A week has passed and in Superman v2 #76, the members of the JLA read Superman’s fan mail and decide to do some good in honor of his death and the Kents travel to Metropolis to comfort Lois. I must admit that this short story element feels a bit overdramatic, but the cheesy moment passes fairly quickly when the reader learns that Project Cadmus has broken into Superman’s tomb and has stolen the body. Supergirl investigates the break in and discovers that the grave robbers have entered the crypt through the tunnels leading to the Underworld (The Adventures of Superman #499). In the same issue we see that Gangbuster decides to come out of retirement in order to help in the protection of Metropolis. Meanwhile the scientists at Project Cadmus try to identify Superman’s D.N.A. in order to clone his body (Action Comics #686). The Kents have returned to Smallville and we see how Jonathan Kent deals with the loss of his son, through a few flashbacks to Clark’s youth (Superman: The Man of Steel #21). He blames himself for the death of his son, as it was he who originally came up with the idea of the secret identity and the costume to turn Clark into Superman. In the meantime the Underworld in Metropolis has been flooded due to an explosion that was caused by the grave robbers and Lois and a few of the Underworlders break into Cadmus and try to retrieve the body. At the end of this issue, Jonathan Kent collapses in the field where he had found Clark’s ship, so many years ago. In the final issue of “Funeral for a Friend” (Superman v2 #77), Mr. Kent is rushed to the hospital and at the same time Lois makes plans with Luthor II and Supergirl to get Superman’s body back. When they have returned the remains of the superhero to his final resting place, Luthor shares his grudge with the silent coffin and we see that he is still the same tyrant he was, before he cloned himself (For those of you who don’t know, Lex Luthor had radiation poisoning and before he died he made his scientists put his mind into a younger cloned body of himself). At the end of this tragic story arc, Jonathan Kent flatlines as the doctors try to save him.

There are also three one-shot issues that came out following the “Funeral for a Friend” arc. The Legacy of Superman includes a few short stories about other heroes and their attempt to fill in for Superman. Supergirl and Team Luthor shows Lex team up with his Supergirl imitation to form his own superhero team and finally the Newstime issue, a real news magazine, filled with stories about the death of Superman and the repercussions.

I must say that some of the issues where a bit too cheesy for my taste, the emotions didn’t feel right except for those of Lois and the Kents in Superman v2 #76. All the others seemed a bit over the top, making it feel more like a soap opera than a comic book. Still, I think that “Funeral for a Friend” shows that comic book stories are not only about superheroes pummeling the bad guys, but that they too can have deep story arcs and emotional elements. It is interesting to see that the death of a hero like Superman is felt throughout the world. I liked the Death of Superman storyline so far and I’m interested to see if the next arc will be equally interesting. It is called “Reign of the Supermen”, will deal with the emergence of several Supermen, and will be reviewed here as soon as I get around to it.

WHAT THE--?!

Let's assume you're in charge of the U.S. government while the country wages the war of the century. Let's also assume your side has an invulnerable flying man with the strength to move planets. From a national security perspective, what's the best use for this Man of Tomorrow?

...Maybe he should print up some racist caricatures? Sell some bonds?

Please excuse the lateness of this post. We had audio problems all over the place, but it should be fine now.

Also we would like to take this time to thank Superhero Hype for spreading the Fourth Wall love, and if you're just joining us, please, give a listen.

Thanks in advance,

- The Members of Fourth Wall

And now, without further ado...

Fourth Wall Weekly Podcast #18: Show Notes For The 2^nd Week of August

Comics

Mainstream Weekly :

MARVEL

On The Invasion Front:

• Secret Invasion 5 [00:34]
• Secret Invasion: X-Men 1 [07:14]
• Secret Invasion: Thor 1 [10:35]
• Captain Britain & MI 13 4 [13:51]
• Secret Invasion: Runaways & Young Avengers 2 [18:10]
• Secret Invasion: Inhumans [21:40]

Regular Titles:

• Astonishing X-Men 26 [23:55]

DC

• Batman 679 [28:42]
• Final Crisis: Revelations 1 [37:25]
• Action Comics 868 [42:44]

Independents Day:

• Welcome to Hoxford 1 [49:23]
• Buckaroo Banzai: The Prequel [52:39]
• Galaxy Quest: Global Warning 1[59:27]
• Station 2 [1:04:47]

Trade Show:

• Wolverine: Get Mystique [1:07:51]

Next Week:

Some of the stuff we'll review on our next show:

• Captain America #41
• Ghost Rider #26
• Incredible Hercules #120 (Secret Invasion Tie-In)
• Marvel 1985 #4 (of 6)
• Robin #177

---

Media

DVD

• Smart People [01:47]
• Random Review: The Tracy Fragments [03:52]
• The Wire: The Complete Fifth Season [05:17]
• What's Coming Next Week [07:59]

GAMES

• Madden '09 [10:03]
• In The News [12:24]
• Left 4 Dead [17:28]
• Street Fighter 4 [21:19]

FILM

• Tropic Thunder [24:11]
• Tokyo Gore Police [35:34]
• Harry Potter: Half-Blood Prince delayed [41:20]
• Russell Crowe Playing Bill Hicks? [50:35]

TV

• How to Save The Middleman [51:18]
• Skins Preview [56:45]

#10 – X-FORCE by Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost & Clayton Crain

“FUN! FUN! FUN!” That is exactly what this book is to me. It’s old school X-Men (to me, “old school” means late 80’s/early 90’s) with a modern edge. I don’t remember my X-Men having so much blood and gore, but I like it! Now, I have to be honest, when I first heard mention of this series, I was not at all impressed. The “bloody” variants reminded me painfully of that X-Force clone from the mid-nineties “Bloodstrike” (by Rob Liefeld and Dan Fraga)… or maybe it was “Bloodstryke” with a “y”? Anyway, by issue 2, I was all in, baby! As I said, the book is just fun, and with every issue the plot gets more and more interesting. Surprise, Bastion! Nimrod! Archangel! Every X-Villain Ever! Purifier Civil War! It’s a throwback without being regressive. Sure the old villains are back, but they’re fricking techno-organic zombies! Yes, Archangel is back, but it’s not because we or the writers missed him, it fits the story. It SERVES the story and not the fanboys. And that, I guess, makes all the difference. Maybe…

You can check out a review of this book here…

#9 – ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN by Brian Micheal Bendis & Stuart Immonen

This has been in my mental Top Ten since it first came out, and it’ll probably stay there for as long as Bendis remains on the book… which could easily be for another hundred issues. There’s not much to say as to why I love this book so much, it’s just a solid, thoroughly enjoyable read every month. It’s Spider-Man at his purest, unencumbered by 50 years of continuity (although, at the rate at which Bendis is reintroducing 616 ideas, we’re getting there). I like that when someone asks me about super hero comics I can grab a copy of the first volume of this series, hand it to them, and let Bendis’ Spider-Man seduce them into out world. More than any other title in the Marvel catalogue, this book is completely new reader friendly. And, it’s infinitely relatable. It’s got drama (High School!!!) and it’s got action (best Spidey action in comics thanks to Bagley and Immonen), and it’s got heart. I love Ultimate Peter Parker and I love Ultimate Mary Jane. In fact, I love the entire “Bendis” Ultimate universe! I kind of wish Ultimate Spider-Man could be its own separate thing, like if the editors could somehow cut it away from the rest of the Ultimate books that would be amazing! Maybe that’s what the Ultimatum event is all about? Or, if we just replaced the 616 title with the Ultimate one? Wait, hold that thought—

#8 – THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN by “The Spidey Brain Trust”

It took me a while to warm up to it, but eventually, I got there. This book is good. Damn good. So good, it may finally live up to its hype as THE Marvel flagship title. So, the book survived One More Day. Actually, it not only survived it, it’s downright thriving. Why? How can this be despite all the haters? Because it’s damn good comic book writing, that’s why. I’m tired of the whining. I’m tired of the complaints. OMD is over, dudes. Move on. I did, so can you. If you’re not reading BND because of OMD, then you’re only hurting yourself, brother. The party train has left the station and all you OMD whiners can suck it!

You can check out a review of this book here…

#7 –DETECTIVE COMICS by Paul Dini & Dustin Nguyen

Yes, Paul Dini’s underrated run on Detective is in my Top Ten. Surprised? If you’ve been reading my Round-Ups, you shouldn’t be. I don’t think I’ve ever given this book less than three stars. I love it! It’s fun, damnit! It feels like the old Batman cartoon! Yay for fun! It’s filled with crazy shit like: “Celebrity Detective” Riddler, Zatanna/Catwoman/Batman love triangles and wacky adventure after wacky adventure! And last year’s Joker/Robin story was one of the best Joker/Robin tales I’ve ever read, and Dini did it all in one fricking issue! I know Countdown sucked… BOO HOO! But this book is INSANE NUTS AWESOME!! While what Morrison is doing over on “Batman” may turn out to be the greatest run of all-time, I’m content to read Dini’s one and two issue arcs ‘til the end of time.

You can check out a review of this book here…

#6 – THOR by J. Michael Straczynski & Oliver Copiel

Recently, Desiato articulated all the reasons he loves Thor in this post. I totally agree with him. Go read that post.

#5 – JACK OF FABLES by Bill Willingham & Matthew Sturges

Fables can suck my hairy sack… Jack is where it’s at, man! It’s just funnier. I pick up a Jack comic and I know I’m going to laugh. I pick up a Fables comic and I know there’s an outside chance I may lose consciousness. I still like Fables, but it’s been on the “phoning it in” train for well over a year, while Jack just keeps getting better. I’ve been saying that a lot, but I guess that’s what all these books have in common. They’re well-plotted. But the thing about Jack is you never know quite what to expect from the title character or where the story is headed. Jack is the ultimate suspenseful character. He’s just as likely to befriend or betray someone. I also love that the writers aren’t telling his story in chronological order. Every few arcs, we jump back into his fabled past and we get to see one of his many adventures re-imagined in such a way that almost always makes Jack look like a total asshole. And we love it. We love to hate this moron.

You can check out a review of this book here…

#4 – YOUNG LIARS by David Lapham

Young Liars would describe my life if an angry midget cut my dick off and threw it in the ocean. I know these characters. I’ve met them. They are real. I pre-ordered the first issue not really knowing what to expect, only knowing that I really liked David Lapham’s stuff, he of “Stray Bullets” fame. Once I finally got my hands on it, and read it, I couldn’t believe how fucking good it was. And then I read issue 2 and I got that same feeling, but more. And then issue 3. Again, same feeling, but more. And now, whenever I read it, I’m always left with the question, “How can this book keep on this way? It’s too good!” I don’t really know how well this book is doing, if it’s breaking even, selling gangbusters or close to cancellation. If I had to guess, I’d say the latter, and that’s a shame. We need to get the word out on this book… don’t wait for the trade! The series could be gone by then, and that would be a damn shame.

You can check out a review of this book here…

#3 – THE INCREDIBLE HERCULES by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente & Khoi Pham

One of those rare books that gets better with age. I’m constantly surprised at how exciting and well-written this comic is each and every month. Its brilliant mix of mythology and modern day hijinks is what keeps me coming back every month. Hmm, it’s kind of like Jack of Fables in that way. Actually, I’d never drawn that parallel before, but The Incredible Hercules and Jack of Fables are exactly the same book! Cool. The odd couple of Hercules (super strong) and Amadeus Cho (super smart) is what really makes this engine hum. Their interplay is brilliant and hilarious.

You can check out a review of this book here…

#2 – ACTION COMICS by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

I wasn’t “all in” ‘til Gary Frank joined the book. Johns had been rubbing me the wrong way for years, and with the lateness that plagued the start of his run I almost considered dropping the title. Boy am I glad I didn’t! The Legion arc was satisfyingly epic and the currently running Brainiac arc promises to outdo it. The art is phenomenal in its simplicity. Frank’s expressive faces and realistic style combine with Johns’ nostalgic flair to give us a decidedly modern take on Superman that isn’t afraid to indulge in sentimentality once in a while. I know we’ve been talking about the annoyingly regressive nature of this current generation of “fan-boy writers”, but here… in THIS book… it kind of works for me. Action Comics is the exception to the rule.

