6/27/2012 Previews

Cover to Batman: The Dark Knight #10 by David Finch

Cover to The Flash #10 by Francis Manapul

Cover to Green Lantern: New Guardians #10 by Tyler Kirkham

Cover to Justice League #10 by Jim Lee

Cover to Teen Titans #10 by Brett Boothf

Told You So...

Read this like here: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2012/06/eight-year-old-geoff-johns-he-man-character-debuts-today-on-comixology/
You cannot tell me that I am wrong in saying that DC loves anything that Geoff Johns has ever thought. Be honest...you can't.

Teen Titans #10 Preview!

Well, thanks to (Teen Titans artist) Brett Booth for directing my way to the preview of #10! So here are the actual images from the preview.

Superboy #10 Review

Hey, folks. So I know everyone is talking about all the "Avengers vs. X-Men" stuff and the whole "Phoenix Five" thing, but I'm not really interested. I'll keep up on the plotline without paying $3.99 every two weeks, thank you. But what I am interested in, is keeping up with what is going on over in Teen Titans. And this issue happens to lead into what happens in #10 of Teen Titans apparently so I figured "Eh, why not." So while that doesn't seem very hopeful or optimistic about this issue... I'm actually looking forward to it. Haha. So without further adieu...

Superboy #10 cover by Scott Clark

Superboy #10

Written by: Scott Lobdell

Guest-Art by: Sebastian Fiumara 

Summary

• Superboy and Wonder Girl wake up together on the beaches of Mystery Island
• WG is still pissed at SB about how he kicked her ass in Teen Titans #4 and 5
• SB basically summarizes everything that the Titans have done for him thusfar in his own personal thoughts
• He and WG begin fighting about how the Titans gave everything to find and save SB from N.O.W.H.E.R.E.
• Then...a T. Rex comes and chomps down on SB
• WG kicks the dino's ass halfway across the island until they both manage to take out the raging beast
• Later, at night, WG is bathing and SB "just so happens" to walk up
• Umm...Superboy does some perverted things in this scene, just saying
• Later that night, Cassie and Kon-El have some bonding time sitting around a fire
• Kon-El (can he finally call himself "Conner" now?) learns how good food can be
• He asks Cassie about her powers and such and she flies off and gets all pissy with him
• He goes and calms her down and they almost kiss, but she punches him away (HA!)
• Then they realize the dino (who they tied up, I guess?) disappeared
• They walk down a little trap door's stairwell until they pop out on the other side, upside down, with a dinosaur about to chomp their heads off

Thoughts

I don't know. I don't think this issue was all that awful. But I think the dialogue was kind of poor. I don't think teenagers talk that way. I mean... I'm a teenager. I would know. And also the bit about Superboy using his tactile telekinesis to take a peek at Cassie was extremely awkward, but I guess a real guy would do something like that... But besides that, I liked this issue. I thought it was amusing but serious at the same time. So it worked. I give it a 8/10.

On the next page she punches him. That was hilarious. Hahaha.

Green Lantern #10 Review!

Cover to Green Lantern #10 by Doug Mahnke

Okay so I know that everyone has been talking about the big announcement that came in Batman #10 (which is also sitting here in my lap) but I figured I'd get the finale of "the Secrets of the Indigo Tribe" done and overwith so we can get to some big announcements. Though I honestly think that I liked GL more. Just so you know.

Green Lantern #10
Written by: Geoff Johns
Art by: Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin, & Tom Nguyen

Summary

• The former-Indigos are now attacking Hal and Sinestro because their rings are shut off
• Black Hand took his Indigo ring off and tosses it away and tries to run away
• Hal & Sinestro come upon Natromo
• Sinestro threatens him to fix the Indigo Battery
• Hal convinces Sinestro that "Fear isn't the answer."
• Sinestro runs off with a drained ring to fight the non-Indigos
• Natromo tries to recreate the Power Battery but fails
• Then Iroque (aka Indigo-1) walks up and ignites some compassion in her ring which Natromo uses to recreate the battery
• Then the entire Tribe goes back on-line except Black Hand who jumps off a cliff to avoid the Indigo ring
• He dies upon hitting the ground
• His Indigo ring goes in search of a replacement in 2814 (think that will come up later? DUHHHH!) 
• Indigo-1 asks Hal is he truly believes Sinestro can be a hero again, to which he says that he wants to believe it
• Then  Black Lantern ring (!!!!) comes and "Rise"s Black Hand, who says he wants to go home

Thoughts

I really loved this issue. Between Iroque having real compassion and Black Hand becoming a Black Lantern again, there wasn't a single thing about this issue that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. And is it just me or did Doug Mahnke's art look better than ever? Just saying. 10/10

ohmigodohmigodohmigod WHATTTT!?

