Recently I got into the whole concept of the adjusted box office as a window into comparative popularity between eras. I thought it'd be fun to see what that looks like for DC's and Marvel's movies. Box Office Mojo's got a list I'll draw on, This will be an incomplete list. (Numbering indicates where it falls on the list as of 6/5/18; M = millions)
29. Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
$704M
($623M unadjusted)
Surprisingly the first big MCU culmination point is still the most successful.
30. Black Panther (2018)
$699M
Second most successful is this surprise breakout from earlier in the year.
32. The Dark Knight (2008)
$682M
($534M unadjusted)
Christopher Nolan's second Batman flick casts a very long shadow.
38. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
$644M
The fourth most successful is the second big MCU culmination point.
40. Spider-Man (2002)
$636M
($403M unadjusted)
Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man set the tone for wide superhero acceptance.
55. Batman (1989)
$576M
($251M unadjusted)
Tim Burton made it okay to like superheroes again, and even to take them seriously njow and again.
62. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
$551M
($373M unadjusted)
A lot of fans still consider this the perfect superhero sequel.
70. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
$527M
($448M unadjusted)
Nolan's third Batman flick is not as often seen that way.
72. Superman (1978)
$525M
($134M unadjusted)
For at least a decade, the completely unchallenged king of superhero movies.
96. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
$490M
($459M unadjusted)
It's in the adjusted results you see how this one earned its reputation as a disappointment.
112. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
$448M
($336M unadjusted)
You can see the hierarchy of popularity, and unpopularity, begin to form at this point.
113. Iron Man 3 (2013)
$447M
($409M unadjusted)
And you can see what fans don't want to admit, too.
123. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
$428M
($408M unadjusted)
It always surprises me to see this one considered in divisive terms; guess it shouldn't.
127. Wonder Woman (2017)
$422M
($412M unadjusted)
The most successful of the DCEU movies.
140. Iron Man (2008)
$406M
($318M unadjusted)
Is it surprising that the first, breakthrough film in the MCU is actually this low on the list?
148. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
$398M
($389M unadjusted)
Unadjusted it looks like the Guardians are massive successes. Adjusted? Not as much.
161. Batman Forever (1995)
$387M
($184M unadjusted)
The adjusted results give Schumacher's first Batman a big bounce over the unadjusted results versus Burton's second.
162. Deadpool (2016)
$387M
($363M unadjusted)
The bigger surprise than Iron Man is this one.
172. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
$377M
($333M unadjusted)
You can see the cult level emerge around here.
189. Iron Man 2 (2010)
$363M
($312M unadjusted)
Ironically one of the least popular MCU entries lands here.
195. Batman Returns (1992)
$359M
($162M unadjusted)
Burton with his natural instincts unleashed definitely feels right to be described at the cult level.
198. Superman II (1981)
$356M
($108M unadjusted)
"Kneel before Zod" feels right at cult level.
202. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
$350M
($330M unadjusted)
Once the hysteria of comparing MCU to DCEU subsides, cult status seems just about right for this one.
204. Suicide Squad (2016)
$349M
($325M unadjusted)
Same as above.
214. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
$342M
($334M unadjusted)
The third cinematic Spider-Man seems less impressive this way.
229. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
$327M
($234M unadjusted)
Especially when you realize we're reaching unpopular territory.
231. X2: X-Men United (2003)
$326M
($214M unadjusted)
The truth is, no X-Men movie has ever been a huge draw.
234. Man of Steel (2013)
$322M
($291M unadjusted)
The first DCEU movie landed poorly.
245. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
$314M
($315M unadjusted)
Watching this one in theaters I was really convinced it would spark a backlash against the MCU; looking at this ranking I'm still surprised it didn't.
255. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
$308M
($262M unadjusted)
The first of the two movies featuring the second Spider-Man, for comparison with the above statement.
276. Batman Begins (2005)
$295M
($206M unadjusted)
Here's where it really looks fascinating. Nolan's first Batman was considered a return to form, but it really wasn't, as far as real money was concerned.
292. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
$285M
($259M unadjusted)
One of the great ironies of the MCU is that it's built on relatively unpopular movies.
I could dig around for a more complete list, but this is a pretty good survey as it is.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Saturday, May 5, 2018
FCBD 2018
Another Free Comic Book Day has come and gone, and I got to participate again, visiting a couple shops here in sunny Tampa. The first was Nerd Out Comics, my first visit there, and then Comics & Stuff, where I've been a number of times since last fall. I was there for Nerd Out's opening, a little past Comics & Stuff's, and both were very different from what I've come to know over the years on FCBD. No cosplay! I've seen that in Colorado and Maine. No lines. I've seen that everywhere! So a lot of the essential comics chatter was missing, congregating, an "event feel." There were certainly people who showed up, and I wasn't there for too long at either shop...it just felt more subdued, so that was weird.
