Anthony’s DC Comics picks for August 2013

May 142013
 

Batman '66 #2Here’s what’s of interest from DC Comics for August 2013. Full solicitations are available here.

Comics

  • Adventures of Superman #4, on sale Aug. 28, $4 (digital-first)
  • Batman ’66 #2, on sale Aug. 21, $4 (digital-first)
  • Batman: Li’l Gotham #5, on sale Aug. 14, $3 (digital-first)

Trade paperbacks

None.

Comments

More cancellations coming this month, including “Threshold” (so much for the new and “improved” “Captain K’Rot“) and long-time DC title “Legion of Super-Heroes.” I guess being set 1000 years in the future makes it difficult to have forced crossovers with the present-day DCU, and/or it’s hard to forcibly tie it into one of the 876 Bat-titles…

In more interesting areas (read: not the “New 52″), the digital-first weekly titles continue to roll along unabated with their paper versions, compiling several digital issues at a time. “Batman ’66″ sees the appearance of classic TV show villain King Tut, as well as a “1966″-ized version of Killer Croc. I assume we’ll surely be seeing a “1966″ version of Harley Quinn before long.

No “Showcase” volume this month, but there is a trade paperback release of the “Secret Society of Super Villains,” the classic super-villain team from their 70s run in various titles. This volume includes a reprint from “Cancelled Comic Cavalcade,” an “ashcan” black-and-white title “published” (via several dozen photocopied copies) by DC for copyright purposes. Said “title” consisted of several otherwise-unpublished black-and-white stories from titles that feel victim to the infamous “DC Implosion,” a mass cancellation of titles during the late 70s. The Secret Society consisted of various foes ranging from Star Sapphire to Gorilla Grodd.

 

Minorities in cartoons: Angela Chen

May 102013
 

Angela ChenThis week’s minorities in cartoons entry is Angela Chen.

Chen appeared on “Superman: The Animated Series” during its 90s run on the WB network. There, Chen was the “Daily Planet”"s gossip reporter, as well as the host of a TV show. Chen’s personality tended toward being assertive; this and her focus on less-than-hard news led her to clash on a few occasions with the “Planet”"s star reporter Lois Lane.

Angela was never introduced into the mainstream “DCU” comics, unlike other animated DC characters like the Joker’s sidekick Harley Quinn, or “Superman: The Animated Series”‘s Mercy Graves, Luthor’s own henchwoman/sidekick. Chen does appear in the digital-only “Smallville” comic, however, where she’s presented as a more mainstream news reporter.

Angela Chen was voiced by Lauren Tom, a Chinese-American actress who starred in “The Joy Luck Club.” Tom also has done other voicework, including Amy Wong on “Futurama.”

Happy 75th anniversary, Superman

Apr 182013
 

Action Comics #1Today marks the 75th anniversary of the date “Action Comics” #1 (cover-dated June 1938) went on sale on newsstands. “Action” #1 is, of course, the first appearance of the Man of Steel himself, Superman. As such, there’s been plenty of online buzz about Superman today.

“Action” #1 also marks Lois Lane’s first appearance, and thus she’s also garnering buzz of her own (via a Twitter hashtag campaign, etc.).

I generally consider Superman to be my favorite superhero, even if he’s not “cool” or as “relatable” as, erm, a billionaire who mostly hangs out in a glorified basement of his deceased parents’ house, or, uh, a burly Canadian with Ginsu knives for hands. (I like Batman and Wolverine too, just kidding…) A few reasons why I’ve always liked Superman:

  • Despite suggestions by some fans he isn’t, I do relate to some aspects of his origins. We’re both from small Midwestern towns; we both wear glasses; we both have an interest in media. We even both left said small towns to move to bigger cities for more opportunities. Granted, I never baked a giant-sized cake for my hometown as a going-away gift…
  • I like Superman’s sense of altruism and optimism, which given recent events as of this writing, are even more important than ever. It seems unfortunate that such is considered as “old-fashioned” or “not realistic enough” as a motivating factor toward becoming a hero. Though if such backstory trauma’s needed, there’s the fact that Superman’s entire home planet blew up; additionally, in many continuities, his foster parents are deceased.
  • I like Superman’s powers. Flight, super-vision, super-speed, etc. I even like the goofier ones, such as “super-ventriloquism.” As powerful as he was in the 50s/60s, it didn’t bother me the way it seems to do so for some fans. Then again, some people seem to think Kal-El’s “too powerful” if he displays anything above his 1938-power-levels, as illustrated in this post’s picture. I figure, he’s “Superman,” not “Adequate-man”…
  • Superman’s supporting cast is also terrific. Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Ma and Pa Kent (when not deceased)…and yes, Lois Lane, too. Other DC heroes have also made a mark in the Superman books over the years. Aquaman has made various appearances in Silver Age Superman stories, to the point that they even gave the Sea King the honor of being Earth-1′s longest-serving superhero aside from Superman (by debuting during Superboy’s era as “Aquaboy”). Of course, the most frequent team-ups of all were with Batman. Superman’s spent decades teaming up with the Masked Manhunter in the pages of “World’s Finest Comics,” as well as its more generically-named modern counterpart “Superman/Batman.”
  • I like Superman’s villains as well. Brainiac and Luthor, of course, are great villains; I still think Brainiac would make a good villain for a Superman movie, especially with Hollywood’s love of CGI. I enjoy the less famous villains as well: the Toyman, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Terra-Man, the Parasite. OK, so I could do without Doomsday… never liked the stupid bad-Hulk-knockoff plot device—er, character.
  • Not quite Superman, but I’ve also always liked Superboy, Superman’s adventures as a teenager. As a kid, watching the Filmation cartoons of Superboy was one of my first introductions to superheroes in general, as well as Superman himself. That is, when I wasn’t watching the Man of Steel in “Super Friends” or the Christopher Reeve films. Even as an adult, I still like the Boy of Steel. Pre-New 52-reboot Kon-El was OK too, but definitely not the same…though at least he crossed over a few times with the Kal-El Superboy (one of “Zero Hour”‘s few redeeming traits, as well as the later use of the short-lived “hypertime”).

Finally, here’s a few other blogs discussing Superman’s 75th:

  • DC Women Kicking Ass discusses Lois Lane’s role in comics over the decades.
  • Ty Templeton discusses his work on the Man of Steel.
  • Written a few years ago, but still worth reading: Comics Everybody’s hilarious summarization of the history of Superman, in two parts.

 

Anthony’s miscellaneous comics picks for June 2013

Mar 162013
 

Superman: The Silver Age Dailies, vol. 1: 1958-1961Here’s what’s of interest from various comic companies for June 2013.

IDW

Full solicitations are available here.

  • Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes TPB, on sale June 12, $20
  • Popeye Classics, vol. 2, on sale June 12, $30
  • Berkeleyworks: The Art of Berkeley Breathed—From Bloom County and Beyond, on sale June 25, $60

Boom Studios

N/A (as of 3/16/13), will post when information available.

Comic strip compilations

  • Superman: The Silver Age Newspaper Dailies, vol. 1: 1958-1961, on sale July 10, $50

Comments

The “Star Trek”/”Legion of Super-Heroes” crossover’s being collected into trade paperback form this month. While I didn’t care for the miniseries, Trek/Legionnaire fans might still be interested.

The classic Golden Age reprints of the “Popeye” comic book continue with a second trade paperback volume being released. The single-issue comic book reprints also continue, but I’d imagine fans of the reprints would rather have them in trade paperback form.

Berkeley Breathed, cartoonist of “Bloom County” fame, gets a book dedicated to his artwork/cartooning career.

Starting in July comes a series of reprints of the 1939-1966 “Superman” newspaper comic strip, which featured stories/art by the same people who worked on the comic books at the time. (A few of the comic strip storylines were also adopted into the comic books, and vice-versa.) Despite that newspaper comic strips don’t fit comic books’ “Golden Age/Silver Age/etc.” definitions very well, they’re being released in this series in three parts: “Golden Age” (presumably the 1940s strips), “Atomic Age” (an infrequent name given to comic books of the 1950s), and “Silver Age,” starting here with 1958. 1958 was the year DC published the first generally-considered Silver Age Superman story, “The Super-Key to Fort Superman” (from “Action Comics” #241; the first appearance of the Fortress of Solitude).

 

Anthony’s DC Comics picks for June 2013

Mar 122013
 

Astro City (2013) #1Here’s what’s of interest from DC Comics for June 2013. Full solicitations are available here.