• zxdctxsz

New Guardians #8 and Batman: The Dark Knight #9 Reviews!

So I picked out two issues that were my two favorite issues out of the ones that I bought yesterday. Those two turned out to be Green Lantern: New Guardians #8 and Batman: The Dark Knight #9. First up...New Guardians.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #8 cover by Tyler Kirkham

Green Lantern: New Guardians #8

Written by: Tony Bedard

Art by: Tyler Kirkham & BATT

Summary

• The Korugarians are sentencing the Weaponer of Qward to death for his membership in the Sinestro Corps
• Arkillo saves him from death
• Arkillo questions the Weaponer about where everything is (Central Battery and what happened to the Corpsmen and such)
• Cuts back to an hour earlier with the New Guardians escaping from Invictus's base
• The New Guardians find out that the Sinestro Corps has been taken out
• Arkillo runs off
• Munk gets called away (for the stuff going on in "Secrets of the Indigo Tribe" over in Green Lantern)
• Bleez takes charge
• Back to Korugar...
• Arkillo and Weaponer fight off an army of Korugarians
• They escape into the sewers
• He explains how Sinestro and Hal took down the Sinestro Corps by themselves
• He reveals that he made his own Yellow Ring not connected to Sinestro's Corps.
• Arkillo accepts it and he attacks the approaching Korugarians

Thoughts

This was a really good issue. I can't believe I stopped buying this series...what is wrong with me?? Hahaha. I plan to buy this series again. Definitely for sure. Especially leading up to the Third Army event. Can't wait!!! Like I said yesterday...9.5/10

Arkillo is actually really cool. Just saying.

Batman: The Dark Knight #9 cover by David Finch

Batman: The Dark Knight #9

Written by: Judd Winick

Art by: David Finch & Richard Friend

Summary

• We see the Talon that was sent to kill Lincoln March
• He gets shot in the head by Lincoln (after he stabbed Lincoln in the chest)
• Cuts back to "Years ago" when the Talon was at Haly's Circus
• The Ringmaster killed him
• He walked out of it in a zombie-like state
• Then he became the Talon for the court but after a while, he became old and futile
• Turns out, this was the Talon who was supposed to be replaced by Dick
• He fails to assassinate a target
• The Court decides to replace him
• Back to the present when he fights Lincoln. Before Lincoln shot him, he tasered him as well
• Then Batman shows up and Lincoln pulls the trigger (this is all seen from Batman's POV in Batman #9, which I do believe I reviewed here)
• He wakes up and begins attacking Batman
• Bats knocks him out a window tot he ground
• We then see the Bat-family searching for the Talon, but he has escaped into the sewer

Thoughts

Just like New Guardians, I really enjoyed this issue. Granted it was Judd Winick's writing instead of David Finch's in this issue, so it was bound to be better. I am honestly reconsidering what series I will be buying from here on out after these two issues... So just like New Guardians, this issue gets a 9.5/10. Only reason it didn't get a 10/10 is that the cover and solicit lied and said Tim Drake would be starring in this issue. 

This is the only time you see Tim in this entire issue...

Some Quick Reviews

Alright well here we have  a bunch of reviews from the past two months or so. The rest of the Culling crossover, a few Night of the Owls issues, and two other issues. Since they're all scattered around as for when they were released, I'm just gonna do some quick reviews. A sentence or two then a rating.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #8-Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham, & BATT
I wonder why I stopped buying this series... I wish I hadn't. This issue is a perfect reason why I should have kept reading it. 9.5/10


Superboy #9-Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco, R.B. Silva, Rob Lean, & Iban Coello
Part 2 of the Culling crossover...Not a huge fan of this issue, to be completely honest. It was about average at best. 6.5/10


Legion Lost #9-Tom DeFalco, Pete Woods, & Brad Anderson
Part 3 of the Culling...Same as last issue, about average. For some reason Skitter still hasn't shown up again. Weird. 7/10


Teen Titans #9-Scott Lobdell, Ig Guara, & JP Mayer
Part 4 of the Culling...Now this was a good issue. I really liked it. 9/10