I picked up two comics (the limit) at Nerd Out, and four at Comics & Stuff (the limit). But despite the negative(ish) takeaways I've mentioned, Nerd Out managed to surprise me with something new! They had not one but two tables, outside their shop, one for the 2018 FCBD comics and...leftover freebies from past FCBDs, Halloween ComicFest, and assorted other releases. That was awesome! Picked up ten additional comics that way, plus one for my niece. Also bought ten dollar comics there, because I love rifling through cheapy bins.
Of the 2018 material, this is what I scored:
I picked up two comics (the limit) at Nerd Out, and four at Comics & Stuff (the limit). But despite the negative(ish) takeaways I've mentioned, Nerd Out managed to surprise me with something new! They had not one but two tables, outside their shop, one for the 2018 FCBD comics and...leftover freebies from past FCBDs, Halloween ComicFest, and assorted other releases. That was awesome! Picked up ten additional comics that way, plus one for my niece. Also bought ten dollar comics there, because I love rifling through cheapy bins.
Of the 2018 material, this is what I scored:
- Avengers/Captain America (Marvel) Spotlighting Jason Aaron's new Avengers comic and Ta-Nehisi Coates' new Captain America.
- Barrier (Image) New from Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin.
- Marvel Rising (Marvel) Not actually a FCBD release, but I still scooped it up, as it was free, and Devin Grayson material!
- Maxwell's Demons (Vault) I spend a lot of time at the MillarWorld forums these days, and so I knew about this comic from MillarWorld Annual 2016 winner Deniz Camp (he wrote the Starlight short). It was one of my targets, so I scooped it up at Nerd Out.
- The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel) Featuring Nick Spencer's new Amazing Spider-Man.
- Starburns Presents (SBI Press) Dan Harmon, currently best known for Rick & Morty, was previously best known for Community, where one of the recurring background characters was a dude named Starburns. So that's the secret origin of that. This was my other target. Because of the 2 comic limit at Nerd Out, I missed out on Valiant's Shadowman, as Comics & Stuff didn't have it.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Reading Comics 217 "DC Essential Graphic Novels 2018"
DC's been putting together Essential Graphic Novel guides for a number of years now, freebie catalogs that are the next evolution of the lists they've been making for years now. Here's what they're currently listing as the 25 Essential Graphic Novels:
Aquaman Vol. 1: The Trench
Geoff Johns produced the material that saw Aquaman once and for elevated to movie star status, and clearly that's why this collection is included.
Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
I may not always be enamored of Scott Snyder's work, but he's clearly energized both fans and DC in general in ways that have been seldom experienced, and his Batman was the most consistently embraced facet of the New 52 era.
Batman Vol. 1: I Am Gotham
Readers may be gobbling up Tom King's comics, but so far DC's found it elusive to find that universal praise it keeps hyping. It may be a matter of time before King's Batman work is dropped from these lists in favor of his Mister Miracle.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller's enduring legacy, even while his other seminal works begin to fall by the wayside. Fans might have begun questioning even this, based on sour memories of some of the sequel material, but the recent DK3: The Master Race seems to have begun mitigating that.
Batman: The Dark Knight - The Master Race
See?
Batman: Hush
Jeph Loeb's most enduring work is this bombastic collaboration with Jim Lee.
Batman: The Killing Joke
If it were up to me, this one would be dropped from the canon. I realize Moore's importance to superhero comics, but with Barbara Gordon officially not being depicted as paralyzed, a huge piece of its legacy has been removed, and all we have are an argument that it's the perfect Joker story, and that it's built around him doing a truly unnecessarily and truly uncharacteristic crime against Babs.
Batman: The Long Halloween
Loeb and Tim Sale established an enduring collaboration, although it seems to have collapsed over the years back to Long Halloween itself.
Batman: Year One
Frank Miller's origin story remains the most artful.
Batman Adventures: Mad Love Deluxe Edition
The more Harley Quinn goes mainstream, the longer she extends the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series.
Dark Knight: A True Batman Story
Paul Dini's harrowing account of recovery from a vicious mugging has given DC an interesting new way to celebrate Batman.
DC Super Hero Girls: Finals Crisis
A concession to young reader accessibility. Highly unlikely to have a long shelf-life.
DC Universe: Rebirth
Johns keeps getting shuffled in his lasting contributions, but this is hugely relevant to the modern comics, so of course it's listed.
The Flash Vol. 1: Move Forward
Influential as material for the current TV show, and one of the more accessible collections for the speedster.
Identity Crisis
Brad Meltzer's hugely consequential story, I think, might one day supplant Watchmen as the seminal superhero crime saga.
Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One - The Complete Collection
I don't know how many readers are that beholden to these comics, but the game has become a self-sustaining pocket universe of DC lore, and so perhaps has carved out a kind of enduring legacy. At least for now.
