Relaunch!

I figured that in the wake of the DC relaunch, there's no time like the present to resume. I will admit that over the summer i found myself, shall we say, less than excited with mainstream comics. Future Foundation has been nothing but delightful, and Spider-man is always amazing, but the massive crossover events left me a bit wanting. Fear itself and Flashpoint both had me waiting for their conclusion, rather than wanting to see the drama of the story or whatever.

So, the old DC continuity is gone in a Flash (see what I did there?) and this new mass has surfaced to reveal what it's all about. I guess that's cool and all, but I'm fairly confused as to what this accomplished other than allowing me to say I own Action Comics #1.

And, this is not me complaining about what I'm reading. I think that Grant Morrison has provided a fresh take on Superman (I would expect nothing less) and that Geoff John's Justice League is actually quite good. I do have some problems with Batgirl, but more on that later.

Good writing aside, I am actually really confused. I thought this was a relaunch. I thought everything had been wiped and was new and different, but it's actually not. It's still very similar. Sure, Superman no longer wears red underwear and Barbara Gordon walked off her paralysis, but I really don't feel a tangible difference. Things are still rooted in continuity as much as they ever were, it's just a different one that has not made itself clear yet.

It's still this weird miasma of what is and what isn't that needs to get sorted out before it's fully accessible, which seems counter-productive to what the whole thing was supposed to do. I'm really unsure about all the Green Lantern stuff, especially with the "New Guardians" line. That seems like a lot of backstory that new readers might not want to get into quite yet. The canon is there. It looms over the universe(s), waiting to poke through and remind us that what was once is now lost. I'm still really uneasy, and as exciting as some things are, some ideas are unsettling. What happened to Jason Todd? What about all the Blackest Night and Crisis stuff? All these things happened! I have proof in the boxes I keep in my room! Do all these stories still exist somewhere? Do they still apply to the world, or are we sweeping them under the rug.

All of this stuff is what makes me nervous in comics. I don't want comics to fall by the wayside. But this, and DC no longer "holding the line at 2.99" when I have a poster promising they would, is quite disconcerting. I hope things get better, I do, but it's hard to not be uncomfortable right now.

Everything was back to normal

So... I know it's been a while, but tonight's South Park really got me thinking. I know I rarely talk about TV or anything, but I would wager the connection between comics and cartoons is pretty strong, or at the very least strong enough so I can do this.

Anyway, the episode tonight had what could easily be called an incredibly depressing ending. It was pretty sad, to say the least. I did some research (read: Wikipedia) and found out that this is actually the mid-season finale, so there isn't a conclusion. If this is a cliffhanger, it's going to be a while before any resolution is achieved. I suggest you check out the episode to see exactly what I mean.

Anyway, this got me thinking about the cartoon cliche that everything is always back to normal at the end. It's an old one, which had been mocked on a lot of shows. Family Guy comes to mind fairly often.

In cartoons, and comics, we all know things are going to be ok at the end. We suspend our notion that they aren't to develop the tension. Sure, our heroes may triumph, but at what cost? When they don't triumph at all, then we're really thrown off.

Consider All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison's masterpiece. It doesn't end happily. Superman dies. It moves us to the extreme, but often to tears (I cried, don't judge me). Its the same when a TV show ends on a note contrary to it's genre. Venture Brothers has done this a few times. I' sure the Simpsons has once in it's 9,000,000 seasons. However, at the vast majority of all episodes end, and then things are back to normal. For instance, I remember Ralph Wiggum being elected president.

So when tonight's South Park essentially destroyed the show and then abruptly ended, I was a bit shocked. It was unnerving and depressing. I don't exactly know where it's going, but I'm hooked. I would just like to see it get better.

A year in review

It's been a year since I began this blog. Coming in at 53 posts, one per week fairly regularly. This is pretty cool, in my humble opinion.