Detective Comics #9-Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea
Why did I bother picking up this issue? I can't stand Tony Daniel's story or art. Barely got through the issue. 4/10


Batman: The Dark Knight #9-Judd Winick, David Finch, & Richard Friend
Now this issue I surprisingly enjoyed. Granted I wish that Tim Drake had been in this issue...it's a really good story told from a Talon's point-of-view. Really good issue. Totally recommend. 9.5/10


Worlds' Finest #2-Paul Levitz, George Perez, Kevin Maguire, & Scott Koblish
This issues honestly didn't live up to how good the first issue did. I liked it, but it wasn't as good at the last one. It was honestly about average. 7.5/10


And there we have it! A group of quickies outta the way. Thanks for reading!

DC's #0 Issues in September; 4 New Series

Well this is it, folks, DC has announced what they are going to be doing in September today: "#0" issues. Every series will get a #0 issue.

Promotional Image for Animal Man #0

Promotional Image for Aquaman #0

Promotional Image for Batman #0

Promotional Image for Batman, INC. #0

Promotional Image for Dial H #0

Promotional Image for The Flash #0

By the looks of things, each character will be diving head-on into the past and we'll get to see events from their past that are leading to new stories in each series. But not only is each series getting their own #0 issue, four new series have been announced:

Talon: Co-Writers: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV. Artist: Guillem March.

Meet Calvin Rose, the only Talon to ever escape the grasp of the Court of Owls. This former assassin of the Court is trying to live a normal life ... but that’s impossible when he’s being hunted by his former masters!

Alright well here are my thoughts on that... Talon looks like it could have potential, but I see it as being a lot like how The Ravagers is right now: A story that comes from a crossover. And honestly, the Court of Owls is on the edge of being over-used already. I mean they dominated the first whole year of the Batman and Nightwing stories and now they basically get their own series? I think that's pushing it a little bit. But you never know...anything from Scott Snyder is worth a shot!


Sword of Sorcery: Writer: Christy Marx. Artist: Aaron Lopresti. 
Featuring the return of Amethyst, Amy Winston leads a strange life on the road with her mother and resents it. She’s about to learn it’s all been necessary when she discovers she’s the lost princess of Gemworld—and she’s being hunted by her murderous aunt. With a back-up story written by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the monstrous warrior Beowulf is charged with finding and defeating the evil Grendel.

So here we have a series that is much like how Dial H and Batman INC. are to me: I just don't really care enough to buy it. It has potential, but it's just not my style of comic. 

The Phantom Stranger: Writer: Dan DiDio. Artist: Brent Anderson. 

Spinning out of his recent appearances in JUSTICE LEAGUE and DC’s Free Comic Book Day story, learn more about the true origin of The Phantom Stranger and his connection to the mysterious Pandora. 

This doesn't look so...wait. That says Dan Didio is the writer? Never mind. Don't expect to see anything about that series ever again on this blog.

Team Seven: Writer: Justin Jordan. Artist: Jesus Merino. 

Set in the early days of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, threads of the entire DC Universe collide. As Superman emerges, so does the world’s counter measures against him and his kind. Team 7 is comprised of Dinah Lance, Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash and Slade Wilson — and their story will change everything you know about DC COMICS-THE NEW 52. 

I'm extremely interested in this series. All of these characters have ties to one of the little sections of the DC Universe. Dinah from the Bat-Family, Waller from the Edge or Dark or wherever Suicide Squad is, Trevor from the League's section, I don't know who John Lynch is, Fairchild (related to Caitlin Fairchild from Ravagers?) from the Young Justice portion, Cole Cash from the Edge or Dark group, and Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke is cool as hell. I might just get this series' first issue to see how they will interact with each other and how they all went on such separate paths. This is the one I'm actually interested in. The Talon is up there, but Team Seven is the center of my attention in the "Third Wave" of titles.

Okay so I have to ask: Why is DC putting out more than 52 titles in September? That's weird. I thought they were sticking with 52 titles? Who knows anymore. Maybe the other 3 titles will get cut after September. (Please cut Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, & Voodoo!!!) Speculation? Comment below!