Justice League Vol. 1: Origin
The first collection of the Johns New 52 series, featuring Jim Lee art. No argument here. It's also nice to know that even though it ended up inspiring an unpopular movie (likewise called Justice League) it hasn't been dropped from the canon.
Preacher: Book One
Garth Ennis scored the biggest hit of the second wave of Vertigo comics, and the series has since been adapted into a TV show. I may find it to be crass nonsense, but this is what appeals to people...
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
Unlike Justice League Vol. 1 a naked bid to get readers to read the whole thing, because if they were selecting the best overall collection this wouldn't be it. But deservedly still counted as a classic even though Neil Gaiman's legacy has begun to drift to other material.
The Sandman: Overture
As a standalone volume, even if it doesn't really reflect what was best about the original series, Overture may prove to be the easiest Sandman selling point in the future.
All-Star Superman
I find it interesting that this is what's being embraced as Grant Morrison's best work. Personally I infinitely prefer the later New 52 Action Comics material, as far as his Superman goes.
Superman Vol. 1: Son of Superman
Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason deserve their spot, though I wish it were for their superior Batman and Robin work.
V for Vendetta
Moore again, perhaps at his most pure: righteous anarchy.
Watchmen
The most consistently touted superhero comic of the past thirty-odd years. I may think it's overrated, but to a lot of fans it justifies the medium, and I guess that's not a bad legacy.
Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood
Brian Azzarello's work in the title may not have proven wildly popular, but it's arguably the most respectable work Wonder Woman has ever been featured in, and so DC's right to continue plugging it.
Now, clearly, most of this list is either to promote the material due to current relevance or because of its popularity. "Essential" doesn't necessarily equate "best of." My essential DC material would be a best of. To wit:
Aquaman Vol. 1: The Trench
Geoff Johns produced the material that saw Aquaman once and for elevated to movie star status, and clearly that's why this collection is included.
Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
I may not always be enamored of Scott Snyder's work, but he's clearly energized both fans and DC in general in ways that have been seldom experienced, and his Batman was the most consistently embraced facet of the New 52 era.
Batman Vol. 1: I Am Gotham
Readers may be gobbling up Tom King's comics, but so far DC's found it elusive to find that universal praise it keeps hyping. It may be a matter of time before King's Batman work is dropped from these lists in favor of his Mister Miracle.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller's enduring legacy, even while his other seminal works begin to fall by the wayside. Fans might have begun questioning even this, based on sour memories of some of the sequel material, but the recent DK3: The Master Race seems to have begun mitigating that.
Batman: The Dark Knight - The Master Race
See?
Batman: Hush
Jeph Loeb's most enduring work is this bombastic collaboration with Jim Lee.
Batman: The Killing Joke
If it were up to me, this one would be dropped from the canon. I realize Moore's importance to superhero comics, but with Barbara Gordon officially not being depicted as paralyzed, a huge piece of its legacy has been removed, and all we have are an argument that it's the perfect Joker story, and that it's built around him doing a truly unnecessarily and truly uncharacteristic crime against Babs.
Batman: The Long Halloween
Loeb and Tim Sale established an enduring collaboration, although it seems to have collapsed over the years back to Long Halloween itself.
Batman: Year One
Frank Miller's origin story remains the most artful.
Batman Adventures: Mad Love Deluxe Edition
The more Harley Quinn goes mainstream, the longer she extends the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series.
Dark Knight: A True Batman Story
Paul Dini's harrowing account of recovery from a vicious mugging has given DC an interesting new way to celebrate Batman.
DC Super Hero Girls: Finals Crisis
A concession to young reader accessibility. Highly unlikely to have a long shelf-life.
DC Universe: Rebirth
Johns keeps getting shuffled in his lasting contributions, but this is hugely relevant to the modern comics, so of course it's listed.
The Flash Vol. 1: Move Forward
Influential as material for the current TV show, and one of the more accessible collections for the speedster.
Identity Crisis
Brad Meltzer's hugely consequential story, I think, might one day supplant Watchmen as the seminal superhero crime saga.
Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One - The Complete Collection
I don't know how many readers are that beholden to these comics, but the game has become a self-sustaining pocket universe of DC lore, and so perhaps has carved out a kind of enduring legacy. At least for now.
Justice League Vol. 1: Origin
The first collection of the Johns New 52 series, featuring Jim Lee art. No argument here. It's also nice to know that even though it ended up inspiring an unpopular movie (likewise called Justice League) it hasn't been dropped from the canon.
Preacher: Book One
Garth Ennis scored the biggest hit of the second wave of Vertigo comics, and the series has since been adapted into a TV show. I may find it to be crass nonsense, but this is what appeals to people...
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
Unlike Justice League Vol. 1 a naked bid to get readers to read the whole thing, because if they were selecting the best overall collection this wouldn't be it. But deservedly still counted as a classic even though Neil Gaiman's legacy has begun to drift to other material.