You can check out a review of this book here…

#1 – CAPTAIN AMERICA (OBV!) by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting & Luke Ross

It’s the only monthly I buy from my local comic shop because I can’t wait the two weeks for DCBS to deliver it to my door. That’s how ####ing excited I get the day this comic comes out. I make a special trip just to buy it! And then I go home and scan the hell out of it and toss up a spoiler-riddled review on the blog. Not because anyone really cares anymore, no, because after reading it I become insane from JOY! Oh, how I love you Captain America… don’t ever change, guy.

You can check out reviews of this book here…

So, that’s my list. Disagree much? Let me know. Let’s fight!! WOOOOOO!!!

Now that we took care of that, I want to quickly list off the runner-ups in alphabetical order:

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: I want to love this book, I want to love it every month, but it too often lets me down. We had two great arcs in a row (Vaughn and Goddard) and then Whedon returns to fuck it all up with fan-favorite Fray in tow. Ugh. Close, but not close enough.

Captain Britain and MI13: Although I loved all the Secret Invasion issues, this book hasn’t been out long enough to earn its place in the Top 10… and, I’m not sure what the drop off in quality is going to be after SI concludes. For now, it gets to hover around the 11th place spot.

DMZ: I’m sure that if I wasn’t reading this in trade, I’d be on the list… and very near the top.

Green Lantern: Action Comics is just an order of magnitude better than this book. Period. I love GL, I love the new direction, but I can’t in good conscience put two Geoff Johns titles in my Top Ten. Sorry.

Invincible Iron Man: It’s too soon to tell, and as much shit as I give Fraction, he was born to write this book. As I related in my review of issue #4, Fraction’s take on the character is thrilling! Now, if Fraction would only stop writing anything other than Iron Man, Thor and Casanova I’d be a happy man.

Justice Society of America: What I said about Green Lantern goes double for JSA.

The Punisher: This book fell out of the Top Ten this month. Sad times. :(

All-Star Superman & Action Comics (tie)

I know I'm cheating already. Don't worry. This is the only tie on the list. I only did this because All Star is ending in one issue and so after that finishes you can head on over to Action Comics. All Star Superman is one of the best Superman comics I've ever read. For those of you who think that Grant Morrison is too dark or too complicated or maybe even a bad writer, you really need to check this book out. It's a silver age throwback, it's creative, it's funny, and it has a heart of gold. Action Comics also features some great Superman stories. Did you like the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies? If so, you should really check this book out. It really does capture a lot of the fun and spirit of those movies. Much like All Star Superman, this book is just plain good storytelling that's always a pleasure to read. Both of these books treat the man of steel the way he should be treated.

Captain America

I'm sure I don't even have to mention this book. Everyone seems to love it and with good cause. It's been a hell of a ride. You can definitely tell that this title is handled with care. Brubaker has a plan and he sticks to it. That's what has been so fascinating is that everything has a purpose and a reason. He ties things together that occurred thirty issues before. Brubaker brought back a character that had been dead for 60 years and then killed a character that had been loved for 60 years and wasn't hated for it. Now that is talent.

Final Crisis

This book floored me. To me, it usually seems that almost every major event disappoints, but in only three issues this one has blown me away. It's intriguing that even with the most veteran of comic readers, their vision always seems hindered while reading a comic. There are a lot of people who will just flip through a comic, admire the art, and briefly scan the dialogue. Things that would be obvious if seen on a screen come off as much more subtle in a comic. I myself have been guilty of this on occasion, but with Final Crisis it feels like my eyes are wide open. I love to just read this book over and over and notice little things here or there or to analyze a certain panels meaning. I'm sure most of you have already had this feeling with a comic before, but this was my comic that made me see the medium in a new and better light. But besides my personal rapport with this comic, I just feel that it's really good. This is, in my opinion, the way an event comic should be.

Green Lantern

I originally wrote a long Wikipedia type write up about why I love this series. But you can read about that stuff from someone who knows about it more than I do, plus it's kind of boring. Hal Jordan was a mistreated character. Sure he was an original member of the JLA and had a cool ring, but who cares he had no personality. But Geoff Johns has taken Hal to new heights. He made Hal a character you could actually care about. On top of that, he made the GL mythos more interesting than ever by introducing a new creative concept about multi-colored lantern rings. That and the Sinestro Corps War was a hell of a great event. Now, thanks to Geoff Johns, Hal Jordan is a true A-list hero and this is a top tier book.

Invincible

This is a book that made Robert Kirkman one of my favorite writers and it's still running strong. This is always an enjoyable read. It blends familiar superhero ingredients together into a fresh and entertaining comic. So if you're looking for a fun comic, give this one a try.

Invincible Iron Man

This is still a fairly new book, but I'm putting it on the list anyway. I've always been a fan of Iron Man. Sadly, if you've been following the Marvel universe for the last few years, you may know the kind of crap I've had to deal with. Iron Man has been treated like a villain for what seems like an eternity. Thankfully, Iron Man fans caught a brake this year with the release of the new Iron Man movie. Finally, the golden avenger got some love. In addition to that, he got a new title written by the very talented Matt Fraction. Much like the aforementioned Action Comics captures the spirit of the Superman movies, Invincible Iron Man is definately the book that has the same feel as the Iron Man movie. This is a great Iron Man book and a great comic in general and I hope that continues.

Justice Society of America

Unless you've been reading this comic, you're probably questioning my reasons for putting this on the list. Who cares about the JSA? But that's the magic of Geoff Johns. Just like he did with Hal Jordan, he makes you care about the JSA. The roster is fairly large right now, and yet Johns makes sure that every character gets some time in each issue. He does this in such a way that it doesn't seem needless. You can tell there is a purpose. Along with the old members, new characters are also introduced. Some of these characters would be disastrous if handled improperly. Geoff Johns makes everything work in this comic, it's truly amazing.

Secret Invasion: Thor

This is a bit of an odd pick. Especially considering only one issue has been released, but there is method to my madness. I wanted to give some kind of recommendation to Marvel's current event, but sadly I haven't been too impressed with it. The best thing to come out of Secret Invasion is the tie-ins. Some other good SI tie-ins include: Captain Britain and MI13, SI Inhumans, and SI X-Men. Also, I'm a big Thor fan and Matt Fraction has done a fantastic job writing the character with both this series and the Ages of Thunder one-shots. So basically this is kind of a shout out pick, shameful I know. But I really did enjoy this first issue and it promises to be pretty great.

The Walking Dead

This would be the other book that made Robert Kirkman one of my favorite writers. It's always impressive when a book can still be so good after over 50 issues. But that's what this is supposed to be, the zombie movie that doesn't end. If you loved those old George Romero zombie movies, this is a must read. What's also fascinating though, is that you don't even have to love zombies to like this book. There are times when the zombies are nothing more than background. It's about people dealing with a really horrible situation. The first trade is only ten bucks. You really should give it a try.

Young Liars

This is another odd pick. Again it's fairly new, but that isn't a bad thing. Young Liars is about as close to a roller coaster ride in comics form as you can get. It's just so wild and thrilling. It's impossible to predict what's going to happen next and something crazy happens in just about every issue. The only downside, and this is why I say it's an odd pick, is because 6 issues have been released and already I'm amazed at how David Lapham can keep this pace up. I'm just worried he'll make a false step, but until then I'm going to enjoy the incredible ride.

Wow! That took a lot longer than I thought and I wrote a lot more than I expected, but I love comics. I tried to keep a balance between Marvel, DC, and indie titles while still making sure these were books I love. Hopefully I'll get someone to pick up one of these books. I also hope that I'll inspire some people to give their own top lists. Thanks as always for reading!

From the preview of Action Comics #868 courtesy of Newsarama

"Where were you the day Superman died?"