But, that doesn't matter. The big news is that Bin Laden is dead. The way I sort of think about it, in comic book terms at least, is that he's kind of our nations supervillain. He was the head of a group that murders innocents in grandiose ways to make points. In short, he's like a fundie Joker or something.

But the there's a couple of things about this event that make me think. The first, of course, is the justification for killing him. The second is what happens after.

I mean, the guy did deserve to die. He was the dickiest dick to dick our generation, but does it make us right to kill him? Does it matter that we kill a killer? I mean, I'm glad the guy's dead but I wish we had captured him or something, but at the same time I mean that would have just been such a process, and it's not really like we need a trial when the guy's already confessed and we've proven the case. It'd be a sham, and not at all a truly fair trial, and it would just corrupt the event by dragging it out. This is cultural closure, and it's okay to be happy. I just find myself thinking about what Superman would do.

I know it's stupid, but 9/11 was such a huge thing, so super-villainy that you just wanted Superhero to fly in and save the day. But that didn't happen, of course. It didn't stop us from wanting it though. And now that we've gotten him, I keep wondering about Superman again. What would he do?

He never kills, despite who he's staring down. He would have grabbed Osama and drop in on the Senate floor or in a cell in the Hague. I don't know. But then again, Superman isn't real, and so Black Ops did the job they do best.

So what happens now? Supervillains have a tendency to come back. Osama won't get resurrected, but there will be someone to take his place. But, we'll handle it. Its what we have to do.

A Contract with God

To say the term "Jewish Comic Author" is often fairly redundant. Most of the earliest comics creators are incredibly Jewish, but the most Jewish of all is Will Eisner.

I just finished his "A Contract with God", which is a collection of 4 short stories centered around life in the Bronx tenement of Dropsie Avenue. It is wonderful. The characters are lively yet heartbreaking. Each story is brilliantly written and illustrated in Eisner's signature style. I can't help but think of Walt Disney work whenever I see it.

His writing just feels very Jewish. I love it, to say the least. The idea of "A contract with God" is so incredibly Hebraic I can't even begin to gush about it. He knows what he is doing. He is a man who knows how to tell a story and then to draw it perfectly.

This is literally a graphic novel, which is what makes it so revolutionary. This man, Will Eisner... Oy, what a mensch.

Superheroes in Court- what's the ruling

So this is a thought I had a bit back: is evidence obtained by a superhero admissible in court?

Superheroes have appeared in official proceedings in costumes, like when the Flash was on trial for murder or when Spiderman was in a Senate hearing (his testimony stricken from the record because of his mask, however). Often times, however, it's harder to see them in an official prosecution role because they are not officers of the law. Regardless of what any superhero does and whatever authority they may have, the vast majority are not officially part of any government organization that would allow them to act in the capacity of, say, a police officer.

Also, consider the fact that in most canon, Batman and many heroes are considered to be "dangerous vigilantes" and their actions are technically illegal. Batman is an excellent example. He does a lot of illegal things. Most of his evidence would be questionable because he would be constantly taking the fifth since most of his actions are incredibly illegal, such as dragging a man down the streets of Gotham with his face inches from the asphalt in order to get information. He is a private citizen and not bound by police rules, but at the same time his inherent vigilante nature does really cloud anything he could provide because of the questionable legality of how it was obtained.

It's a weird sort of thing, since yeah, cops do end up arresting Luthor and Doc Ock and then going into the dual process, but can Spiderman be called to the court as a witness? He seems like a hard guy to Subpeona, and wearing a mask to court is usually against the rules.

More later, this is something that demands research.

Hey now, you're an All-Star (Superman)

God bless you, Grant Morrision. Er, pan-dimensional hyper-being grant you favor, Grant. All-Star Superman is beautiful. That's it. That is all there is to say. I'm not going to lie. I came cross to crying. The way Superman faces the unavoidable reality of his death while still managing to be the epitome of heroism is the truest representation of Superman's character and what makes him THE Superhero.