Comics

  • Adventures of Superman #2, on sale June 26 (digital first), $4
  • Astro City #1, on sale June 5, $4

Trade paperbacks

  • Showcase Presents: DC Comics Presents Superman Team-Ups, vol. 2, on sale July 17, $20
  • Superman: Phantom Zone, on sale July 17, $15
  • Camelot 3000, on sale July 24, $20

Other

  • MAD Presents: Superman #1, on sale June 12, $5

Comments

June 2013 represents a historical milestone for DC Comics, as it’s the 75th anniversary of Superman’s debut in “Action Comics” #1 in 1938. It’s also the month the new “Man of Steel” movie opens, and thus there’s a lot of Superman related stuff out this month. Said stuff includes the next “DC Comics Presents” Showcase volume, and (of all things) a compilation of the four-issue “Phantom Zone” miniseries from the early 80s. Said “Phantom Zone” compilation also includes a copy of “DC Comics Presents” #97, which was both the final issue of that title’s run and one of (if not the) last in-continuity Superman stories of the pre-Crisis era. Given General Zod is a Zoner, I can see why this one’s being offered.

Also on sale this month is “Adventures of Superman” #2, which I’m pleased to note is now Orson Scott Card-free.

MAD magazine also gets into the Superman-cash-in game, with a compilation of some of its Superman parodies.

In non-Superman news, a new version of “Astro City” starts its run this month, with Kurt Busiek back at the helm. I’ve missed a few previous installments, but I’m interested in this one.

1980s miniseries “Camelot 3000″ is also being re-released as a trade paperback this month. I wrote about this one some years back (OK, a decade ago…in the early days of the blog!).

“Batman: Li’l Gotham” sounds a bit late (a Valentine’s Day story?), but it seems to be one of the few kid-friendly titles being offered by DC. Though hope some curious kid doesn’t look over at the New 52 side to see what happened to Damien…

“Looney Tunes” comes out with issue #213 this month. It’s now the highest-cover-numbered comic being published by DC currently.

Finally, I like the cover for “Scooby-Doo” #34.

“Adventures of Superman” now Card-free: Orson Scott Card story’s artist quits

Mar 052013
 

Adventures of Superman (digital)The Orson Scott Card-writing-a-Superman-story saga’s apparently finally ended on an unexpected note. Card’s artist, Chris Spouse, has quit the story, not wanting to be involved in the controversy surrounding the whole thing. DC, in turn, has pulled the Card story, and says it’ll appear at an unspecified later date (while they “look…for a replacement artist”). The new, Card-free issue #1 will be written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Chris Samnee (who drew the Superman art in this post).

Of course, I view all of this as good news (though hope Spouse finds other work at DC), and now will consider buying the first few issues of “Adventures of Superman.” The only concern I have is that DC didn’t learn anything from all of this (per the “looking for a replacement artist” remark and some of their other actions of late), and really does try to shove this story into some future publication (like an Annual) after the ruckus has died down.

 

DC Comics finally responds (curtly) to the Orson Scott Card controversy

Feb 132013
 

Superman versus Muhammad AliYou might recall the controversy over Orson Scott Card writing for a few issues of a new digital-only Superman comic. Since the news was released, there’s been various calls for boycotting, etc., with the news making it even into non-comics media (NPR, LGBT magazine “The Advocate”). Today, DC Comics finally responded to “The Advocate” (and Fox News):

When The Advocate reached out to DC for an official comment, a company spokesman said, “As content creators we steadfastly support freedom of expression, however the personal views of individuals associated with DC Comics are just that — personal views — and not those of the company itself.”

Rather poor public relations to me—most conglomerates would’ve tried to throw out a line about how they’re “sensitive to the needs of our fans/LGBT readers/etc.,” or cite their gay and lesbian characters such as Batwoman (who headlines her own comic/has won GLAAD awards). But instead, they basically dodged the issue and wrote it off as just Card’s “personal views.”

While that may be the case (and DC can hire whoever they want), it doesn’t make for a good public image to sign a highly outspoken homophobe (who’s doing way more than just voicing his opinion) onto your second-highest-profile character (after cash-cow Batman), especially one who has a new movie coming out this summer. Never mind the general public’s view of superhero comics these days is likely either as: the modern equivalent of buggy whips; something that’s only aimed at “geeks”; or just as the source material for the “real” versions of superheroes, the movies/TV shows/video games. Throw in the equally “stellar” sales figures (100,000 copies is a “top-seller” out of 300 million Americans?!), and one would figure DC Comics would want to at least try to project a more welcoming image, among other much-needed changes to their (in my opinion) broken business model. But I guess not…

As for whether it’ll sell, I’m sure the issue will do well (“well” in the above-mentioned “100,000 copies = a hit” sense) despite the controversy: people curious about seeing what the fuss is about; the usual sales boost of a #1 issue; and fans in various comics forums who’ve made clear they either don’t care or side with Card’s views.

I also note that the PR statement refers to themselves as “content creators” and not just “comic writers/artists/etc.” I suppose it supports my theory that Time-Warner (and apparently now DC themselves) just see their assets as an “IP farm” for more lucrative movies, etc. instead of primarily as comic characters.

Non-canonical Superman comic to debut; debut stories written by…Orson Scott Card?!

Feb 072013
 

retro_superman_1970sToday, DC Comics announced that it’ll be producing a new digital-only Superman anthology comic titled “Adventures of Superman.” The name, of course, is the same as the one used for the live-action 1950s TV show, plus the post-Crisis renaming of the original Superman title for some number of years. Since it’s a non-canonical anthology title, not only does Superman regain his proper costume (red shorts and all), but the stories don’t have to tie into the “New 52.” Good news for those of us who dislike the latest reboot-du-jour. There’s also a large roster of names who’ll be writing stories for this title.

Unfortunately, the initial stories will be written by sci-fi writer and outspoken anti-gay rights activist Orson Scott Card. And when I say “anti-gay rights activist,” I don’t mean just a mere “I don’t like the idea of gay marriage” level either—on top of various public remarks against gay rights, Card’s on the board for the National Organization for Marriage, an organization campaigning against same-sex marriage.

It seems rather sad that DC’s decided to lead off their new Superman series with Card. It also seems to work against DC wanting to update their books’ image to reflect today’s world, especially when their own series “Batwoman” features an openly gay lead character and won some GLAAD awards. There’s also DC’s existing issues since the “New 52″ reboot with minorities as it is, per their treatment of female characters plus how quick they were to cancel their few books starring Black characters not related to Batman.

The website Bleeding Cool weighed in on this mostly in Card’s defense, despite some specious logic. One Million Moms, you’ll recall, is the same group that wanted to get the adult Kevin Keller’s wedding issue off Toys R Us’ shelves, lest children see that gays aren’t Satan’s second cousins, I suppose. Also contrary to the blog post, Card doesn’t merely “believe something very different to what I do”… he’s on the board of a group actively working to discriminate against a sizable portion of the population. I’m sure various comic writers whose work I read don’t have views that match mine, but I doubt any of them are front and center in working on promoting discrimination like Card does…

Depending on the writer, I might buy the new “Adventures of Superman” series (since it’s not tied to the New 52). However, I definitely won’t be buying the initial Card-written storyline.

On a final note, while one can write a character who doesn’t share one’s point of view (I doubt the “Simpsons” writers would agree much with Homer’s boorish beliefs), I’d assume the Man of Steel would be in favor of same-sex marriage/not discriminating against gays, per Superman’s welcoming and non-discriminatory personality. There’s also that one of his own supporting cast members is openly gay—Metropolis cop Maggie Sawyer.

Films I’ve missed: “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse”

Jan 272013
 

Superman/Batman: ApocalypseThe latest animated film I’ve seen is the direct-to-video movie “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.” The film is based on a 2000s comic storyline that re-(re-re-etc.)-introduced Supergirl to the then-current DC Universe in yet another revised origin story for the Girl of Steel.

The film’s general plot: Kara Zor-El lands on Earth in a meteor shower, having been sent from Krypton years ago but only landing on Earth just now. Batman and Superman find her, and after Superman speaks with Kara in Kryptonese, discovers that she’s his cousin. Meanwhile, Batman is suspicious of her, as is Krypto. After Kara settles in with Clark at the Fortress of Solitude (and learns English/goes with Clark on a trip to Metropolis), Wonder Woman suddenly shows up (called in by Bats) to forcibly abduct Kara to Paradise Island to be trained in the proper use of her powers (Diana and Bruce having decided “it’s for the best”). Clark at first argues otherwise, but eventually relents (despite Kara’s protests). Cue Kara being trained by the Amazons and making a friend while there. Meanwhile, the evil villain Darkseid has learned of Kara’s presence on Earth, and kidnaps/brainwashes her into being his newest super-powerful minion. It’s then up to the “Trinity” of heroes (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) to rescue Kara and bring her back to Earth.

