Gotham City Sirens: A Conflicted Goodbye

I’ve been thinking about Gotham City Sirens a lot lately.  Mainly because in recent months I have really enjoyed it after being indifferent for most of its run.  As a concept I think it was always doomed to fail for two reasons.  The first being that Catwoman, despite her moral flexibility is not a villain, and the second that Harley Quinn, although lovable, is not sane.

The series began with Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy moving in together like some bastardized version of Charlie’s Angels, and right off the bat these three characters lost some of their depth.  One of them would get into a jam and the other two would have to get them out.  Obviously this is a simplification, but to be perfectly honest, not a large one.  I would read it every month and think, “It was okay.”  Selina Kyle and Ivy don’t need partners.  Catwoman is conflicted between looking out for number one and wanting to help the good guys, but she isn’t one to trust people.  Especially not Poison Ivy, who also has severe trust issues.  I will admit, I’m not a lover of Poison Ivy.  She is cold and charmless and was the only character who actually benefited from this series, but that too is a recent occurrence. 

I realize that this is coming across as a very negative outlook, so let me switch over to why lately, this is has become one of the books I really look forward to.  The mirrored relationships of Batman and Catwoman to Joker and Harley Quinn have been established in a brilliant way.  Obviously the issues between Bruce and Selina are staggeringly different from Joker and Harley, but in the end, both are relationships that can’t logically work but can’t end.  The Joker is hands down, the scariest character in the DCU but the unconditional, insane love that Harley Quinn feels for him makes him scarier and her oddly endearing.  We all know that one of these days, he’s actually going to succeed in killing her if the mood strikes him.  Quick sidebar, the implication that Joker and Harley had a sexual relationship was terrifyingly awesome. 

So this most recent arc which is bringing the series to its close has put all three characters at odds because Selina and Harley have chosen the roads we all knew they would choose from the very beginning and Poison Ivy is alone, and more than that, she’s lonely.  What does Poison Ivy do when she’s angry?  She tries to kill someone and right now Selina is at the top of her hit list.  But what’s fascinating is that Poison Ivy is still trying to save Harley, and I like her better for it.

With one issue to go before the relaunch, I have to say that part of me will be sad to see this dynamic trio go.  The new Catwoman series is at the top of my reading list come September but Harley on the Suicide Squad is leaving me feeling hesitant because I can’t help but think it’s going to be the same problem all over again.  

A Little Bit of Everything

Wow, so I’ve fallen behind.  There has been a lot of big stuff this week.  SDCC is going on right now!  Obviously Paul and I aren’t there, but I’ve been following twitter pretty closely.  Today’s tidbit that left me kind of sad was that Wally West will not be part of the new Flash series.

There have been a TON of released previews of the upcoming relaunch pages and I have to say that despite my relaunch reservations, there is some really beautiful art.  Adam Hughes cover of Batgirl #2 is simply stunning.  I did a bit of a double take today though when looking at the Green Arrow pages, I’m really confused about the direction that series is taking.  It’s moving to a place that is just so far from the things that I love about Green Arrow, but I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be pleasantly surprised.  Ollie looks a lot younger and the costume changes seem very tech heavy, not as bad as the new Deadshot design though.  I know I’ve talked about that before, but what can I say, I’m still flabbergasted.

 

Flashpoint has been so much fun.  I know in the midst of the relaunch it’s easy to forget about, but I’m really enjoying it.  The Amazon/Atlantean war is boring, I’m not going to lie, but the Batman story is fantastic!  Who knew that Gotham could get creepier?  The Frankenstein story has completely piqued my interest about the new series.  My indifference has given way to excitement because lets face it, Jeff Lemire is great.

The Amazing Spiderman trailer was released this week.  I know it’s an origin story that we’re all really familiar with, at least in tone, but I still want to see this movie.  Yes, I think Andrew Garfield is a little too pretty to be Peter Parker, but come on, it’s Hollywood and he’s an excellent actor.