I am moved by this work. I really am. It is a wonderful, meaningful idea that communicates the brilliant character of Superman. There are so, so many things to talk about, but at the end of the day the most important is going to be Superman. He is just so damn Super. Over the course of the run he manages to do more than I have ever seen him do, and that is why Grant Morrison does such an incredible job whenever he writes the character. He reminds us time and time again just what kind of person Superman is.

And there in lies the brilliant irony of Superman. He has all the best traits of humanity. He is brave, caring, selfless, inventive, and compassionate. He is of an entirely pure heart, despite being the most powerful being on the planet (at least in Grant's universe). He is the best of earth despite his Kryptonian heritage. There is an incredibly moving scene where Clark speaks at his fathers funeral and we can see just how he was molded by a loving family.

People always razzle Supes because of his indestructibility and lack of humanity. Superman is at his most powerful in this story yet despite this he is at his most vulnerable. He reveals his secret ID to Lois Lane, (who never believes him) and really shows his softer side despite having bulletproof skin. He isn't even hurt by Kryptonite anymore. He is like a Super-Superman.

I want to rant more but I think I'll save that for later. It's just so, so, so good. Grant Morrison, you may be insane, but you do damn good work.

I think this story carried a lot of weight for me personally because of the recent death of my Grandmother. She as so brave and so bold facing her cancer. It reminded me a lot of her.

Future Family

I have only dabbled in Fantastic Four. I am well aware of their stories and villains and importance to the genre, but I just never got too into it. I've read enough to understand them and everything, it's just that I never had the time or money.

To sum up, the Fantastic Four are a nuclear family. There is the workaholic dad, the loving mother, and two bickering brothers. Though the roster has shifter around and members have been added, that core four has always been a big deal. Mr. Fantastic, the Everlovin' Blue-eyed Thing, the Invisible woman, and the human torch have been constants in the FF's run.

Cut to now, where the Human Torch fallen in action. This is kind of a big deal. Not to say whether or not it's a publicity stunt and he is going to come back within the year, the Fantastic Four is sort of a four-thing. The Thing and Invisible Woman have lost a brother, and Reed has essentially lost a son. Again, this is a big deal.

However, due to Torch's request, they bring Spider-man onto the team. There's a great moment when he swing onto the roof of the Baxter Building and the Invisible Woman welcomes him inside. It echoes the first issue of Amazing Spider-man where he tries to join the FF and is locked out and gets into a fight with them. Now he's welcomed inside.

Of course, it's still super-awkward. Ben is not a fan of Peter being there, and when they gather round for the Fantastic Family dinner, he's the only one with a mask on. He knows he still doesn't belong here. Though he had a rocky history with the Torch, he and Johnny were friends. The whole dinner set-up is powerful and reminds us of the family idea of the Fantastic Four.

I'm very interested in where this is going to go. I just may be a Fantastic Four Fan yet.

Is Hellboy a Christ Figure?

This is an idea I've been kicking around for a while. Hellboy is by no means Jesus. In fact, he is possibly as antithetical to Jesus as one can get. I mean, for all intents and purposes he is the beast of the apocalypse. He is prophesied to end the world at the head of a demon army. HE HAS A CROWN OF FIRE. THAT IS PRETTY ANTI-CHRIST RIGHT THERE.

And yet, Hellboy is a self-sacrificing hero. He constantly stands up for his friends. He is, as Tolkien would say a "Eucatastrope". Note the roots of the word- Eucharist and Catastrophe. He is constantly getting his big red ass handed to him in the name of saving the world. It's rather heroic for a guy with horns and a tail.

Let's also look at Hellboy's origins for a second. He has a divine (ok, demonic, but whatever) father and a Human mother. Furthermore, just as Jesus was the descendant of King David, Hellboy is the descendant of King Arthur. He is often tempted by Devils and the like to give into the temptation of his nature but says no, often with punching. I'm pretty sure that happened to Jesus too when he was in the desert (punching depends on which translation of the bible you have).