The Sandman: Overture
As a standalone volume, even if it doesn't really reflect what was best about the original series, Overture may prove to be the easiest Sandman selling point in the future.
All-Star Superman
I find it interesting that this is what's being embraced as Grant Morrison's best work. Personally I infinitely prefer the later New 52 Action Comics material, as far as his Superman goes.
Superman Vol. 1: Son of Superman
Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason deserve their spot, though I wish it were for their superior Batman and Robin work.
V for Vendetta
Moore again, perhaps at his most pure: righteous anarchy.
Watchmen
The most consistently touted superhero comic of the past thirty-odd years. I may think it's overrated, but to a lot of fans it justifies the medium, and I guess that's not a bad legacy.
Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood
Brian Azzarello's work in the title may not have proven wildly popular, but it's arguably the most respectable work Wonder Woman has ever been featured in, and so DC's right to continue plugging it.
Now, clearly, most of this list is either to promote the material due to current relevance or because of its popularity. "Essential" doesn't necessarily equate "best of." My essential DC material would be a best of. To wit:
- 52 (Not merely the best weekly series DC has published, but some of DC's best material ever, period.)
- Air (G. Willow Wilson's best work.)
- Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina (Grant Morrison breaks the fourth wall.)
- Batman and Robin (Tomasi and Gleason's complete run.)
- The Challengers of the Unknown Must Die! (Loeb and Sale's best work.)
- Crisis On Infinite Earths (The seminal event comic.)
- The Final Night (Kesel and Immonen's introspective event.)
- The Flash: The Return of Barry Allen (Without Mark Waid, Flash would never have become as significant as he is today, and this is Waid's best material.)
- Flashpoint (After Waid, this is the essential Flash comic.)
- Geoff Johns' Green Lantern (The complete run.)
- Joe the Barbarian (Grant Morrison's best nonsuperhero work for DC to date.)
- Justice League Vol. 1: Origin (Johns and Lee establish a truly epic League origin.)
- Kingdom Come (Waid and Ross's epic vision of the future.)
- The Multiversity (Morrison's most epic superhero vision to date.)
- The Omega Men (Tom King's best work to date.)
- The Sandman (Arguably the best comic book ever written.)
- Seven Soldiers of Victory (Morrison's attempt at a Jack Kirby New Gods-style epic.)
- Sheriff of Babylon (Tom King's second best work to date.)
- Superboy and the Ravers (As-yet uncollected work of teenage comics genius.)
- The Death of Superman (The most important in-continuity comic ever.)
- Superman: End of the Century (Stuart Immonen's vision of Superman, concise.)
- Grant Morrison's Action Comics (His best Superman.)
- Superman: American Alien (Max Landis's Superman origin.)
- New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (Wolfman and Perez make the Titans cool.)
- Before Watchmen: Comedian (This is better.)
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Quarter Bin 120 "BX Thor!"
Thor (Marvel)
from 2013
One of the neat things about being associated with the military over the years has been sporadic access to the comics specifically for it. This is the latest Marvel comic I've seen from the tradition. What made it particularly interesting was that the art was from Tom Grummett, whom I know best from his Superman and Superboy work. His last notable mainstream comic was Justice League #52 (the final New 52 issue) with Dan Jurgans. Otherwise he seems to have done a lot of stuff like this, as well as media tie-in giveaways. Hey, sometimes it's whatever work you can get, and at least he's still working. But Grummett definitely seems like he should have had a better fate. Maybe I just don't know how this medium treats its veterans well enough.
This Thor issue, at any rate, was the sixteenth such release by Marvel, with more that followed, and one of several with art from Grummett. The story is pretty basic, with actually a lot more focus on Jarvis (the Avengers butler) than Thor (whose scenes are incredibly repetitive, especially the utterances of the frost giant he's battling).
Well, it's just nice they're making them for the military.
Quarter Bin 119 "DC 3-Packs Strike Back!"
DC doesn't seem to have released new packs recently; these are just more from the last round I hadn't gotten yet (each one has a featured lead comic).
Batman Eternal #1, 16 (DC)
from 2014
I consider Batman Eternal to have been Snyder and Tynion's attempt to sprint through everything they were never going to get a chance to explore during the New 52 as they explored their own arcs, revisiting classic characters and even letting some new ones (Harper Row) a chance to breathe. The first issue is early DC Jason Fabok, who would later have his true breakthrough in the pages of Justice League. #16 is another one featuring art from Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs.
Batman #7 (DC)
from 2016
This was one of the featured lead comics, reprinted as Batman: Night of the Monster Men #1. As I've said before, I love that these are true variants. I have no idea if they'll ever be worth money, but I just love that they exist. "Night of the Monster Men" was billed as the first crossover event of the Rebirth era, and it seems positively tame in hindsight. It's also funny that Tom King bowed out as writer for the tie-in issues, allowing Steve Orlando, fast emerging as a new force in the company, a chance to step in.