Last week we saw that something was trying to break out of an underground vault. Well now it’s free and the gigantic creature is heading straight towards Metropolis. On its way towards the city, the Justice League of America tries to stop it, only to get their pants beaten off. Guy Gardner and the Blue Beetle are severely hurt and when Superman finally arrives at the scene, the League has been defeated. An incredibly long and furious battle ensues between Superman and the so-called Doomsday (the heroes think he might be a doomsday device). Both seem to be equals in strength and speed and it looks like Superman has finally found his match. When the two super-beings finally reach Metropolis, Superman is already exhausted, but in order to save his city he channels all of his power into a final blow. A blow that would kill Doomsday and ultimately also the man of steel himself.

Killing one of the greatest superheroes around was not a simple thing to do. First of all you can never really kill a hero (Supergirl and Flash are just two examples of this rule). They tend to come back in some way or another, be it as a clone, or in form of a successor. Still, the idea of killing the invincible man must have been an idea that had been floating around for a long time. After all, who wouldn’t want to know, how somebody could finally kill Superman? The art of this storyline is nothing special, but it fits the style of the time. By letting the creature first battle against the entire Justice League, the writers (Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kesel,) managed to show us how incredibly strong Superman really is – as he is the only one who can take a punch of the beast and still stand up – only to kill him moments later. Although I don’t think it is one of the best Superman stories ever written, I still think it is very courageous to tell such a tale. The chance was there, that such an event would alienate the fans, but it turned out to be a success, with millions following the events in the following issues: Superman: The Man of Steel #18+19, Justice League America #69, Superman v2 #74+75, The Adventures of Superman #497 and Action Comics #684.

As this is a collection of several artists and writers, I won’t rate Doomsday. I will keep this up for all the events that cross several different comic series.

The first major event that I want to cover is The Death of Superman. The review series will be split into three parts (Doomsday, Funeral for a Friend and Reign of the Supermen) and finished off with a review of Superman – Doomsday the DC Universe Original Animated Movie. All of these storylines were collected in independent graphic novels, but I will use the individual comic book issues to map out the events that lead up to and followed Superman’s death.

Let’s start off with four one-page panels originally published in Superman: The Man of Steel #017, Superman v2 #073, The Adventures of Superman #496 and Action Comics #683. These are not actually stories but only single pages attached to the end of these four books, showing a fist trying to punch through a metal wall. They were supposed to prepare the readers for the upcoming event. When the fist finally penetrates the prison, something terrible is unleashed, a force so destructive that it would bring terror to the world. When asked where the idea for the storyline that would kill the Man of Steel came from, Editor Mark Carlin stated in an interview once that: "the world was taking Superman for granted, so we literally said 'let's show what the world would be like without Superman'."

Next week I will look at Doomsday, the main event that led to the death of Superman.

]]> http://thedailysuperman.wordpress.com/?p=216 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:25:37 +0000 bobmitchellinthe21stcentury http://thedailysuperman.wordpress.com/?p=216

San Diego Comic-Con 2008 was a blast. it was entirely exhausting, but a blast nonetheless. like going to an amoeba records, but in comic form with the addition of cosplayed attendees. and a lot of free loot! lots of highlights to mention, but just like the event itself it would be overwhelming to try to mention them all.

one of the coolest parts of comic-con is being able to meet the writers and illustrators.

J.G. Jones was on hand to sign my copy of Wanted (probably most known now for being the loose basis of the movie starring angelina jolie and james mcavoy) along with my copies of Final Crisis #1 and #2 (DC's big summer event and currently my most anticipated comic). his art is amazing. very nice guy.

i was really stoked to be able to see adrian tomine in person. current favorite comic artist. he drew a cool picture in my copy of "Shortcomings" in a matter of minutes. i attended his panel discussion where he gave some (very well spoken) insight on how he got started in the comic business.

got a copy of Action Comics #340, the first issue that superman villain, parasite was introduced. back in 1966, the comic sold for 12 cents. you can't get anything for that price anymore!

picked up a copy of omega the unknown #5. the original series came out from marvel in the late 1970's, about the mysterious alien hero title character, a 12 year old boy, and the strange relationship they have with the world. i've been reading the reboot of the title (2007) written by jonathan letham and illustrated by farel dalrymple (farel's art is a great inspiration) so it was cool to have a copy of the original series.