Another key aspect of the entire christian mythos is that whole resurrection thing. In Strange Places, Hellboy actually spends some time dead and comes back. In fact, he's been mortally wounded many, many times. Hellboy is deathless. He is incredibly hard to kill, and even if you manage to get him he comes back. And to add more to the parallel, after he leaves the BPRD he spends time wandering around helping people. His gun is called "the Samaritan" for a reason.

And, one final point, is that one of the ways Big Red can save the world is by simply ceasing to exist. Getting rid of his right hand of doom solves a lot of problems, but he wouldn't be there to save people. It's a big dilemma, to be sure. It's his cross to bear, if you will.

So Hellboy is Christ figure to be certain. But if we accept that there is a whole new question. Can a demon be a good dude? Well, this brings into question ideas of Nature vs. Nurture. Hellboy was raised by Trevor Bruttenholm, who is always shown as a good father figure. Despite his demonic origin, Hellboy has been raised by humans much like Jesus was. If Jesus had been raised by someone evil, how might he have turned out? Jesus may be the son of God, but he's often referred to as the "Son of Man". Hellboy and Jesus may both have had parents who were divine, but the ones who were their human parents. Mary and Joseph and Trevor were the ones who took the time to raise their kids right. Otherwise, who knows?

It's easy to turn the Big Red Ape down for Christ figure status. After all, he is a horned, hoofed demon with a tail and a gigantic stone fist. No one would blame you for saying that he is more of an anti-Christ figure given that whole Anung-Un-Rama great destroyer thing, but at the same time he's done a lot of good works in distinct contrast to and as an attempt to escape his destiny. I for one give the guy some credit. He's a good bro at the end of the day, and his human upbringing and resistance to temptation shows his true character better than a pair of horns.

Neonomicon

So yesterday I picked up Alan Moore's new thing, Neonomicon. I don't know what to say. I should have been concerned when I saw the ads for Crossed (about rape zombies) on the back. I like horror comics (as evidenced by my recent gushing about Hellboy and B.P.R.D) but this wasn't really doing it for me. It's not that it's bad, it's just not the quality I would expect from someone of Moore's status, especially after reading League of Extraordinary Gentlemen that same day.

I am by no means an anti-Mooreite, but I'm just not feeling this one. It feels forced in places, and like they are deliberately trying to startle. Whereas I am genuinely concerned for Hellboy and the members of the B.P.R.D, I really don't have that much empathy for the characters in Neonomicon. I'm going to keep looking into it because it's Alan Moore, but I don't want the same thing to happen here that did to Nemisis. I have a great respect for Alan Moore and his incredible writing, but in all honesty if it was any other writer I would not be continuing with the series.

Amazing, Spectacular

It's rare that an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man is poignant and claws at your insides the way the most recent one did. Bot that Spider-man is not well written and consistently enjoyable, but it's generally that lighthearted and delightful Ol' Webhead. This... well, this was different.

When last we left our hero, J. Jonah Jameson's wife had been killed by Alistair Smythe. Smythe had long been seeking vengeance on Jameson and Spider-man, and finally exacted a little piece of bloody revenge. This issue finds Spidey in mourning, coping with yet another loss.

Spider-man, like many superheroes, finds himself coping with death a lot. He is an orphan motivated to heroism by the death of his uncle and father figure at the hands of a criminal he failed to stop. His girlfriend was murdered (or perhaps he killed her). He has killed a woman before. In short, he is surrounded by death and frankly is unable to cope with it on a serious level.

This issue is incredibly well drawn and paced. A lack of dialog and text of any kind in the first pages clearly shows the emotional weight placed on Peter and the incredible sadness. It's hard to read and hard to describe.

I just really want to commend the writers and artists on this one. I've never read anything like this, especially in Spider-man. Bravo.