Green Arrow #48 (DC)
from March 2016
It's downright baffling that DC didn't make a greater priority of Green Arrow once Arrow, the TV series, began and eventually expanded into a whole franchise. This late issue from the New 52 era seems to have left Oliver Queen a...werewolf?
Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #10 (DC)
from June 2015
Injustice: Harley Quinn (DC)
from 2016
The later was originally published as Injustice: Ground Zero. But being reprinted with Harley Quinn in the title isn't merely gratuitous, it's also acknowledging that the story is all about her, plus a review of everything that's happened in the Injustice comics. I'm not a video game guy, so the Injustice comics, and the Infinite Crisis comic listed above, are as close as I'll get to those experiences.
The New 52: Futures End #13 (DC)
from September 2014
It's really shocking that fans didn't really care about this weekly series. The assembled writers were certainly impressive enough: Azzarello (synonymous with prestige), Giffen (synonymous with DC weekly comics at this point), Jurgens (still synonymous with "Doomsday," the biggest comics event of the modern era), and Lemire (now synonymous with the modern vanguard). I still want to catch up with it. This issue features part of the Superman arc, where he's been amnesiac about being Superman. It was also the mainstreaming of Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis seems on his way to...involuntarily bequeathing the role to Tim Drake in this issue...
Convergence: Action Comics #2 (DC)
from July 2015
I still love Convergence. Maybe it's because it came at a dark moment for me, and it was a rare beacon of life. I didn't read the Action Comics two-parter at the time, and I'm not sure what I missed. Maybe not too much.
Trinity of Sin: Pandora - Futures End (DC)
from November 2014
I've written about Pandora often enough. This version of her story reveals an alternate explanation for the character (Geoff Johns had a different one during the Justice League "Trinity War" event, and a much different fate in DC Universe Rebirth). But it was certainly interesting to see this one, even if the art didn't really do it much justice.
Batman Eternal #1, 16 (DC)
from 2014
I consider Batman Eternal to have been Snyder and Tynion's attempt to sprint through everything they were never going to get a chance to explore during the New 52 as they explored their own arcs, revisiting classic characters and even letting some new ones (Harper Row) a chance to breathe. The first issue is early DC Jason Fabok, who would later have his true breakthrough in the pages of Justice League. #16 is another one featuring art from Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs.
Batman #7 (DC)
from 2016
This was one of the featured lead comics, reprinted as Batman: Night of the Monster Men #1. As I've said before, I love that these are true variants. I have no idea if they'll ever be worth money, but I just love that they exist. "Night of the Monster Men" was billed as the first crossover event of the Rebirth era, and it seems positively tame in hindsight. It's also funny that Tom King bowed out as writer for the tie-in issues, allowing Steve Orlando, fast emerging as a new force in the company, a chance to step in.
Green Arrow #48 (DC)
from March 2016
It's downright baffling that DC didn't make a greater priority of Green Arrow once Arrow, the TV series, began and eventually expanded into a whole franchise. This late issue from the New 52 era seems to have left Oliver Queen a...werewolf?
Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #10 (DC)
from June 2015
Injustice: Harley Quinn (DC)
from 2016
The later was originally published as Injustice: Ground Zero. But being reprinted with Harley Quinn in the title isn't merely gratuitous, it's also acknowledging that the story is all about her, plus a review of everything that's happened in the Injustice comics. I'm not a video game guy, so the Injustice comics, and the Infinite Crisis comic listed above, are as close as I'll get to those experiences.
The New 52: Futures End #13 (DC)
from September 2014
It's really shocking that fans didn't really care about this weekly series. The assembled writers were certainly impressive enough: Azzarello (synonymous with prestige), Giffen (synonymous with DC weekly comics at this point), Jurgens (still synonymous with "Doomsday," the biggest comics event of the modern era), and Lemire (now synonymous with the modern vanguard). I still want to catch up with it. This issue features part of the Superman arc, where he's been amnesiac about being Superman. It was also the mainstreaming of Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis seems on his way to...involuntarily bequeathing the role to Tim Drake in this issue...
Convergence: Action Comics #2 (DC)
from July 2015
I still love Convergence. Maybe it's because it came at a dark moment for me, and it was a rare beacon of life. I didn't read the Action Comics two-parter at the time, and I'm not sure what I missed. Maybe not too much.
Trinity of Sin: Pandora - Futures End (DC)
from November 2014
I've written about Pandora often enough. This version of her story reveals an alternate explanation for the character (Geoff Johns had a different one during the Justice League "Trinity War" event, and a much different fate in DC Universe Rebirth). But it was certainly interesting to see this one, even if the art didn't really do it much justice.