Earth-2 #2 Review! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Cover to Earth-2 #2 by Ivan Reis

So...wow. I already read this issue and I can't pick my jaw up off the floor from that cliffhanger. Let me just say this even before we get into things: GO BUY THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW. ITS WORTH THE $2.99. Even if you didn't get the first issue of the series for whatever reason, go buy this issue right now. Like shut down your computer and buy it this very moment. 1,000% worth it. Believe me. But anyway... I must warn you that I am so hyped up about this issue that there will be a fair amount of spoilers coming, so don't read this if you are planning on buying this issue in the foreseeable future. So...yeah. Below this line, the spoilers begin!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summary

• Michael Holt, aka Mister Terrific, appears on a street in NYC and realizes he isn't in Kansas anymore. Kansas being Earth-1, of course
• Some guy named Terry Sloan (who, it turns out, was the original Mr. Terrific in the old continuity at least...) addresses him as "Mr. Holt" even though he's in his Mr. Terrific get-up and just arrived there
• Mr. Sloan says he's going to have to take down Mr. Terrific for things that he is going to do
• Michael goes on the offensive and attacks but Sloan turns the attack right around on him, knocking Michael out(!!!)
• Mercury and Jay Garrick are talking about how Mercury is the last of the Gods and that he is dying
• Merc warns Jay that a new threat is coming, but Jay tells him all the heroes of Earth are dead (as seen in #1)
• Jay insists that if they get Merc to a hospital soon, they can save him from death, but Merc decides to shoot him with some lightning(!!), turning him into the Flash
• The World Army shows up
• Flash runs
• We see Alan Scott, still over in China, with his boyfriend Sam
• Back in New York, Jay is walking around secretively, as Merc had told him to not trust anyone
• Jay starts running around and he comes across a couple getting attacked by some crazy rats and saves them
• He runs off right after and begins using his powers to a higher extent, but then he stops in Poland
• Hawkgirl appears
• Back to Alan and Sam, they're on a train going to some cabin in the woods
• Alan proposes that Sam come and live in the U.S. with him (since he apparently lives in China) and that they get married
• The train blows up with a green glow inside the explosion

Thoughts

I can't believe how much I'm enjoying this series. I re-read the first issue right before I started reading this one and I enjoyed it just as much as I did last month and this issue was just as much up to those standards. At first, Jay's design seemed kind of forced but as the issue progressed, Nicola Scott's Jay Garrick became a lot more fluid and interesting, but at the same time it might just be because I've never seen the suit in action before. My only real problem with this issue is that they have seemingly "fridged" Sam so early into the series. I can't believe that. Maybe the green glow was Alan lighting up and protecting himself and his boyfriend. I'm really glad that Mister Terrific is going to be in this series, and not in his own. While his old series wasn't good, he can potentially make new fans and have his old fans come over to Earth-2. Overall, I give this issue a 10/10, just like last month.

Is It Really the "New 52" Anymore?

I mean I know that we're still less than a year in from when Justice League #1 came out...but is the concept of the New 52 still all that...new? Sure, it's a semi-catchy title for people to remember, but honestly how are these series "new" anymore? I mean besides the second-wave titles, none of the series are brand-new anymore. So maybe it's time to put the slogan "DC Comics-The New 52" to rest?

Its just some random thoughts, so don't take it too seriously. But it's something to consider...

And the New Gay Character is...ALAN SCOTT!

(Cover to Earth-2 #2 by Ivan Reis)

It's official, folks! DC has announced that Alan Scott, the Green Lantern featured in Earth-2 will be the new gay super-hero. My three favorite non-blog comic websites, Comic Book Resources, Comic Vine, and Newsarama have already gotten interviews with James Robinson (writer of Earth-2) posted on their website. 

The series, written by James Robinson and penciled by Nicola Scott, has put out one issue out thusfar and came as part of the New 52's "Second Wave" of titles. I really enjoyed the first issue, even gave it a 10/10 in my review so I'm really excited for the second issue to come out ANYWAY even without this announcement. 

There was many speculations as to what hero will have their sexual orientation changed. And James Robinson said that it was his decision, since he wasn't going to be allowed to use Obsidian or Jade (which was learned in the CBR interview) he decided to change Alan's orientation and apparently Didio just went along with it. Which, for once, I have to thank Dan Didio. YES, readers, I AM THANKING DAN DIDIO! I have to say that I'm not a fan of him and I've expressed that several times over the last year or so. Don't worry, fans, I'm not losing my mind, but I am thankful for this decision. While I'm sure that many people will be thinking and maybe even saying "Ugh, why Alan Scott? Why not some new character?" I have to say that it gains more attention and it doesn't seem unnatural that Alan Scott would be gay. I really hope that I get the chance to speak with James Robinson and/or Nicola Scott sometime soon (as I have in the past with Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth).