Comic Genius

I started reading Kurt Busiek’s Secret Identity yesterday. My prior knowledge was minimal, only knowing that it was about a kid named Clark Kent who always was teased because he had the same name as the fictitious Superman. But he soon finds out that he has Superman’s abilities, and the adventure begins.

First of all, the art is kind of jarring once you start reading. It’s hard to describe–almost like the figures were drawn and literally placed on top of the backgrounds and then mass-produced.

The story itself is amazing. Everyone has hated their name at some point during their lives–Clark just has a closet full of Superman shirts and memorabilia to prove just how much he hates his. And as if having the name Clark Kent and gaining his abilities isn’t enough, he gets set up with a woman named Lois.

The similarities to the conventional Superman story ends there. Even as he flies around in a Superman suit and saves hundreds of thousands of people, the government is out to get him. They want him, and have been tracking him for years, simply because someone like him shouldn’t exist. They would love nothing more than to have him in a lab for the rest of his life so they could study him endlessly.

I won’t spoil any more, because this really is a story I think everyone should experience for themselves.

It had been all over the Internet comic universe for weeks–was Warner Bros. going to follow the Batman mold and reboot the Superman franchise? According to an interview in The Wall Street Journal it appears the answer to that question is a definitive yes.

Truthfully, I think it’s a good idea. I liked Superman Returns, but I can also admit that the tone of the movie was completely wrong. And even though the young actor who played Jason White was cute, the character in general was completely out of place. Little Jason wasn’t the only thing out of place, either; Superman got knocked around way too much and didn’t do nearly enough knocking around of people. He was way too passive.

I don’t blame that quality on Brandon Routh, though. I fear that the decision to reboot the franchise means that Brandon’s stint as Clark Kent/Superman is over, simply because it might confuse casual moviegoers. The same goes for Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Sure, the characters themselves were off in the movie, but I don’t blame the actors. I blame the script and the general tone of the movie that required them to act in that way.

Coincidentally, the reboot–and the timeline for the next movie–coincides nicely with what could possibly be the end of the series Smallville. Tom Welling has said in the past that he doesn’t want to wear the tights and that he is concerned with being typecast as Superman for the rest of his life. But really, eight seasons as Clark Kent doesn’t already do that? I have a feeling that if Warner Bros. gave him a juicy enough deal and maybe put a clause in his contract to give him Superman-free roles, that he would don those famous tights and spit curl his hair.

Of course, going the Tom Welling route would make it mighty tempting to reboot the Superman franchise as a Smallville universe movie. I would enjoy it, but I have a feeling it would seriously anger many of the traditionalist fans of Superman. It’s a thought.

The question of who stole (and yes, he really was stolen) the Green Arrow’s son after he was shot and proclaimed to be in a coma potentially for the rest of his life has been one of those stories I was starting to think would never end. I can’t remember the exact issue where he was shot, but it was toward the beginning of the Green Arrow/Black Canary series. I want to say it was issue #4.

The newest issue is #11, and the nicest thing about it was seeing the “in the next issue” blurb on the last page proclaiming that readers would finally learn what happened to Connor in issue #12. Thank God.

Of course, learning what happened to him is one thing–getting him back and back to normal is a completely different story. I can only wonder how long it will be before the focus will be on something other than finding Connor.

Here’s where the information gets a little spoilery. Information was given during San Diego Comic Con a couple weeks ago that Connor will return–alive–but will have some abilities that he didn’t have before he was shot and stolen. Actually, I like the idea simply because it gives the other characters a chance to shine while they build up the differences in Connor once he returns. A four-part story arc would be perfect, and would give readers the chance to really question what is up with Connor while turning the main focus back to Oliver and Dinah for a couple issues. After all, it is their book, title and all. Shouldn’t they be the focus every once in a while?

I went to the comic book store today. Legion of Three worlds was one of the books I intended to pick up because…well, it’s Superboy Prime. Also, I read the preview on Newsarama earlier this week and it caught my attention.

See, I can’t even say that I know more than a couple members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. To me, it’s kind of hard to say that you’ll pick up a book and start reading it when you know absolutely nothing about the characters. With all the other books I read on a regular basis, I have at least a tiny bit of prior knowledge. But with the Legion, not much is there for me. There is, of course, the recent cartoon to take into consideration. I watched a couple episodes, but I just haven’t had time to delve into it seriously. I liked the version that was on Justice League Unlimited when Supergirl, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern were taken into the future by Legionnaires Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy. That’s only two characters, I know.

Knowing that Superboy Prime is going to be part of Legion of Three Worlds makes it easier for me to read. And, I give just about anything with Geoff Johns’ name attached to it a chance these days. He’s also said that George Perez is going to draw every Legionnaire EVER, so that will be a sight to see.

