October Solicits are out

DC is making October look like a good month for books.

Just when I thought Deathstroke, Klarion, Lobo, and the Trinity of Sin were something to look forward to, I see something else coming out.

BATWOMAN #35 starts a BATWOMAN AND THE UNKNOWNS storyline.  The Unknowns are RAGMAN http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Ragman, CLAYFACE  http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Clayface, RED ALICE, and THE DEMONhttp://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Etrigan.  The members of this team alone make me want October to be here soon.  As you will note I put links for the heroes/villains I do know.  I think that Red Alice was originally an anti-heroine named Black Alice, but reading the book will tell.  Ragman and The Demon were in a pre-New 52 title called SHADOWPACT.  The Demon wasn't really a member. It will be interesting to see if a BATWOMAN AND THE UNKNOWNS title comes out of it like AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS.

THE DEMON also shows up in SWAMP THING ANNUAL #3 which is another title out this month.

NEW GODS: GODHEAD #1 is another title of note because it ties into the GREEN LANTERN family of titles.  It also brings THE NEW GODS even more in the limelight of the DC Universe.

October New Titles RECAP:

1. EARTH 2: WORLDS END
2. THE MULTIVERSITY
3. ARKHAM MANOR
4. GOTHAM ACADEMY
5. DEATHSTROKE
6. KLARION
7. LOBO
8. TRINITY OF SIN
9. NEW GODS: GODHEAD

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE:

THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES returns to the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED in Annual #1.

NEW GODS: GODHEAD, GREEN LANTERN #35, GREEN LANTERN CORPS #35, GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #35, RED LANTERNS #35, and SINESTRO # 6 are all one story.  So picking up the New Gods title would be a must.  Looking at the synopsis of each title tells me that is should be a good story.

For more info check out one of the links below:  

http://www.newsarama.com/21566-dc-comics-full-october-2014-solicitations.html

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=54050


THAT IS ALL FOR NOW.

GO FORTH AND DO WELL

SHANE.

Legion of Super Heroes Returns In Justice League Annual

Justice League United to Guest Star Legion of Super-Heroes

Justice League United will have its first Annual in October.  It will bring back the New 52 Legion of Super-Heroes (LSH) according to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES in an article posted recently (see this link for the article http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=54027 ).

The premise seems to be that the 31st Century has been destroyed.  So it goes with the whole FUTURE'S END theme.

Although it would be interesting to see the LSH in the present time, I think DC would be giving up too easy on that time period.  Especially since they have JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000.

The problem with the Legion is that it only has, for the most part, only its own villains.  The Fatal Five, The Legion of Super-Villains, The Dominators, and Pulsar Stargrave used to only exist in that time frame.

DC has been smart enough to incorporate The Daxams, the Khunds, and The Duralans, into the present day comics, but they didn't fell the real magic that made all the the Legion titles before them great.

The new 52 had LSH and Legion Lost.  Both titles were canceled.  The issue wasn't the settings of the titles, it was that the stories didn't compel enough readers to buy the title.

I didn't read the LSH title.  The stories just didn't draw me to them.

I did read Legion Lost after a couple issues.  I loved the make up the team. I did not like the whole idea of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.  

I wanted greater interaction with the DC Universe as a whole.

One Pre New 52 story that did that was "The Great Darkness Saga"  by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen (info on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Darkness_Saga ).

The one thing I think that DC did wrong was putting the WANDERERS in the present.  It took away another team to either ally with or to have conflict with.  DC can have strong future.  They just have to commit to making it as interesting as it was before the New 52.  

The old LSH introduced heroes like Dawnstar, Wildfire, Quislet, and others to keep readers interested.  They also created bad Guys like Tyr, The Time Trapper, and The Fatal Five that brought readers like me back.

The LSH has been around for a long time.  They just need the kinds of stories that Jim Shooter and Paul Levitz used to write pre New 52.

If Legion Lost comes back in the present day, please have them face present day villains that every other 21st Century Heroes face.

It would bring in more readers who want to see those kinds of stories.  This goes back to the Darkseid story.  It was one of the most popular LSH stories every.

That is my rant folks.

Enjoy your comics and hopefully DC will continue to take us to places we never imagined.

Go Forth and Do Well

Shane.

October news

October brings a bunch of new titles to DC.

Just in case you didn't notice: DC announced new Titles in October:

Each the following will get their own books

1. Deathstroke
2. Klarion
3. Lobo
4. Trinity of Sin

Also add to that the fact that many will have Halloween based Alternate Covers.

Add to that New creative teams for many titles, and you have an interesting month.

That is all for now,

Go Forth and Do Well

Shane

Babykins running 06 22 14 08 04

Comic Book Resources pics for number 1 and 2 best Batman Artists and Writers.

Now, unless you are living under a rock, you know that Batman turns 75 this year.

Comic Book Resources in honor of this occasion had created several best lists.

The two that interest me the most were top 100 Artists and Writers.