Quarter Bin 118 "Fan Fuel"
Batman: Master of the Future (DC)
from 1991
Master of the Future is a sequel to Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, a Victorian Age tale that has stood the test of time from the Elseworlds era, the unofficial multiverse that existed between Crisis On Infinite Earths and its sequel, Infinite Crisis. Gaslight was part of the 1989 barrage (along with Batman, the movie, and Arkham Asylum, the Grant Morrison tale). Like Master it's written by Brian Augustyn, who otherwise is best known as editor of Mark Waid's Flash, and the first guy who tried succeeding Waid in that series. Gaslight was one of Mike Mignola's DC projects (other notable examples: Cosmic Odyssey and the covers from "A Death in the Family"). The artist for Master is Eduardo Barreto (other notable works: Martian Manhunter: American Secrets and Superman: Under A Yellow Sun, like Master both prestige format projects). There's a DC animated film based on Gaslight in production at the moment. Master, as I've never actually read Gaslight, doesn't particularly read as terribly noteworthy. I don't know if it reads better as a sequel. But it's still interesting, having finally read something Gaslight related.
The Flash: Our Worlds At War (DC)
from 2001
Our Worlds At War was at the time intended to be a next-level Crisis event, redefining the concept in a modern, literate manner. Lead writer was Jeph Loeb, in-between Batman: The Long Halloween and the one-two punch of "Hush" and Superman/Batman, the three major works that still define his legacy (Marvel fans seem to remember him only for his later Ultimatum, which is a huge shame). But the concept was overshadowed by the coincidental real-life catastrophe that was 9/11, which occurred in Our Worlds' aftermath. The comic ended up looking like just another of the unfortunate reminders of that day. But it's always fascinated me, as I wasn't reading comics at the time. A couple years ago I read an omnibus of the event, so finally got caught up. I forget if it was in that or a Geoff Johns Flash omnibus where I've read this particular extract previously. I don't think it's a great way to sample Johns except to see Cyborg pop up in another of his stories; later, Johns had him join the New 52 Justice League as a founding member, which is how he shows up in the upcoming movie, too. The dramatic heft of the story, actually, belongs to the New God known as the Black Racer, who is best known as the guy who inexplicably skis everywhere. But he's got a great, emotional story, being tied to a human trapped in a hospital bed. I'm not sure if Johns used him again in his "Darkseid War," but not as I remember or have read (haven't read that whole story yet, either).
Justice League of America #58 (DC)
from August 2011
This is from the Brad Meltzer relaunch era, but once James Robinson, post-Cry for Justice, had taken over, in its final days before the New 52. Robinson had cobbled together his own League, including Congo Bill, whom he doesn't seem to have made relevant again (six years later and no additional Congo Bill, right?), but basically another B-League, which has always been curious to see even considered again post-JLA. But Robinson certainly seems to have also used the opportunity to subtly promote his best-known work, the 90s Starman, although not with lead character Jack Knight (alas). The Starman here is the blue alien, whom a letter writer (this is the brief era in which DC brought them back!) celebrates for helping make gays visible. And also the Shade, who is somewhat absurdly praised as being basically the most powerful dude around. But Robinson would later produce The Shade, a fascinating maxi-series during the New 52 that curiously never really got much love (fickle fans!). I'd always wanted to sample this work, as Saint Walker, the Blue Lantern, is also a member of the team. And on the cover? Seven Soldiers of Victory's Bulleteer! But...not so much in the issue. But Zauriel is! Also funny to see all the Green Lantern movie hype in the issue. And...! Josh Williamson writing a Subway comic ad insert! After an...unfortunate formative interlude with Dark Horse where I may have questioned his ability to produce distinctive comics, he's now become one of my favorite writers of The Flash...
Justice League of America #3 (DC)
from June 2013
...This incarnation of the title started off with a bang (it's the Justice League's opposite number!), and was even written, in the beginning, by Geoff Johns, who of course was also writing the New 52's Justice League at the time. (Yet another iteration of the title launched in the Rebirth era, where it looks like the curse may have finally broken; fingers crossed!) Anyway, so aside from reading another Johns issue (I had only read the first, previously, the one with covers for every state in the United States), I was eager to read it mostly for Vibe, who was hyped with his own ongoing series simultaneously launched with it. Vibe was previously known as a joke from the Justice League Detroit era. Thanks to this revival, he gained a third chance at relevance, where as far as I'm concerned he's earned it, in the second TV Flash series, where I think he may actually be the best character, aside from maybe the many incarnations of Harrison Wells. Anyway, the art is by David Finch, who was brought in by DC with little clue, at first with what to do with him, so he was given his own New 52 series, at first, Batman: The Dark Knight. Eventually, he did Forever Evil with Johns, Wonder Woman with his wife, and finally Tom King's Rebirth Batman. Where, I think, the signing finally really paid off.