But, I’ll have to wait to see how it turns out. The comic book shop was sold out of copies when I went today. They are expecting more on Thursday, so I’ll have to stop by when I’m in town next weekend.

The third installment of Grant Morrison’s summer event is finally starting to take shape. The issue was actually released two weeks ago, but I only got the chance to pick it up and read it yesterday. Boy, was it good.

Admittedly, the first two issues were dense and hard to understand on the first read-through. I only felt like I really understood what was going on with the story after I read the issues a second (and sometimes third) time, as well as listened to Sean and Jim’s discussion of those first two issues on their Raging Bullets podcast. I tell you, these guys are good at making sense of Morrison’s work.

First off, I have to say that Mary Marvel looked downright freaky in this issue. My immediate thought was that she has somehow merged with Eclipso. Then, I started thinking that she had befriended Britney Spears and gotten some hair tips. Because, really? She had some pigtail/mohawk thing going on along with the leather head strap that was beyond scary. When she mentioned Darkseid taking over, the focus went from Eclipso to her being a new Female Fury. Regardless, I think she’s been brainwashed.

I’m really curious about the true identity of Libra. Whoever Libra is, he/she/it has some kind of freaky deal going on with Darkseid considering the way the Anti-Life Equation is being thrown about like it’s a new toy. Mike, the Human Flame, was drawn in by wanting to become Libra’s right hand man, and instead found himself a drone.

I really enjoyed the way that all the tie-ins are being set up. One of them, Superman Beyond, is now a must have for me. The idea of him going to the ends of the Earth just to save Lois is a show of just how far he would go to save her. It was mentioned that Superman had not answered emergency calls for a period of days, as he was obviously not going to leave her side.

The story is finally starting to come together, which I’m happy about. I even got to see Renee in this issue, though I was curious as to why so many people know her secret identity and how this is going to work into Revelations. I had to geek out a little that she was starting to act more like Vic did when he was running around as the Question. I never really thought she would take on that personality trait, but I think I like it.

Considering these two stories are only a few years old, it’s amazing to me that I don’t hear them referenced hardly at all? Do most people really consider them that bad? I mean, it’s Greg Rucka as a writer. And I KNOW I’ve expressed by book-nerd love for him on this blog more than once.

I’m talking about the trades Unconventional Warfare and That Healing Touch. Now, the points that stick out the most about these trades–at least to me–are the villain Ruin, the twin Parasites, Lois getting shot and going through a recovery period, and an appearance by Mr. Mxylptlk (I hope I spelled that right) that made me want to see more of him in a capacity where he shows Superman what he might be missing out on if he closes his mind to certain ideas.

I hate to give away part of That Healing Touch, but here we go. Don’t keep reading if you don’t want to be spoiled.

Once the big bad is disposed of and Lois is on her way to recovery, she announces to Clark that she wants to try to have a child with him. He, of course, is dead set against the idea. That’s when M comes along and shows him a possible future, one where he has a daughter (biologically) with Lois. She looks like a female Clark but is spunky like Lois, and develops superpowers as a teenager, much like Clark did while growing up in Kansas. We see her 16th birthday party and her dad’s reluctant gift of a Super(girl? woman?) outfit, deeming her old enough to make the decision about her future. Lara Lane-Kent follows in her father’s footsteps, but doing so in her own way and letting the Lois in her shine through.

As I was reading this story for the first time, I was beyond excited. Mr. M’s message to Clark at the end was that he shouldn’t close his mind to possibilities in the future. Was that moment the right time for them to start trying to have a child? Possibly not. However, by saying to Lois (and himself) that it will NEVER happen, he could be missing out on a future even more fulfilling than the one he sees without a child in it.

I might be acting like a total girl here, but wouldn’t Superman adding another duty to his life be interesting to read? And I know he recently became an adoptive father to Chris Kent for a short while, but seeing the child grow from infancy and how the pregnancy could possibly affect Lois would be something different for Superman comics that could more than likely make a character more relatable, especially since many people claim he’s bee lacking in the relatable category in recent years.

And why does no one speak of this book? It’s only been a few years since it was released, but has it been retconned already? And if it has, is that the kind of precedent to set when DC is trying to make Superman popular again?

Spoilers are everywhere. Casual fans of anything, not just comics, can find spoilers online if they know where to look. Finding–and reading–those spoilers is usually what makes a casual fan a fanatic who actively searches out the spoilery information on a regular basis.

Spoilers can be found for anything–TV, movies, comics, books, you name it. And even though I would consider myself a fanatic of all those categories, I’ve noticed that my philosophy on spoilers varies from case to case. When the Harry Potter books were getting ready for release (Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hollows, especially), I actively searched for spoilers about what was going to happen, who was going to die, etc. I regularly read the spoilers for Smallville, too.