Monsters and Morrison

So thanks to my roommate I've been on a total Hellboy kick. I had seen the movies and dabbled a little bit, but never really read anything seriously. Now I can't put it down. I also finally got around to reading some more of Grant Morrison's work outside of the mainstream, specifically The Invisibles. I'm not sure what I think about it yet. It's very good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure just how much I like it.

I want to go back to Hellboy. I think if anything, Mike Mignola has a gift for characterizing without actually just telling everything. One of the interesting things about comics and characters is that because of the format (few words, lots of pictures, short issues, etc) you don't just say a bunch of things about Hellboy or Hal Jordan. Comics are the epitome of the creative writing doctrine "show, don't tell". Telling is waste a space, plus with someone like Mignola who prefers to let his panels do the talking.

I can say a lot about the character of Hellboy. It's an incredibly impressive undertaking.

On Rebirth

I've written about comic book death before. It's weird, to say the least. People never really stay gone. Of course, they're missed but there is always the possibility of their return. It's a nice thought; that the people you love will be brought back by a Kryptonian regeneration chamber or Lazarus pits. I keep coming back to a Boondocks strip I saw a long time ago. Huey and his friend Caesar are talking:

Caesar: Hey man, are you ok?

Huey: A friend of mine back home just died...I never got to say goodbye, you know? I keep wishing he'll come back as a blue ghost, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. There's so much I want to say to him. [sigh] Why can't life be like Star Wars?

Caesar: Well, then Jar-Jar Binks would be real, and there'd be a bunch of Ewoks running around everywhere - nobody wants that.

Huey: A small price to pay if the people you love could come back as blue ghosts.

It's a poignant point. What would you give to live in a world where death was impermanent?

This is something that has been on my mind a lot. My grandmother was diagnosed with cancer a bit back, and it is terminal. It's weird that I keep coming back to this idea. Perhaps it's a form of denial or maybe I have been reading too much Geoff Johns, but I keep wanting this to be undone by some sort of cosmic magic or mystical power. I know it's futile and probably not healthy, but damn it would be nice.

But on the other hand, the impermanence of life is what makes it valuable. The impending, resounding end is a constant reminder of how we must cherish the little time we have. In these last few months I have become closer with my grandmother than ever. I wish I had earlier, but that's life. You never have as much as you want. C'est la vie, as the French in France would say.

I'd wager I'm just ranting out of hurt or fear, but it's something I think it's hard to rationalize. In an era of instant respawns and extra lives, actual death is hard to come by in the average nineteen year-old's life. It's pretty scary. It'd be a lot easier if the people you love came back as blue ghosts.

DC Universe Online Diary 3 and Other Stuff

So, after nigh a month of traipsing through Gotham and Metropolis and getting up to level 28 on my main hero, I have realized what DCUO really reminds me of.

There is an elseworlds, Kingdom Come, written by Mark Waid and Alex Ross which details a world full of metahumans. It is violent and horrifying for normal humans who cower on the ground below as the "champions" of humanity do battle in the sky. DCUO is a world filled with thousands of metas of immense power fighting in the streets. People flee in terror. The vast majority of cities or overrun with violence and crime. Superheroes and Villains fight constantly.

In short, it is a brutal world. Gangsters and hostile aliens lay waste to cities. Demons from hell rise with the mass of new evil sorcerers. In short, it is a world in dire need of heroes where there is little to no normalcy to counteract the fact that the cities are essentially war zones. I just feel bad for all of the people who are just trying to go to work when the Sinestro corps decides to level city hall or something.

And other stuff

My personal sleeper hit of 2010-11 is Knight and Squire. The new book comes out on Wednesday and I am pumped.

Also, I keep coming back to Nightrunner, the Batman of Paris. I want more of him. I think the cultural context is amazing and that the character design is absolutely flawless. If I could pick one character at DC to write right now, it would be him.