The Bane photo…remember the first Bane photo that had great shadows and the promise of something amazing?  Well, seeing the mask full on was a bit of a disappointment.  There is a teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises out, but if you’ve seen the first two films, you’ve basically seen the teaser trailer.



The rumor mill is raging and as soon as announcements are confirmed I promise we will be discussing them.  Before I end this post though, I’m curious to know what everyone thinks about the end of The War of the Green Lanterns.  Sinestro back with the corps, how do you think that’s going to go?

Powers Casting

First of all, if you're not reading Powers by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, you should be.  It is a super fun series about a couple of detectives investigating crimes associated with superheroes.  Obviously there's more to it than that, but I won't ruin it for you.

Recently it was optioned by FX and we've been waiting not so patiently for the casting announcements about who is going to play Deena Pilgrim and Christian Walker and I'm honestly a bit baffled by the choices.

"Maggots, you're eating maggots Michael."

That's right folks, Jason Patric is Walker.  The age doesn't bother me so much, Walker is a character outside of time really, but the bulk of the character is concerning.  When Jason Patric bulks up he loses his chin.  I can't be the only one who has noticed this.  There were rumors floating around that Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights, Super 8) was a front runner and I was on board for that.  I'll say this for Jason Patric though, he is very pretty.

Deena Pilgrim, kick ass hero to women folk everywhere, is not being played by Katee Sackhoff and that is a crime in my humble opinion.  She is being played by Lucy Punch and if you're an anglophile like I am, you have probably seen her pop up in a variety of places.  I don't mind her as an actress, although she has a tendency to go overboard with the kooky expressions, but as Deena Pilgrim?  Can she carry off the ultra sarcastic, sexy character that we know and love?

The Issue of Storage

I’m sure this is an issue that every comic collector deals with.  I love my house, but it’s small and the storage space is limited.  Living in Texas, the garage is out of the question because it isn’t air conditioned.  Paul and I are both a little obsessive about organization, I do a happy dance whenever we need new dividers.  We are the kind of people who clean out the closets multiple times throughout the year, so we have a pretty nifty system but with the upcoming DC renumbering shift we’re a little concerned.  Right now we have four boxes in the living room that house all the current ongoing series we are reading.  Then in the guest room closet, we have boxes for series that have ended or have been abandoned.  The tops are numbered so they can be easily rotated between boxes as we move comics from the living room to the closet.  We have a separate box for duplicates, which we actually have quite a few of for various reasons.  (Marlowe insisted on being involved in the picture taking.)

 

So here is my problem, once the renumbering happens we will have three boxes to add to the closet and that will most likely be full capacity, and our collection is smaller than most.  We’re throwing around ideas of how to handle it, but I want to open it up and I’m curious about how other people deal with this issue.  Do you use a drawer system, build fancy contraptions, or use an off-site space, i.e. your parents house?

DC Relaunch: The End of the Line

The last two days have brought such disappointing news that I really didn’t even care to comment, but I started this train ride, so I’m seeing it through to the end.  Here we go:

Stormwatch by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda.  This is a Wildstorm group that is now going to include Martian Manhunter.  Meh.

Blackhawks by Mike Costa and Ken Lashley.  You know what I thought when I initially saw this, “Good, something for Zinda.”  But no!  DCU: The Source describes this as “an elite group of mercenaries made up of brave men from around the world”.  Well, there went that.  I hope the “brave men” have a good time, but I’m out unless Zinda is in the mix.  She’s a riot, and she kicks some serious butt!

Men of War by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick.  This is about the grandson of Sgt Rock and the Easy Company.  I came a bit late to the comics party, so my knowledge of this is nil.

All-Star Western by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Moritat.  I’m not the biggest Jonah Hex fan, but this has potential to be fun and I’m really glad that Jimmy Palmiotti still has a place in the DCU.

   

Deathstroke by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett, and Art Thibert.  I thought I would be more excited about this than I am.  But maybe that’s because Deathstroke got a book when Power Girl and Secret Six were both canceled.  Who am I kidding, I’ll still read it.