Superman Special #2 (DC)
from 1984
From classic creators Cary Bates (a legend at DC in the '70s) and Gil Kane (a classic Green Lantern artist), this one features Brainiac tricking an alien civilization into thinking Superman is the bad guy. It's the kind of storytelling that feels quaint today, but served as the backbone of comics for decades. Which is kind of way a lot of fans still have a problem with how comics read today. They lament the British explosion in the same breath they celebrate it, without really realizing it. Alan Moore was credited with making superheroes perhaps too mature, but he and his cohorts were really guilty of one thing and one thing only: making this stuff permanently more sophisticated. Fans still want to argue this alienated the inherent juvenile audience of the medium. But, again, comics were never actually intended for kids. Funny joke in hindsight, Wertham. You convinced the fans...
It's worth noting that these comics are the first ones I bought as, once again, a resident of Florida, this time on an ongoing basis. I was last here two years ago. I haven't actually visited a comics shop yet. These came from a kind of vendor shop at a mall.
from 1991
Master of the Future is a sequel to Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, a Victorian Age tale that has stood the test of time from the Elseworlds era, the unofficial multiverse that existed between Crisis On Infinite Earths and its sequel, Infinite Crisis. Gaslight was part of the 1989 barrage (along with Batman, the movie, and Arkham Asylum, the Grant Morrison tale). Like Master it's written by Brian Augustyn, who otherwise is best known as editor of Mark Waid's Flash, and the first guy who tried succeeding Waid in that series. Gaslight was one of Mike Mignola's DC projects (other notable examples: Cosmic Odyssey and the covers from "A Death in the Family"). The artist for Master is Eduardo Barreto (other notable works: Martian Manhunter: American Secrets and Superman: Under A Yellow Sun, like Master both prestige format projects). There's a DC animated film based on Gaslight in production at the moment. Master, as I've never actually read Gaslight, doesn't particularly read as terribly noteworthy. I don't know if it reads better as a sequel. But it's still interesting, having finally read something Gaslight related.
The Flash: Our Worlds At War (DC)
from 2001
Our Worlds At War was at the time intended to be a next-level Crisis event, redefining the concept in a modern, literate manner. Lead writer was Jeph Loeb, in-between Batman: The Long Halloween and the one-two punch of "Hush" and Superman/Batman, the three major works that still define his legacy (Marvel fans seem to remember him only for his later Ultimatum, which is a huge shame). But the concept was overshadowed by the coincidental real-life catastrophe that was 9/11, which occurred in Our Worlds' aftermath. The comic ended up looking like just another of the unfortunate reminders of that day. But it's always fascinated me, as I wasn't reading comics at the time. A couple years ago I read an omnibus of the event, so finally got caught up. I forget if it was in that or a Geoff Johns Flash omnibus where I've read this particular extract previously. I don't think it's a great way to sample Johns except to see Cyborg pop up in another of his stories; later, Johns had him join the New 52 Justice League as a founding member, which is how he shows up in the upcoming movie, too. The dramatic heft of the story, actually, belongs to the New God known as the Black Racer, who is best known as the guy who inexplicably skis everywhere. But he's got a great, emotional story, being tied to a human trapped in a hospital bed. I'm not sure if Johns used him again in his "Darkseid War," but not as I remember or have read (haven't read that whole story yet, either).
Justice League of America #58 (DC)
from August 2011
This is from the Brad Meltzer relaunch era, but once James Robinson, post-Cry for Justice, had taken over, in its final days before the New 52. Robinson had cobbled together his own League, including Congo Bill, whom he doesn't seem to have made relevant again (six years later and no additional Congo Bill, right?), but basically another B-League, which has always been curious to see even considered again post-JLA. But Robinson certainly seems to have also used the opportunity to subtly promote his best-known work, the 90s Starman, although not with lead character Jack Knight (alas). The Starman here is the blue alien, whom a letter writer (this is the brief era in which DC brought them back!) celebrates for helping make gays visible. And also the Shade, who is somewhat absurdly praised as being basically the most powerful dude around. But Robinson would later produce The Shade, a fascinating maxi-series during the New 52 that curiously never really got much love (fickle fans!). I'd always wanted to sample this work, as Saint Walker, the Blue Lantern, is also a member of the team. And on the cover? Seven Soldiers of Victory's Bulleteer! But...not so much in the issue. But Zauriel is! Also funny to see all the Green Lantern movie hype in the issue. And...! Josh Williamson writing a Subway comic ad insert! After an...unfortunate formative interlude with Dark Horse where I may have questioned his ability to produce distinctive comics, he's now become one of my favorite writers of The Flash...
