Things The New 52 Needs

As much as I'm loving many things right now at DC, I think there are a few things that the New 52 really needs to have in order to keep things interesting.


1. A New Name

It is going on three years now since DC Comics - The New 52 premiered. Honestly, how "new" is it anymore? Plus, lately there haven't even been 52 series released every month! But seriously, how much longer can they call it "The New 52" anymore?

2. Booster Gold in a Bigger Role

Booster Gold saved the Multiverse in 52. Since then, he has been one of my favorite superheroes ever. In the New 52, he started off by leading the Justice League International team that ultimately fell apart after 12 issues and an annual. He has only appeared on a few-issue-stint in All-Star Western since he and his future-self disappeared at the end of the JLI Annual. His presence in the teaser-image for Futures End implies that he will have a relatively large role in the series. Hopefully!

3. Justice League/Justice League United Getting More/New Members

Supergirl, Adam Strange, Lex Luthor, Captain Cold, Shazam, and a new Cree superheroine Equinox are all joining Justice League teams for the first time in the New 52 starting sometime in the next month. But that doesn't mean that there can't be other heroes that join the teams soon. As obviously important it is that Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman are on Justice League teams, it is important to note that Superman, Green Lantern, and the Flash are now no longer on any Justice League line-ups.
Anyhow, it would be cool in my opinion to see some other heroes joining the League(s) in the near-future. Kyle Rayner and John Stewart haven't been part of any Justice League teams in the New 52 (Jordan on the main Justice League, Gardner on the JLI, and Baz on JLA), so it'd be interesting to see one of them join a team. We know that Baz will be training Jessica Cruz, the "first female human Green Lantern" (most likely the new host of the Power Ring from Earth-3 coming soon in Justice League), so he will likely be playing a bigger part sometime soon. Ray Palmer finally put on an Atom suit in last week's Batman/Superman #10, Firestorm and Element Woman aren't doing anything post-Forever Evil, Black Lightning and Blue Devil haven't been seen in an issue of a comic for almost a year, Plastic Man was created in Forever Evil (if I remember correctly), Steel has been seriously underappreciated in the New 52, Metamorpho (at least to my knowledge) hasn't been seen, Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) has been teased during Forever Evil, Captain Atom isn't doing much of anything, Elongated Man hasn't been seen yet, and so much more. There is sooooo much untapped potential here in the New 52.

Stay tuned for more...

Blue Beetle #11 Review!

Cover to Blue Beetle #11 by Paul Renaud

Blue Beetle #11

Written by: Tony Bedard

Art by: Ig Guara & J.P. Mayer

Issue title: "All That Glitters"

So normally I don't buy this series, obviously, but I can't resist buying an issue with Booster in it. So without further wait, I present my review of Blue Beetle #11.

Summary:

• The issue opens with a newscaster lady named Connie Burnett is interviewing a guy who is anti-superheroes named Thaddeus Miller and Booster Gold who is promoting supers, obviously
• Blue Beetle becomes the main focus of the conversation
• Booster announces that he wants to meet with Beetle and help him get his super-hero career together
• Meanwhile, Jaime is walking down the street in NYC and is talking to the Beetle scarab thingy and decides he wants to meet with Booster and has the scarab set up a meeting
• Later, when Beetle and Booster are set to meet, Booster seems kinda pissed since Jaime arrived late
• Booster begins fighting Beetle and explains why he did so, which is the fact that Booster knows his 25th Century History and mentions an invasion from the Reach Empire (which is where the scarab came from) to Earth and he wants to wipe Beetle out before the Reach gets worse
• Eventually Booster takes down Beetle, but Jaime's grandma (????) steps in between and stops Booster from killing Jaime
• (This will be continued in the Justice League International Annual next month apparently)

Thoughts

I really enjoyed this issue. Not enough that I'd spend another $2.99 monthly, which is a shame because if I had the money I would buy it. I really need a job... Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this issue and I now can't wait to see what this annual is all about. I kind of hope to see the Blue & Gold become best buds again, and hopefully since JLI is getting cancelled we can see more of Booster here in Blue Beetle, but in the meantime, it was a good impulse buy. Good writing, good art, solid cliffhanger for the ongoing series. 8/10

I have to say, Beetle did put up a good fight against Booster there for a while.

What Might Replace "Justice League International" In September?

Last week when DC announced their August solicitations, Justice League International #12 was marked as “FINAL ISSUE.” Now this series is nowhere near the bottom of the sales charts, so the question must be asked: “Why is it being cancelled? And what will replace it?" Well speculation has risen for many different options.

“Justice League Elite” or “Extreme Justice”

The U.N. brought the original team together, but after the team’s failure on the U.N.’s front yard they officially disbanded the team. Since the second story arc takes place immediately after the first, it would be hard to change their team’s name so quickly, but would it be such an outrageous assumption that the team might be changing their name to disconnect themselves from the U.N. for the 13^th issue and third story arc of the series? It sure seems to be okay for the Thunderbolts changing to the Dark Avengers over at Marvel.

“Cyborg”

The entire main Justice League team has at least one solo series right now…except for Cyborg. He has been moved up to one of the World’s Greatest Heroes Sure, that was usually the case when Martian Manhunter was a leaguer, but does that mean that Cyborg shouldn’t have his own series? The thought is something I wouldn’t put past Didio, Lee, or Johns, even if it is a stupid one. 

"Booster Gold"

If DC won't give us a new series starring multiple characters from the JLI, then I'm sure most fans would be perfectly fine with Booster getting his own solo series. He's done it in the past, and I'm sure he could pull it off again. And not only that, but Dan Jurgens is out of a writing job and Aaron Lopresti is out of a penciling job...and I would really love to see a Booster solo series from those two. 

"Brave and the Bold"

DC's other anthology title, DC Universe Presents, isn't a huge smashing success like it could have been. But what did DC expect? Poor advertising, lack of big-name talent, and so on and so forth. What with people knowing about the Batman: The Brave and the Bold tv show, it would probably be an easier way to success. The first story arc could even be about the JLI, for us fans. 

And I'm sure there are many more options. But I'm just not creative enough to think of them at the moment. Those are the most obvious ones that I can think of. Thoughts? Sound off below.

"Justice League International" #6 Preview!

While I won't be getting JLI #6 in the mail until Monday or Tuesday--which is also when I'll review it--we can all enjoy a four-page preview of the epilogue issue of the first story arc.

Okay this filler artist isn't that bad at all. That's a pleasant surprise. Looks like it'll be a nice issue. It looks interesting enough. Plus I very much so like the internet!