Grifter by Nathan Edmondson, CAFU, and BIT.  Another Wildstorm character that I don’t know…why couldn't CAFU be put on one of my books is what I want to know?

Omac by Dan Didio, Keith Giffen, and Scott Koblish.  I have no interest in this at all.

  

Suicide Squad by Adam Glass and Marco Rudy.  The team is Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and King Shark.  That is an awesome group, but the cover gives me pause because everyone is redesigned in a way I find a bit offensive.  King Shark is a hammerhead, I can deal with that, but Deadshot is wearing some pretty severe armor which I think is unnecessary.  His indifference to his own survival is his charm.  Harley though, holy sexpot Batman. 

Blue Beetle by Tony Bedard and Ig Guara.  This was expected, but still exciting. 

 

Action Comics by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales, yes please!  And you know what else, I am not bothered by the jeans. 

Superman by George Perez and Jesus Merino.  This cover doesn’t ring my bells, hopefully the content will be more interesting.

Supergirl by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Mahmud Asrar.  Goody two shoes, that’s what I see and I am not diggin’ it.  Supergirl is supposed to be gritty, she’s conflicted and flawed and that’s her appeal. 

Superboy by Scott Lobdell, R. B. Silva and Rob Lean.  Scott Lobdell got three books in the relaunch.  That’s pretty intense, and I’m curious to see how Conner stands in this new world. 

   

So that’s it.  Apparently, there will be further announcements about projects beginning after September, but Secret Six has officially been canceled.  Power Girl, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown, no word about what happens to them.  Dustin Nguyen and Jock aren’t part of any of the announcements and that is unfortunate, but word is Dustin Nguyen has an upcoming project after September.  I’m disappointed in many of the new books, maybe I wouldn’t be if I had read any of the Wildstorm books, but I haven’t.

Teeny Bopper Time

Five titles were announced today that mainly deal with the younger DC teams.  Today was a good day for my pocket book because of the five series I will most likely only be buying two.  Realistically with 52 titles, I have to draw the line somewhere and I don’t read Legion of Superheroes.  I have nothing against it, it’s just not one of my books.  I guess now it’s not two of my books.

Legion Lost and Legion of Superheroes have joined the party.  While I won’t be reading them, the people who do are very lucky to be getting Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods on Legion Lost. 

 

Teen Titans is back and is being reworked as a vehicle for Tim Drake, who is still Red Robin in a slightly different costume.  He will be joined by Wonder Girl, who now has a completely different backstory, Kid Flash, Superboy, and some characters I don’t recognize.  The creative team on this will be Scott Lobdell, Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.  This is the same artistic team in charge of the recent JLA: Rise of Eclipso, and hot damn that was beautiful and so is the new Teen Titans cover.  It’s a grittier, sexier group and I’m diggin’ it.

Static Shock has me so completely torn, I’m going to need to ponder before I make any decisions about putting this on my subs list.  This series has been talked about for awhile now, so the announcement wasn’t a shock (no pun intended).  I’m pretty indifferent to Static Shock as a character so I was going to give it a miss and then DC had to go and make John Rozum the writer.  John Rozum is currently writing Xombi which is brillliant and I’m gung ho to support him, but Scott McDaniel is not one of my favorite artists and he’s the second part of this team.  It’s a conundrum, it really is.

 

Hawk and Dove by Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld.  I was pleasantly surprised that Hawk and Dove got their own book.  Hawk I can take or leave, but I’m a big fan of Dove.  I really enjoyed her recent appearances in Brightest Day and Birds of Prey…heavy sigh of sadness.  Anyway, yes, I will definitely be reading this.

DC on the Dark Side: 8 New Titles

DC announced eight new titles today that will be debuting in September and I’m intrigued.  Despite some upsetting news, I have to admit that this week has been really fun.  I’m very lucky to have a chill boss who didn’t mind when Paul called me in the middle of a payroll meeting this morning to ask if I’d seen the news yet.  I even took a few minutes to whisper into the phone conspiratorially that I had and that we would talk about it later.  So thank you DC for spicing up my work week. 