Justice League of America #3 (DC)
from June 2013
...This incarnation of the title started off with a bang (it's the Justice League's opposite number!), and was even written, in the beginning, by Geoff Johns, who of course was also writing the New 52's Justice League at the time. (Yet another iteration of the title launched in the Rebirth era, where it looks like the curse may have finally broken; fingers crossed!) Anyway, so aside from reading another Johns issue (I had only read the first, previously, the one with covers for every state in the United States), I was eager to read it mostly for Vibe, who was hyped with his own ongoing series simultaneously launched with it. Vibe was previously known as a joke from the Justice League Detroit era. Thanks to this revival, he gained a third chance at relevance, where as far as I'm concerned he's earned it, in the second TV Flash series, where I think he may actually be the best character, aside from maybe the many incarnations of Harrison Wells. Anyway, the art is by David Finch, who was brought in by DC with little clue, at first with what to do with him, so he was given his own New 52 series, at first, Batman: The Dark Knight. Eventually, he did Forever Evil with Johns, Wonder Woman with his wife, and finally Tom King's Rebirth Batman. Where, I think, the signing finally really paid off.
Superman Special #2 (DC)
from 1984
From classic creators Cary Bates (a legend at DC in the '70s) and Gil Kane (a classic Green Lantern artist), this one features Brainiac tricking an alien civilization into thinking Superman is the bad guy. It's the kind of storytelling that feels quaint today, but served as the backbone of comics for decades. Which is kind of way a lot of fans still have a problem with how comics read today. They lament the British explosion in the same breath they celebrate it, without really realizing it. Alan Moore was credited with making superheroes perhaps too mature, but he and his cohorts were really guilty of one thing and one thing only: making this stuff permanently more sophisticated. Fans still want to argue this alienated the inherent juvenile audience of the medium. But, again, comics were never actually intended for kids. Funny joke in hindsight, Wertham. You convinced the fans...
It's worth noting that these comics are the first ones I bought as, once again, a resident of Florida, this time on an ongoing basis. I was last here two years ago. I haven't actually visited a comics shop yet. These came from a kind of vendor shop at a mall.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Green Valley #9 (Image)
writer: Max Landis
artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Having caught up with the premise and first few issues earlier this year and been such a fan of Superman: American Alien, I was happy to catch the final installment of Green Valley.
Obviously, I missed a good chunk of the story, but other than not knowing where a given element came from, it made perfect sense, not only from what I'd read but also on its own. This is a good thing. I was able to recall the pertinent details and keep up with the emotional rewards at the conclusion.
The problem is that I'm not sure the landing was really nailed. It's not in the scripting or the art, which from Camuncoli remains stellar, but that the pacing seemed wrong. You know how people complain about all the epilogues in Peter Jackson's Return of the King, and they just seemed to drag on and on? Here it's kind of the opposite. It feels rushed. There's really no chance to breathe between celebrating victory and then finding out the two big things waiting for our heroes when they get back. Plus there's a whiff in explaining what's supposed to come next.
It's not even so much that the ending is essentially a reboot. Some fans loathe the idea of a reboot because it cancels out the emotional developments that helped make a story work in the first place. I've seen plenty of reboots to know that this isn't really the case if you know the reboot is inevitable. The problem here is that this is literally the first story featuring the Knights of Kelodia (that's my other main beef with Green Valley; "Kelodia" is a lousy name).
But given all that, I still love the ambition and the skill brought to the table. Landis ought to be celebrated as a wildly talented new writer in the field. Camuncoli has already worked at DC and Marvel; he did two issues of 52, plus scores of Spider-Man (including Superior Spider-Man), and Batman: Europa. He ought to be considered a superstar in the making.
artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Having caught up with the premise and first few issues earlier this year and been such a fan of Superman: American Alien, I was happy to catch the final installment of Green Valley.
Obviously, I missed a good chunk of the story, but other than not knowing where a given element came from, it made perfect sense, not only from what I'd read but also on its own. This is a good thing. I was able to recall the pertinent details and keep up with the emotional rewards at the conclusion.
The problem is that I'm not sure the landing was really nailed. It's not in the scripting or the art, which from Camuncoli remains stellar, but that the pacing seemed wrong. You know how people complain about all the epilogues in Peter Jackson's Return of the King, and they just seemed to drag on and on? Here it's kind of the opposite. It feels rushed. There's really no chance to breathe between celebrating victory and then finding out the two big things waiting for our heroes when they get back. Plus there's a whiff in explaining what's supposed to come next.
It's not even so much that the ending is essentially a reboot. Some fans loathe the idea of a reboot because it cancels out the emotional developments that helped make a story work in the first place. I've seen plenty of reboots to know that this isn't really the case if you know the reboot is inevitable. The problem here is that this is literally the first story featuring the Knights of Kelodia (that's my other main beef with Green Valley; "Kelodia" is a lousy name).
But given all that, I still love the ambition and the skill brought to the table. Landis ought to be celebrated as a wildly talented new writer in the field. Camuncoli has already worked at DC and Marvel; he did two issues of 52, plus scores of Spider-Man (including Superior Spider-Man), and Batman: Europa. He ought to be considered a superstar in the making.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)