This I Believe

I'll say this right out: I believe in Superheroes. This is all figurative, of course, and as much as I'd like to believe in magic rings and mutant x-factors I'm quite aware of the impossibility (though still hopeful). There is no literal Batman, no Metropolis, and as far as we know no S.H.E.I.D Helicarrier. What I do believe in is the ideas represented in the panel of their stories.

I believe in the Green Lantern Corps. They keep peace as bright beacons of courage and honor throughout the galaxy. Theirs is a story of overcoming fear and tragedy to become something more than just an interstellar police force, but as symbol of the the inexhaustible potential of willpower and imagination. They represent a light cast over the cold black of space "In brightest day, In blackest night".

I believe in Superman. He is an immigrant from beyond the stars. He is the best of humanity despite not being human. Superman is literally a big blue Boy Scout, and despite internet flame wars and how awesome Batman is Superman is the greatest hero of earth. He was sent here by his father from beyond the stars and has given his life to save the world (sound familiar?). He is the answer to the question "what if God was one of us?"

I believe in Peter Parker. He truly enjoys being a Superhero. Sure he has a lot of teenage angst, but who doesn't?

I believe in the Flash: a man who can run faster than death and yet still slows down to make small talk.

I believe in the X-men. People everywhere are persecuted for being different, whether it's skin color or X-factor.

I believe in Captain America and the ideals of our nation.

I believe in Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic, and the wonders of Science.

I believe in the Spectre and Deadman and the infinite mysteries of God.

I believe in Batman. He's Batman.

I believe in Lois Lane, and the magic of true love.

I believe in Bruce Wayne, and that there is nothing a man cannot accomplish given the time and the effort.

In short, I believe men can fly. I believe that a person can becomes something more than just human. The most important aspect is not the Super or the Bat or the Woman, but the man and the woman. While they may be gods in our eyes or in canon they are innately human. They face the same choices we do with what they can direct their energies towards, and yet these all-powerful beings chose to work towards the betterment of mankind. I believe in a world where we use our powers to aide our fellow man rather than use out strength for personal gain.

There are days when it seems like it's easier to believe that wealthy industrialists will secretly fund vigilante justice than people will be decent to be one another, but I believe in not only humanity, but or potential for super-humanity. For every Lex Luthor there will be an army of Bruce Waynes and Tony Starks to set things right. An international force of heroes will come to the aid of the world to prevent crimes against humanity and relief after natural disasters. Is that to much to ask? I don't believe it is, because I will always believe that anyone can be Super.

DCUO Diary 2 and other things

I've gotten up to level 23 with my main, and the game is still very fun. Yes, there are still issues with the game, but at the same time the action-based combat and story based missions make it far superior to other more traditional MMOs. The best part of the game is feeling like you are actually in the DC Universe. You are constantly working with famous heroes or villains to accomplish something and take down your enemies. So far I've fought the Joker, Bane, and Sinestro among a legion of others.

So far for me the best thing has been fighting with the Green Lantern Corps against the Sinestro Corps. It's a PvP area swarming with lanterns including Arkillo and Kilowog. For someone who loves the GLC as much as I do it's great to fight alongside them and take down Sinestro with John Stewart alongside me. You actually feel like a hero. I guess that's the point.

I wanted to also note something that happened this week that I'm not happy about. I love Captain Marvel. I love the innocence and ideas he represents. Yes, he may be a "big red cheese" but he's also a representation of the magic of the golden age. This week, DC released the 1st issue of Power of Shazam and I was very disappointed in it. It was heroic age violence and angst and not the magical Marvel that I love. I'm looking to read Billy Batson and the Power of Shazam because I've heard it's more like that.

Once final thing that I wanted to hit on- Mark Millar needs to release things. I know he's busy being awesome but to be a big shot comics writer you need to actually release something. I just want my Kick-Ass.

DC Universe Online Diary: Entry 1

As a kid (and adult) who grew up hoping (and still hopes) that I would somehow receive awesome superpowers and be able to fight crime on the gritty streets of Winston-Salem. Naturally, when DC Universe Online was released I felt an overwhelming urge to try it out. Finally, at the urging of my wonderful girlfriend, I gave in and downloaded it.

