get the rundown of the other members.

Green Arrow is dead.

Supergirl doesn't want to see Miya. 'Sure as hell.' Why? It is implied that there was a falling out. Why does Kara always have to be the difficult one?

Stargirl is off-planet.
Alanna is in no shape ... after what happened to Adam and Ultra. So some tragedy has shelved her.

So there simply is no JLU.

But there is a Justice League. Miya heads there to mobilize those forces.

This being the Futures End world, the Justice League headquarters is a fortress in the desert, complete with lethal defense systems. Luckily, Equinox can handle herself when they almost fire on her.

She talks with Cyborg about the message and how her team was 'torn apart' so she needs the main League's help.

So the future of the JLU doesn't sound too fun does it!

The new Justice League isn't The Big Seven.

Cyborg and the Flash are there. But also Dawnstar, a Red Rocket type guy named Vostok, and guardian character named Stormguard. At least I get some Dawnstar! And some acknowledgment that the Legion Lost crew is still on Earth, still in the past.

But the story suddenly gets all Kingdom Come.

There is a gulag for super-villains in Kansas on Mars.
Captain Comet J'onn is the warden, keeping the peace with his telepathic powers.
But putting all those villains in one place is dangerous! The gulag is suddenly going to explode! (True both in Kingdom Come and here.)

The League decides they need to investigate and try to save the Manhunter.

And even more hints at the future.

Batman didn't go to Green Arrow's funeral.

But neither did Wildfire.

Okay! At least I know Wildfire is still around! He is my favorite Legionnaire! And, I thought for sure, he was the helmeted Superman. I wonder if my guess is still right. Maybe there are more than one.

On Mars ... which I guess has an atmosphere ... the heroes throw down with some of the villains. We see Mongul, Blockbuster, the Mechaneer, and Killer Frost.

We again see Equinox wield some ice powers. Is there more to her power set than that?

While the League fights outside, Equinox heads in to find J'onn. She finds him awake but crumpled at the feet of Gorilla Grodd. But Grodd is the least of their worries. J'onn is more concerned about 'the worst killer the universe has ever known' ... Captain Atom.

Ohhhhhh .... holy shades of Armageddon 2001! Of course, Atom was supposed to be the initial Monarch. And, back a few years, he actually finally became Monarch. And, in Kingdom Come, he became part of Magog's Justice Battalion. So there is some history for him to be evil.

Unfortunately, this story is continued in the Justice League Futures End issue, a book I'm not planning to get.

I have loved the JLU book so far and this issue did grab me a bit with this peek at a possible future. One, after being teased with only snippets of Equinox in the main book, it was great to see her actualized as a hero and using her powers. And it sounds like there is a fair amount of tragedy possibly in this team's future. A team torn asunder, a rift between Equinox and Supergirl, something awful happening to Adam Strange and Ultra ... that's a lot to think about. Plus Dawnstar and a Wildfire mention! And Buddy and Maxine hanging out by the pool alone was worth it.

And, while I suppose it fits with the tone of Futures End, I don't like a 'Hall of Justice' with gun turrets, a Kingdom Come gulag, and a Monarch-y Captain Atom.

Overall grade: B/B+

Six Flags Ride - Supergirl Sighting

I know I am late but a while back, a new Justice League amusement park ride in Six Flags Texas was previewed. It was all over the web including on Robot 6 on CBR here: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/08/six-flags-unveils-justice-league-joker-harley-quinn-rides/

Now there is a Six Flags relatively close to me that has had DC rides in the past including a Superman Roller Coaster. I can recall that as you waited in lines they had big cut outs of the Super-family and a blurb of their origin. The Supergirl was the Matrix one which had the nuttiest two line origin - 'A protoplasmic being from another universe who merged with a human girl to become an Earth Angel'.

In fact, I am pretty sure that that origin blurb is one of the things which prompted DC to redo Supergirl as once again Superman's cousin.

This new ride 'Battle for Metropolis' looks like an interactive experience where the riders have guns to shoot targets and to be part of the story.

There is a youtube clip which is a commercial for the ride which gives you a sense of what they are going for:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5swVB5S5mEI&list=UUXBKOoy8WSXkGKxwJsOKRJg

It looks like Superman, Batman, and Cyborg have to rescue their captured comrades including ... SUPERGIRL. I don't think I should be too upset with Kara being a kidnap victim since the other captured heroes include Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash! Talk about heavy hitters!

I have to admit that I would rather have a ride with the Trinity heading to save their friends. How about putting Cyborg in a tube and let Wonder Woman be a star?

I do like how Supergirl looks here. I think this might be the first mass market representation of her New 52 costume.

If anyone in Texas hits this ride in the future, please let me know what it's like!