While some parts were enjoyable, and Kara is an enjoyable individual, it’s too bad she seems to not have much control over her own life (even ignoring she’s a teenager/etc.). I didn’t care for how convoluted a path it took to lead her to become Supergirl in the end, nor that she seems treated more like an object by most of the characters, especially the “we’re kidnapping you for your own good” bit (which doesn’t seem very heroic to me…). I also wondered about who thought it was a good idea of showing a 15-year-old girl stark naked… and why such happened. Didn’t she have any clothes when she was launched to Earth? (Plus said clothes should be invulnerable/stretch to fit under a yellow sun, as long as the film’s going with largely the old-school version of the mythos…) And still dislike the “belly-exposing-shirt”/”not-even-a-miniskirt” skirt she has as a Supergirl costume (the 2000s version of her outfit)… belly-exposing-shirts should’ve gone out with Britney Spears’ turn-of-the-millennium heyday already.

Of course, since the comic this film’s based on came out, there’s been yet another revision to the Supergirl mythos (with the “New 52″ reboot), as she’s gained yet another origin story (and slightly-better costume). Still, I think I preferred her original Silver Age backstory (from her first appearance); granted, “Superman putting her in an orphanage” doesn’t sound good, but beats “forcibly abducted by Amazons and Batman/showing up on Earth in her birthday suit for no good reason.” As far as animated takes are concerned, the Girl of Steel was much more enjoyable (and better treated) in the 90s “Superman: The Animated Series” version of her origin, along with the short-lived recent Cartoon Network series “Super Best Friends Forever.”

The animation is adequate, with the style keeping with the more realistic look of DC’s direct-to-DVD movies of late. The voicework is also excellent, with 90s DC animated series veterans Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, and Susan Eisenberg returning to voice Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman respectively, along with Ed Asner once more as Granny Goodness. Supergirl herself is voiced by Summer Glau, an actress known for the “Firefly” series and one of the “Terminator” spinoffs.

Films I’ve missed: “Superman vs. The Elite”

Jan 212013
 

Superman vs. The EliteSince writing about TV or movies seems to get more blog traffic than just writing about comics, and since I’ve not written enough on here lately about animation, I thought I’d give this a go. Basically, there’s a long list of films I’ve missed seeing or put off watching for various reasons. I figured with the start of a new year, it’s high time I actually watched them. The films on my list range from recent theatrical fare (“Frankenweenie”) to some older ones (“The Nightmare Before Christmas”). So, I thought I’d write up my thoughts on said films…

The first (all-animated) one on the list is 2012′s “Superman Versus the Elite,” a story based on “Action Comics” #776 from 2001. Since 2001, the comic story’s become highly regarded as a modern-day classic Superman story, and has made it into the newer versions of the “Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told” trade paperback. The movie shares the comic’s general storyline: the world becomes enamorated with a new group of superheroes, named “The Elite,” who’re led by a British guy named Manchester Black. Said group (a pastiche of Warren Ellis’ “The Authority“) takes a dim view of Superman’s strong morality, feeling that his morals are “outdated.” Their methods of crime-fighting, in turn, are extremely vigilantist and brutal, including killing their foes. The fact they’re cheered on by an enthusiastic public makes Clark and Lois worried. (The two are married here, as in the original comic.)

I enjoyed the comic story; the film version was also entertaining, though it has some differences from the comic. The things that stood out the most was the film including more of the “classic” (read: Silver/Bronze Age) Superman elements, albeit mixed with a story that took advantage of its PG-13 rating. Said elements include a few on-screen deaths, mainly via either the Elite or old minor Superman foe the Atomic Skull. The film also includes appearances by the bottle city of Kandor, the Superman robots (looking more robotic than android here), and the giant key outside the Fortress (which Black comments on). There’s also more additions to the original story, via use of the Atomic Skull and one of DC’s favorite fictional-stand-ins-for-Iraq, per trying to expand a 22-page comic into a 76-minute film. Lois is written with an active role in this story, as we see her perform her usual journalism duties and discover important information about the Elite.

The other detail that stood out was the animation. The film’s style resembled a well-animated version of “What’s New, Scooby Doo?” for many of the characters, which felt like it clashed with moments where the characters did something PG-13-rated, such as curse, or Black’s use of colorful British slang. Then again, I suppose it might be my being used to the more “realistic” style given to many of the DC animated features/TV shows of late (“Young Justice,” etc.). Like some modern DC animated features, Lois has brown hair here, as she did in the 1990s comics; trivial, but I prefer her with the traditional black hair myself. The voicework also has familiarity, with George Newbern (from “Justice League”) returning to voice the Man of Steel, while Pauley Perrette’s voicing of Lois reminds me of Dana Delaney’s rendition on “Superman: The Animated Series.”

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