Anyway, the new titles are a mish mash of Wildstorm converts, characters from way back when, and some new team-ups.

Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder and Yannick Paquette.  Scott Snyder is just blowing up recently and I’m stoked about it.  His work on Detective was stellar and Yannick Paquette’s art is always amazing.  Paul is way more pro-Swamp Thing than I am, but with this team, my curiosity is certainly piqued.

Justice League Dark by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin.  In my head this is the greatest comic since sliced bread.  I’m actually twitterpated at the idea of this and if done right it’s going to be worthy of a snoopy dance.  The team includes John Constantine, Deadman, Madame Xanadu, Shade the Changing Man, what looks to be the new Spectre and while she hasn’t been announced yet, I’m really hoping Zatanna is in the mix. Fan freakin’ tastic! 

 

Animal Man by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green.  There are two things about this announcement that elevated it from indifference to super excited.  The first is that Jeff Lemire is writing it and I love everything he does and the second is the cover.  It is creepy delicious awesome!  It’s got the Vertigo vibe written all over it. 

Demon Knights by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves, and Oclair Albert.  This gets a “meh” from me and a “Hell Yeah!” from Paul who loves all things Paul Cornell.  It’s set in the Middle Ages, which could be cool but for now it’s going to be a wait and see.

 

Frankenstein, Agent of Shade by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli.  Again, we love Jeff Lemire.  Paul is more excited about this than I am and I am ashamed to admit it’s because he has actually read Seven Soldiers and I have not.  I should probably get on that…

Resurrection Man by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Fernando Dagnino.  My first and only experience with this character was in Supergirl #28.  I’ll give it a shot, but I make no promises.

 

I, Vampire by Josh Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino.  Usually I’m all about the vampires.  Let me clarify that and say, well-written vampires bring me joy, but I’m a little surprised to see DC going this route.  The title doesn’t thrill me but the cover is gorgeous and based on that alone I will pick it up.   

Voodoo by Ron Marz and Sami Basri.  I really enjoyed Sami Basri’s work on Power Girl (please don’t let Kara bite the dust!).  This is a Wildstorm transplant about a woman who is an alien/human hybrid, and I can see the potential there. 

 

My final word on these titles is this, if these books are being published instead of titles that are near and dear to me (Secret Six, Xombi, Zatanna) they have some big shoes to fill and my expectations are high. 

Bat News…With Laughter and Tears

Wow, I am so full of conflicting emotions right now.  Major Bat news was announced today, and I will get to all of them but I really have to talk about Batgirl before I talk about anything else.  It was announced today that Gail Simone will be writing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl.  I have a big issue with rewriting the history of Babs in this way.  The evolution of Babs as a character was very touching and while it may sound cheesy, Babs as Oracle was a role model.  She represented so much goodness in the importance of knowledge and overcoming ones limitations to achieve great things.  Now all of that is gone, but I had a gut wrenching reaction in learning that Gail is going to be writing it, because it’s Gail.  She has great respect and knowledge of this character and she’s one of my absolute favorite comic writers so I trust her.  In a recent article that Gail Simone wrote for Comic Alliance, she said that people would be heartbroken with some of the announcements, and I have to say that I am.  I’m actually a bit embarrassed by how fierce my emotional reaction is to this news.  The age change really confuses me, because Babs being younger means that Dick will be younger, but Damian is staying the same age, so where does Tim fit in now?  As for Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, I will whole heartedly say, they got screwed and it sucks.

 

So I’ve already alluded to this, but Dick Grayson is back as Nightwing and he will be in Gotham.  I’m okay with this, I had a feeling it was coming and it’s not a big leap.  They got a really good creative team in Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows, so I’m happy to see where this one goes.