i bought a bunch of other comics, but the fantagraphics booth really tested my self control over my wallet. fantagraphics puts out work from a bunch of great american comic authors and does it with smart and stylish packaging. picked up gilbert hernandez's "new tales of old palomar" and Kevin Huizenga's "Ganges." "Ganges" has got to be one my favorite comics in a long time. the storytelling comes from the heart. please read.

also great: mark todd's "bad ass" and "lame ass." they are equally hilarious. example of a bad ass: darth vader. example of a lame ass: scrappy from scooby doo. so true.

side note: street fighter IV looks great.

mad magazine pointed out some likely scenes that you might find at comic-con, and it's so true:

one last thing. congrats to "Laika" for winning an Eisner!

thanks to jmar for letting me tag along and for setting up the venture.

1) Surfista Prateado x Juggernaut

2) John Constantine x Hellboy

3) Rhino x Marv

4) Jenny Quantum x Wolverine

5) Lobo x Black Adam

6) Wonder Woman x Doctor Manhattan

7) Dream x Colossus

8) A Coisa x Superman

9) Hulk x Thor

A trilha só poderia ser "Meu caro amigo", de Chico Buarque.

"Aqui na terra tão jogando futebol
Tem muito samba, muito choro e rock'n'roll
Uns dias chove, noutros dias bate sol
Mas o que eu quero é lhe dizer que a coisa aqui tá preta..."

Action Comics #867 (*****)

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

THE ENTIRE ARC SHOULD BE FILLED WITH STUFF EXACTLY LIKE THIS.

Final Crisis: Requiem #1 (**)

The art is amazing, the story, not so much. First, let me explain that I’m not even looking at this as an FC tie-in, despite the cover treatment and what Dan Didio would have us believe. I think the only fair way to review this book is to judge it on its own merits since if we take into account the events of Final Crisis, this book is almost completely contradicted. Like I said, the art was phenomenal. LOVED IT. The story, on the other hand, was wordy and then boring as all hell. This book is really split into two chapters. The first chapter is corny/cheesy and borders on self-indulgent fan-fiction. The series of panels detailing the Martian Manhunter’s heroic efforts to thwart his death by manipulating the minds of the super-villains was silly and reeked of desperation on the writer’s part. “Oh man! How can I make Manhunter as cool as possible and satisfy the whiners?” Overwritten, overstated, overdone… my steak is burnt! If you can get past all that, and oh boy does the art help, you move into “Chapter 2” wherein the entire history of the Manhunter is read aloud by his closest friends. Um, is this what I paid for? An illustrated Wikipedia entry? No thanks. The only part of the book I liked came right at the end, what a surprise, when Batman places the choco on the Manhunter’s casket. It was an authentic moment in a book filled with posturing and simulated displays of grief. It made me smile. The rest of the book made me cringe.

The Walking Dead #50 (*****)

Five stars for Walking Dead? I must be losing my mind! Okay, allow me to ramble… so, this did not read like an issue 50, but I really, really liked it. Here’s why: Rick’s son Carl is finally, finally, finally a REAL boy! He’s got character! He’s interesting! All of a sudden! Out of the blue! But wait, not really. Kirkman’s been driving toward this all year. All that prison stuff, the carnage, death and destruction? It’s all been leading to this moment, the moment where Carl just loses his shit. Despite his gross lack of “character” talent, Kirkman manages to write a solid character piece. I know. You disagree. You think Kirkman’s strength has always been his character stuff. Well… you are wrong. His character writing has always been the weakest part of his writing. See Ultimate X-Men and previous issues of Walking Dead for ample examples. It’s in plot and storytelling that he truly excels. See final arc of Ultimate X-Men and previous issues of Walking Dead for ample examples. So, to me, this issue shows great promise for the rest of this series, or at least the next couple of issues. Kirkman has Carl react to the recent slaughter of his family in a very real/visceral/believable/relatable way. All the things that Carl expresses in this issue feels like what a kid in the real world would express if put in the exact same position. I love that Carl finally voices his doubts about his father. He doesn’t trust his father to protect him anymore. Hell, the guy’s missing a hand! And as Carl reflects, his father couldn’t protect his mother, his sister or the rest of the group since, you know, most of them are all dead now. I feel like Kirkman sat down with this script and really wrestled it into something powerful, something touching. I can imagine him agonizing over every line Carl utters, trying to figure out the best, least corny way to get across the feeling of total loss that the boy is experiencing. I loved it. It didn’t feel like an issue 50, but I still loved it. Bravo, Kirkman, but don’t get lazy. Don’t fall back into old habits. No more throwaway “hey-how-are-you’s” or runaway expository monologues. Write good dialogue and build good characters. Build on the fresh start you’ve carved out for yourself. Build the epic zombie story of awesome that you’ve always dreamed of. If you can do that, I can guarantee you at least one loyal reader for the next 50.