A little while ago I was perusing Newsarama and saw that some Batman RIP spoilers were popping up in the DC forum. Yes, they were in the solicitations for the book, but solicits aren’t exactly read by most comic book readers. One of the things I don’t mind about comic spoilers though, is that while you might learn about how things are going to end up, you can still enjoy the journey it takes to get to that point. So while for book A, I might read a spoiler that character E is going to die, I still don’t know what happens with B, C, and D to get to that point where character E dies.

I do, of course, have situations where I don’t want to have any prior knowledge about what is going to happen. With Breaking Dawn, the recent Stephenie Meyer release in the Twilight Saga, I purposely stayed away from any kind of news that could have potentially been spoilery. I just didn’t want to know.

I guess the important thing to remember is that the reading of spoilers needs to be done with caution. Reading them could potentially ruin your experience. But then again, it could also enhance it by giving you the chance to focus more on aspects of the story like the character’s motivations or back stories of minor characters. Read at your own risk.

Yes, life is changing. I’ve spent the majority of the last two days in New Teacher Orientation, and many more hours this week trying to get ready for school to start. So I got to thinking. How am I going to stay up to date with comics even as my life gets busier?

Good question, I know. Someone in our panel discussion today asked some of the not-so-new teachers how they juggle teaching and their personal lives. I think this can be applied to many different areas. The answer to the question was a resounding “take time to decompress.” It sounds like the best plan is to take some time out to do some non-school reading.

Another issue is the fact that I’ve been having to drive to Peoria about twice a month to pick up my comics. Well, that’s about a 45 minutes drive that ends up not only costing me the actual cost of the books, but also gas money. I think we all know just how much that can put a damper on an otherwise exciting experience. I went searching for alternative methods about a month ago, and went with the suggestion of the guys at the Raging Bullets podcast, Sean and Jim. DCB Service (www.dcbservice.com) offers some great discounts on their monthly books, as well as their trades, as well as a number of different shipping options. Once I figured out which books I wanted and figured the amount I was saving due to the discounts, I realized the amount I was saving covered the shipping costs. Never mind that I won’t have to pay all the extra gas money; that’s like an added bonus.

I have a feeling that I’m going to like this change in the way I get my comics. It will allow me to get them in a more timely manner in addition to everything I mentioned above. I also get two of my books from the DC Subscription service, and it annoys me because I don’t get the books in the mail until two weeks after it is released. I definitely won’t be doing that again once the one year subscription is up.

Taking into consideration everything that’s on my pull list right now, I think I might have to add another title in the near future. And this one would be completely different from everything else on my list. In some ways, the book is the polar opposite. But at the same time, it’s so insanely fun that I look forward to reading the new issue every month, and I might even have to go back and pick up all the back issues.

What is this book?

It’s Tiny Titans.

That’s right, Tiny Titans.

I first heard about TT when listening to Sean and Jim on Raging Bullets. They loved the book, and even had Franco and Baltazar (writer and artist) on the show for an interview a couple months ago. The art is very simplistic (I’m reminded of the Power Puff Girls, for some reason), but it totally fits the age group this book is mainly geared toward and the general tone of the book.

Sure, it’s a Johnny DC title, meaning that it’s main demographic is young kids, but anyone can enjoy this book. We carry it at the bookstore, and just tonight, I showed it to the manager (who also reads comics) and had her check it out. I mean, who couldn’t laugh at Titans Tower being a tree house? Robin carries a Batman lunch box, and Supergirl jokingly calls Brainy a brainiac while he is playing checkers. Trigon in an apron preparing a lunch for Raven? Robin trying out the new identity (for one issue) of Nightwing and getting frustrated when everyone insists that he’ll always be Robin? These are the kinds of things that comic book readers probably think about but never have the guts to say out loud. And these guys are having fun with it.

Even if it’s just one issue, give this book a try. If nothing else, it’s good for a laugh or two.

This Newsarama article from Friday is full of all kinds of interesting Superman history.

The new information comes about as the Siegel family is in court over the copyright to Superman and Superboy with DC Comics. As part of the court appearances, DC released these papers as a way to show that Siegel and Schuster were “workers for hire.” In this case, the information is in reference to how Lois Lane was drawn by Joe Schuster in the late 1930s/early 1940s.

The legal discussion of this issue is for another post. And really, I’d like to save that for when the legal case is decided unless something monumental and unexpected comes out of the whole thing. Instead, what I find interesting is how much our opinions and expectations of women have changed since the late 1930s. Mention is made that DC editor Whitney Ellsworth wanted Lois Lane “de-sexed.” He even went so far as to make his own depiction of how he thought Lois should be depicted. I’m sorry, but he made her ugly. Lois may be a hard-nosed journalist, but she’s not one to let her looks suffer because of it.

And then there’s the whole thing about Ellsworth thinking that Schuster drew Superman with a butt that was so big that it made him look gay. Since when does the size of someone’s backside determine their sexuality? Boy, am I glad that I don’t live in that time period.