For those who haven't seen any of the trailers or cinematics, go watch them. They are actually pretty impressive/intense. It's all very heroic age with intense battles and the violence. But, because these are characters we as readers already care about, we feel involved in wanting to help them.

Anyway, characters start aboard Brainiac's ship and you fight your way out. Heroes are guided by Oracle, and villains by Calculator. At the end of the level, Superman or Lex Luthor come in and helps you out. After, you teleport into the hub of your mentor and enter the world.

After, you are transported to the area of your mentor, who gives you quests and assignments. The voice acting is very good, and while a lot of the quest kind of get the same, a decent variety of enemies and encounters, a plethora of lore, an amazing travel system, and above all that I am taking orders from BATMAN means that game is actually really quite enjoyable.

So far I have two characters. One is Changeling, a gadget-wielding, acrobatic martial artist with Batman as a mentor. With him I've been bounding around Gotham, and taken down Scarecrow and Bane with the aid of Batwoman and Nightwing. My other is Dr Infernus, a tuxedo-wearing fire villain under Circe. I've fought Dr. Fate and run all over Metropolis' Chinatown. It adds a lot to the game, when you're fighting or recruited by a character you know. It makes you feel like a cog in a big machine, and actually accomplishing something instead of the standard MMORPG quest of "bring my 9 hyena livers". You're taking weapons from science police and most missions are large chains that end in a climactic fight. It's pretty awesome.

PvP (player versus player) is very fun as well, with massive battles erupting in the middle of cities. It sucks to get ambushed at random by higher level characters, but it adds to the feel of being part of the world.

I have a few complaints, one is that the interface is still a bit messed up and needs a retool. Different hotkeys help a lot. The cities are also pretty stagnant. There isn't a lot of traffic or people walking, despite the cities having populations in the millions. The graphics aren't anything to write home about, but the the environments are sprawling and truly enjoyable to run or climb all over.

It's really fun, in short. I'll keep posting as to how it goes.

In retrospect-

Looking back on it, I think I was a little hard on Geoff. He's not a bad writer, and after re-reading Blackest Night 8 it's apparent why he has his job in the first place. With that said, however, it's pretty easy to get overloaded with him, especially with the 4000 titles a week that come out with his name on it. I don't know, I just get frustrated when I don't feel like a story is going anywhere.

I am far, far more disappointed Mark Millar and his utterly terrible Nemesis. I really can't describe just how offensive this book is. Not only is it constantly pandering to shock value and trying to generate controversy, but it's just bad. I guess after the success of Kick-Ass he can do whatever he wants, but he's just gone down hard. Kick-Ass 2 is looking pretty bleak. Also he can't get a regular schedule for release which just makes it worse.

It's sad because Civil War was so so good. This... I don't even know.

Grant Morrison is Grant Morrison. 'Nuff said. His Batman and Robin is insane and fantastic. I've read it over and over again and haven't gotten tired of it yet. I see something new and cool each time, and the characterization of Dick and Damian is fantastic. The man knows what he's doing. He may be crazy (see the Doom Patrol), but he can write a story like nobody's business.

The finale of Scott Pilgrim made me happy i brought the series. Brian Lee O'Malley kind of came out of nowhere with a story about growing up and change and maturity and it turned out incredible. I spent five books kind of hating Scott Pilgrim and then realized I was supposed to hate his loser ass. Once I figured that out I reread all the books and loved them. That's the real secret of Scott Pilgrim: no matter how funny and charming he is, he's still kind of a dick.

It's been a pretty good year for comics. It's been great reading and writing. There are going to be some interesting things going on in the future with the finale of Brightest Day and the new Batman Incorporated, as well as the new DC Universe on line, which I plan on checking out at some point in the near future. I'll do updates about how good it is, or how bad as the case may be. We'll see how it goes.

-S