Oh, and not that I cared one way or the other, but the good men at DCBS thought enough of my massive ordering skills to toss me a copy of the Erik Larsen variant cover. Thanks, guys.

Quick Hits:
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer #16 (***): And then Joss Whedon returned and the book took a serious nose-dive in quality. Sad, sad times. I’m really excited about this “Fray” crossover, but after the awesomeness that was the Drew Goddard arc, the first part of this story left me cold. Like a dead body, or a recently turned suck-head. Yeah. Heh.
• Captain America: White #0 (***): I disagree with Bruce Castle’s review of this book. I thought the story provided was adequate and the extra pages, Cap sketches and an interview with the creators, were more than satisfactory. But, I’m the biggest Cap fan I know so I may be biased.
• Mighty Avengers #16 (***): This was fine, not the best SI tie-in, but fine. I have no idea what Bruce Castle was bitching about. Elektra doesn’t look old. There isn’t much dialogue, but hell, Elektra doesn’t normally say much, so, what the hell did you expect?
• Ultimate Origins #2 (***): Um, it was okay? Nothing truly memorable here, but I do think it’s one of the best retelling of the Captain America origin ever written, if that counts for anything.
• Young Liars #5 (*****): Um, Danny gets his dick sliced off?? NUFF SAID!!!

If you're not currently reading Action Comics, it's time to start.

I know, you've been conditioned to think of Action as the second-tier Superman book.  And when was the last time in-continuity Superman stories were even relevant anyway?  All that changes now.

Action 867 is part two in Geoff Johns' Brainiac storyline.  This is Johns at his best.  It's amazing to watch him skillfully re-invent concepts that are decades old.  He makes dated concepts like the bottled city of Kandor for fresh for the first time.  Sure, there's some retconning involved.  But, as with Johns' best work, the end result is so satisfying you won't mind.

As this issue begins, Superman and Supergirl are in the Fortress of Solitude investigating what Superman assumes to be Brainiac.  By page three, Supergirl drops a bombshell on her cousin that completely changes the way you'll view the sometimes silly super-villain.  Between Kara's fear and the horrifying flashback to Krypton last issue, Brainiac inspires dread for the first time . . . ever.

Let that soak in for a second.  In two issues, Johns has established Brainiac as a threat.  In two decades of reading comics, I haven't seen a writer pull that one off before.

Now for an even more amazing feat.  In the same scene, Geoff Johns finally makes Kara into a real character.  Ever since she was re-introduced to the DCU, writers have struggled to find a voice for Supergirl.  Geoff Johns does in seven pages what other writers could not do in thirty-plus issues of her own comic book.

The issue is mostly set-up for what promises to be the definitive Brainiac story.  There's also some re-establishing of the status quo for Superman with interludes at the Daily Planet and Smallville.  But it doesn't feel like exposition the way some opening chapters do.  You can feel the tension building already.  And of course you get the patented Johns cliffhanger at the end,

Are you ready for the icing on the cake?  The art is fantastic too.  I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone that Gary Frank is an amazing talent.  But I can't remember when his art has looked this good.  I've always been a fan of Frank's clean style and expressive faces.  And it doesn't hurt that his Superman and Lois look a lot like Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder.  Whether we're dealing with Ma and Pa Kent at the breakfast table or Superman dismantling drones, Frank gets all the details.

Johns and Frank are working the same magic on Action comics that Johns and Van Scriever worked on Green Lantern a few years ago.  They are making Superman relevant again.  Now is the time to check it out.  You won't be disappointed.