So to say that I agree with there top 2 picks would be understatement.




Top two Batman Artists:  Jim Aparo and Neal Adams

The top 5 pick I would have rated at number 3: Steve Englehart. As they mentioned in the article Steve gave Batman a great new love interest in Silver St. Cloud, and gave us a Deadshot that we know today. and Last but not least a Rupert Thorne.  All of which made for great reading.

The other picks are on the attached link:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2014/06/19/75-greatest-batman-writers-and-artists-artists-5-1/3/


Top Two Batman Writers: Frank Miller and Denny O'Neil

The Top 5 pick I would have rated at number 3: Marshall Rogers.  Rogers art is closer to the style of Adams and Aparo.  CBR's number 3 is closer to Joe Kubert (whose art I love).  Don't get me wrong.  CBR's number 3 is good.  But I want a cinematic quality to my Batman. Aparo, Adams, and Rogers art make me feel like I am literally reading a movie.


The other picks are on the attached link:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2014/06/20/75-greatest-batman-writers-and-artists-writers-5-1/3/

Check these articles out.  CBR usually does some great top lists.  These are no exception to that rule.

Go Forth and do Well,

Shane.

DC Comics Full Sept 2014 Solicits

DC has finally posted the rest of the September 2014 Solicits.

Comment:  All of the Future's End's #1's replace the regular titles for the month of September.

So, like the 52 different covers, DC is trying to boost sales by special covers and a bunch of Number 1's.

I guess they have to make a living somehow.  My preference is that they write great stories to boost sales.



http://www.newsarama.com/21363-dc-comics-full-september-2014-solicitations.html

http://www.dccomics.com/browse?content_type=comic&date=09/01/2014&date_end=09/30/2014

What Came First Gorilla Grodd Or Planet of the Apes?

Gorilla Grodd predates Planet of the Apes by 4 years.

Grodd appeared in FLASH #106, Apr- May 1959 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla_Grodd.

The French novel PLANET OF THE APES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(novel) was published in 1963. Four years after the appearance of Gorilla Grodd.

Gorilla City, the place that most resembles the city in Planet of Apes movie, also appeared in FLASH #106.

Jack Kirby's KAMANDI was a nod to PLANET OF THE APES after DC Comics could not retain rights to the Book and Movie.

 Ironically Kirby had already wrote a similar story to it in 1956 for Harvey Comics.
See this link for more info about KAMANDI and the Harvey story by Kirby: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamandi.

So there PLANET OF APES.  GORILLA GRODD is king of the talking Apes.

Go Forth and Do Well

Shane.

Batman Superman Movie has a name

http://batmanvsupermandawnofjustice.com/

World's Finest Demise not a Big Deal

EARTH 2: WORLD'S END TO REPLACE WORLD'S FINEST AND THEN SOME.

Dateline: Earth 2, August 2014. WORLD'S FINEST is canceled.

Dateline: Earth 2 September 2014 EARTH 2: WORLD'S END begins its run.

DC canceled a monthly to make room for a weekly.  Not just a weekly, but one that has part of the name of the title it replaces.

The cool thing is that now we get weekly adventures of our favorite Earth 2 Heroes.

I am game.  Besides the World's Finest writer is one of the writers on the weekly book.  

So I guess I will give up the false hope for 3 Earth 2 books.

I will rejoice in the fact that I will get stories every week until March of 2015.

Here is the link to remind everyone about the weekly.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=52216

That is all for now.

Go Forth and Do Well

Shane.

DC COMICS AUGUST 2014 -- AN OVERVIEW OF IMPORTANT INFO

DC AUGUST SOLICITS HAS HIDDEN GEMS BEFORE SEPTEMBER EVENT

Here is my overview of the major and minor events happening in August

Major Events  

1. Multiversity.  

• Morrison exploring the Multiverse
• Black Superman  (connection to the Earth 2 Books).
• Atomic Knights (Silver Age Sci Fi heroes).
• Lady Quark (CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS)
• You are a Super Hero (Twist on theme created by Carey Bates in Volume 1, Issue 123 of Justice League of America)

2.  Sensation Comics #1 Featuring Wonder Woman (Digital First)  

• Second Solo Wonder Woman Title.
• Title was original Solo Wonder Woman Title.
• Gale Simone writing the title.
• Features stories outside of continuity that let creators explore the world of Wonder Woman.
• Gives Wonder Woman 3 titles where she is either solo or shares the title.

3. New Teen Titans Trade Paperback offered

Minor Events

 1. Grayson.  

• New 52 reintroduction of Helena Bertinelli (The old 52 and Current Arrow Huntress).

2.  EARTH 2 and WORLD'S FINEST finally link up.

3.  HARLEY QUINN book has 2 issues in August.

4.  JUSTICE LEAGUE.  A new Power Ring is picked and she is becoming a member of the Justice League.

5.  JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK,  We get more of a back story for Deadman.

That is all I have for now.

Go Forth and Do Well

Shane