Since this is a Bat news post, I should probably talk about Batman…it’s Bruce Wayne, surprise!  The Batman books really aren’t changing much, besides the fact that it will be Bruce all the time now.  Batman and Robin is in the brilliant hands of Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleeson.  I’m going to miss the dynamic between Dick and Damian, this is going to be a very different book now that Bruce is in the mix.  Alfred is going to be a super necessary component in keeping Damian in line because let’s just say it, Bruce has a tendency to be rather neglectful. 

Batman and Detective are switching writers.  Scott Snyder will be taking over Batman and Tony Daniel will be doing Detective.  They have both been doing excellent work lately on the Bat books, so I don’t have any concerns about the upcoming storylines.   Batman: The Dark Knight is also sticking around, written by David Finch with art by Jay Fabok.  I’m actually kind of surprised that this book made the cut.  It’s a  good read, but do we really need four Bruce books?

 

Batwoman is a definite, thank goodness, and Judd Winick is writing a new series called Batwing, which is going to be about the Batman of Africa.

More good news first and then I’m returning to some serious heartbreak.  Jason Todd gets his own series!!!  In The Red Hood and the Outlaws Jason Todd will be joined by Roy as Arsenal and Starfire.  Titans bites the dust!  This has rockin’ potential to be a great romp.  What would make it better in my eyes is if it were being written by Judd Winick, but he’s going to be a bit busy, because he is writing Catwoman.  That’s right my friends, Judd is taking over Selina Kyle, there is some justice left in the world! So that’s the happy news…

 

Birds of Prey is another source of heartbreak for me right now.  First of all, Gail isn’t writing it but that’s not a shock because it’s a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GROUP.  The only original left is Dinah and she looks…well I’m just going to say it, she looks wrong.  Huntress and Zinda are gone…THEY’RE GONE!  Instead, Dinah is joined by Katana, who I usually love, but who looks like a freakin’ robot.  Rose/Thorn…I don’t even know who this chick is, and someone who looks suspiciously like Poison Ivy.  Have I mentioned how much I hate Poison Ivy?  Black Canary is the only bird I see in this group.  Flabbergasted, I’m just flabbergasted, and more than a little pissed.

   

Happy Green Lantern News

DC announced the Green Lantern books that will start in September and it is good news on all fronts.

Geoff Johns is sticking with Green Lantern, of course. 

Green Lantern Corps is back, written by Peter Tomasi.  The big change here is that Guy Gardner and John Stewart are taking the lead on this one because Kyle is getting a new series.  Kyle will be leading The New Guardians, a team made up of all the ring colors, written by Tony Bedard. 

And finally, the Red Lantern series!  This good news softened the blow of the end of Emerald Warriors, and even better was finding out that Peter Milligan, Ed Benes and Rob Hunter are the creative team behind it.  Ed Benes drawing Dax-Starr!!!  Happy days. 

My lanterns are safe and in wonderful hands, now we wait for Bat news.

10 Titles Announced!

I’m a bit behind getting this up, but DC announced 10 of the new titles today, and it’s mainly good, if not great news.

Aquaman by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.  This was already announced but now it’s definite and I will be reading it.  Geoff Johns has been very passionate about this project for quite awhile and Ivan Reis always does such beautiful work.

Captain Atom by JT Krul and Freddie Williams II.   This is most likely a miss for me. 

DC Universe Presents.  This is going to be arcs from various superheroes, but they are starting with Deadman so we’re reading it. 

Firestorm by Gail Simone, Ethan Van Sciver, and Yildiray Cinar.  Yay Gail!  We’re still waiting to hear what else she’s working on, but I’m excited to see her take on this series.

The Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato.  I’m really excited to see Francis Manapul take the reigns on this series.  His art on the previous Flash was gorgeous and I’m looking forward to where he takes the Flash family.

Green Arrow by JT Krul and Dan Jurgens.  I’m disappointed with this.  JT Krul and I completely disagree on the Green Arrow journey.  I think he’s a good writer, I would just like to see the story go in a different direction and I think Mia and Connor are pivotal characters.  Good or bad though, I’m a sucker for Green Arrow and I’m not going to stop reading it.  I’ll just keep sighing heavily.

Hawkman by Tony Daniel and Philip Tan.  The previous rumor had been that James Robinson would be writing this series and while I like him, I was lukewarm about that idea.  With Tony Daniel though, I’m there with bells on.

Justice League International by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti.  The solicit cover for this is filling me with warm fuzzies for a variety of reasons.  First though, let me say I was a little sad that Judd Winick isn’t writing it, but Dan Jurgens is great so no worries there.  Let’s look at this line up though: Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Vixen, Fire, Ice, Rocket Red, August General in Iron, a mysterious woman in black (could be Donna, could be Gypsy, time will tell), and Batman.  Now if Batman is also in JLA, does this mean that the Batman in JLI is Dick?  Fingers crossed people!

Mister Terrific by Eric Wallace and Roger Robinson.  I’ll pick up the first issue and check it out, I honestly have no opinion either way on this one.

Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang.  This is a jump and down with joy kind of team.  Super stoked!

 

Rumor Explosion!

Day 1 after DC announcement is fraught with craziness.  Bleeding Cool is reporting some things that honestly make me want to curl up and cry, so right now I’m choosing to wait until DC comments before I truly believe anything.  Stephanie Brown is my Batgirl, so DC, if you’re listening, don’t screw this up.

Dick Grayson back to being Nightwing?  This really wouldn’t surprise me, but it leaves Damian hanging in a bad situation.  I’ve said it before, a Bruce/Damian team up is a bad idea, not to mention it leaves Tim out in the cold.  The last few months of Red Robin haven’t been up to par with the beginning of the series, but I still look forward to it every month.

Birds of Prey without Gail Simone…why? 

I did have some happy thoughts today though about the reboot.  Titans…be gone!  Let’s get Roy back from the dark side.  One rumor I really hope is true is Fabian Nicieza writing Teen Titans, he would be perfect.  Am I the only one who wants the Teen Titans to go save Red Devil?  I’m still holding out for a Red Lantern series and right now, anything is possible. 

Response to DC Reboot

Everybody is talking about the news from DC today regarding the reboot of the ENTIRE DCU so I thought I would throw in my two cents.  The word from DC is that while continuity will remain, everything is starting at number 1 after Flashpoint.  The second big piece of news is that Geoff Johns and Jim Lee are taking over JLA and returning it to the original group.  While the second piece of news fills me with joy, I guess I just don’t get the point of the reboot.  There’s a nice sense of tradition in the journey of the major books.  Wonder Woman just got renumbered to put her back in the 600’s, so why go back to number 1 now?  Action, Superman, and don’t even get me started on the Batman books.  Detective Comics going back to number 1?  Really?

The concept of “continuity” is ambiguous right now because we don’t know know how much Flashpoint is going change the DCU.  Will there be lingering effects?  Major changes?  On the other hand some of the series I hold near and dear have been having some problems and a shake up is not necessarily a bad thing.  A reboot for Green Arrow would be a welcome change, and while I’ve enjoyed James Robinson’s JLA for the most part, I think the new plans for that are good.  I wouldn’t call the current team bad, I just miss the interaction from some of the major characters who have been gone awhile.  It won’t be a perfect JLA team though, because Black Canary is missing from the line-up.

So let’s get into the nitty gritty a little bit.  First of all, the Bat Family.  Is this the end of Batman Inc.?  And if so, where does that leave Dick Grayson?  Word on the street is that Babs is going to keep being Oracle which was not the Batman Inc. plan.  There are a lot of monthly Bat books and I have a feeling that we will not be getting all of them back.  Will J.H. Williams’ Batwoman ever see the light of day?

The Flash just got a new series and we’re back to number 1?  Granted Flashpoint is going to affect the future of the Flashes a lot, but I know I’m not the only one who would like to a see a real Flash series that includes Wally as much as Barry. 

Green Lantern…do we get to keep all three Green Lantern books?  I’m not willing to sacrifice any of them at this point.  Emerald Warriors just got off the ground and I’m loving it.

Birds of Prey and Secret Six don’t need a reboot.  Birds just started its second volume and while Secret Six is part of the DCU, it lives on the periphery and that’s just where I like it.  

The next couple weeks are going to be full of announcements which will hopefully ease my concerns but right now I’m overloaded with a sense of dread.

First Look at Bane!

First, let me say how happy I am about the changes to Bane’s mask.  Conceptually, from what we can see in this picture they’ve upped the creepy factor and I’m really pleased that we’re able to see his eyes.  I don’t think the mask from the comic would have played very well on the big screen, but the dimensions of this design seem really interesting.  I can’t wait to see it from the front.

Hello Lois Lane!

 

First Anne Hathaway is cast as Catwoman and now Amy Adams is Lois Lane.  Someone in Hollywood really gets me.  I think this casting choice makes a lot of sense.  Amy Adams has already demonstrated that she can play tough characters and still maintain her femininity.  Let’s be honest she is just the right kind of sexy for Henry Cavill’s Superman. While I’ve always considered myself more of a Batman person, the Superman movie keeps becoming more and more appealing.

Marvel Madness

Paul and I aren’t at C2E2 this weekend but we’ve been paying close attention to the announcements coming down the pipe and so far I’m surprised to learn that very soon we will be adding a few of Marvel comics to our subscription box.  Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, and Brian Michael Bendis are all attached to new Marvel comics and revamps and all three sound really appealing. 

First and foremost, Greg Rucka’s work is very near and dear to us, so we will absolutely be picking up his new run on Punisher.  I’m curious to see what he does with it, since Garth Ennis did such a wonderful job on it before.  How many origin stories does Frank really need?  I’m sure Rucka’s love of the espionage though will add a new twist and with any series when the torch is passed the tone changes.  Rucka writing for Marvel caused me genuine shock.  After leaving DC, and I’ve heard him talk about why and I think his reasons were very valid, I didn’t expect him to go back to a non-creator-owned publisher.  True, Punisher is published through MAX, which is directly owned by Marvel but not part of the Marvel superhero world, and honestly if Rucka was connected to something like the Fantastic Four I might shed a tear or two but I would still read it.

I have never read Daredevil, but there’s a first time for everything.  Mark Waid is taking over and as I will have nothing to compare it to, I’m excited for something new.

Brian Michael Bendis is writing a new series for Icon called Brilliant.  I swear that man must never sleep.  The premise as described by Bendis is: “This is the real world. This is happening today. It happens at a fictional Seattle nouveau Ivy League school where the geniuses of the next generation have gathered and a couple of them have decided and challenged each other to turn the science fiction of superheroes into science fact. That doesn't mean this is a superhero book because it is not. It is about what the world would really be like if a couple of kids cracked the code.”

So the real question is, where are the big announcements from DC?  The most exciting thing I’ve heard so far is that Cassandra Cain is coming back.  She will be in Batman: Gates of Gotham and the word on the street is that’s she will play a big role.  We’ve missed Cassandra but as I like to say, Stephanie Brown forever.

Review: Xombi #1

Written by: John Rozum

Art by: Fraser Irving

A common comic debate in our house revolves around Fraser Irving’s work on Batman.  Paul is a huge fan while I’m not so fond of how he draws the Wayne family, so we were both very curious to see how we would respond to Xombi.  This is what I learned, as long as he’s not drawing Dick Grayson, I am a Fraser Irving convert, but more importantly than that, Xombi is quite possibly about to become one of my new favorite series.  It was hilarious, I actually had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard at the quirky one liners and names of the nuns.  I knew I was going to love it at the first Forbidden Planet reference. 

The premise revolves around character David Kim whose body is inhabited by nanomachines that he is able to communicate with and instruct to do his bidding…sort of.  They also have a mind of their own.  In the first issue David and his strange assortment of religious superheroes have to find out what happened to the prisoners in a molecularly engineered shrunken prison.  I told you it was quirky, and awesome.