I prefer Moore's For the Man Who Has Everything to his Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?. Great story. Pretty influential too. I've seen quite a few stories that have used the 'Black Mercy' type of plot device.
Yeah, I bought the "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" Deluxe Edition mainly for "For the Man Who Has Everything," which is easily one of my favorite pre-Crisis stories. But all the stories in that book are fantastic.
"For The Man Who Has Everything" is also probably my favorite of the 3 Alan Moore Superman stories. The best Superman stkries are the ones that challenge him philosophically and mentally, and Moore delivers in droves. Also, that bit where Robin points out to Batman that Wonder Woman's outfit isn't made for extremely cold weather is one of my favorites.
Speaking of Batman, I bought Batman: Black and White #2 for the Tom King/Mitch Gerads story.
It's probably the most (succintly written) human Batman story I've read in a very long time. It feels like a more thorough examination of "Am I enough?" that King explored briefly in that one Secret Files issue. I've always liked that King's Batman isn't the Morrison/Snyder Bat-God and that King's thesis seems to be "What happens when Bat-God doesn't work?" It actually feels like a callback to the moment in Year One before the bat comes crashing through the window: Bruce is sitting in a chair, bleeding out, having done everything up to that point to live up to his oath, and it still wasn't enough. I think some of King's Batman hovers somewhere in that moment throughout his run and the Black and White story puts a very solid point on it.
The issue also has a gorgeous Gabriel Hardman story and David Aja's first DC work, which is also great. But King's story takes the cake.
He also stole the show in that Christmas special from last month with his Lobo Hanukkah story too, but that's another conversation.
That tangle with the GL Corps you mentioned (“Ring Quest”) and that 2-part Tomasi Showcase I mentioned are two of my faves, and they aren’t Supes battles. I personally find Mongul a lot more interesting when he’s at a low point, doesn’t have Warworld or all his minions, and therefore isn’t much resembling Darkseid, and is scrambling for his next power move. Incidentally, both those stories are written by Tomasi, so I guess I consider him my favorite Mongul writer. But yes, aside from those stories, I also re-read Exile, For the Man Who Has Everything, and his initial Pre-Crisis appearance. That was my Mongul kick.
If I remember correctly he was at a low point in that story also, that's why he tried (and succeeded) in taking the key to warworld away from J'onn. Mongul was so badass in the pre-crisis, every time he showed up you knew superman was in serious trouble.
Speaking of Alan Moore and Superman, you all should hunt down his Supreme run, which was some of the best pre-crisis Superman stories I've read.
This is why I love you guys. I’d never read For the Man Who has Everything. So I just read it and it was awesome!
Also I appreciated the Ostrander Martian Manhunter recommendation. 11 issues in and it has been terrific. Loved the slow build and the pacing of the Malefic story.
Sorry if it's already been mentioned but does anyone know for how many issues these FS titles are going for?
I Really liked the Shazam one but I am bothered by the fact that several of the "mysteries" were solved by the End of the issue already, but maybe it's a short run?
I also tried out JL and Robin Eternal. Might check out issue 2 of those but so far I am not overly interested.
Sorry if it's already been mentioned but does anyone know for how many issues these FS titles are going for?
I Really liked the Shazam one but I am bothered by the fact that several of the "mysteries" were solved by the End of the issue already, but maybe it's a short run?
I also tried out JL and Robin Eternal. Might check out issue 2 of those but so far I am not overly interested.
I'm not sure, but the new Superman books kick off in March, so I'd imagine that means Future State will probably end in late February. I know it was supposed to be a pretty short event.
EDIT: Yeah Wiki says it's a two-month event, ending in Feb.
I'm not sure, but the new Superman books kick off in March, so I'd imagine that means Future State will probably end in late February. I know it was supposed to be a pretty short event.
EDIT: Yeah Wiki says it's a two-month event, ending in Feb.
The Next Batman is 4 issues, released bi-weekly I believe. And some of the back-up strips are 4 parts across multiple books like Mister Miracle.
I picked up the Immortal Wonder Woman book this week though. I thought it was pretty solid. Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad seem to have a handle on Diana's character that captures the hopeful and inspiring aspects of the character with the warrior aspect pretty perfectly.
If that can continue into the ongoing when they take over, I hope that Wonder Woman FINALLY has some stability. Since relaunching with Rebirth, that book has seen 7 writers and 34 artists across 103 issues. It hasn't had any kind of creative stability since Rucka left.
Just read the about the new relaunch in March. So let me get this straight: the last relaunch basically said continuity didn't matter, and nothing is really canon so it's less restrictive on writers, and this relaunch went the opposite extreme, saying everything is canon...so it's less restrictive on the writers?
I guess there isn't much difference between zero canon and everything being canon; either way you've pretty much got a free hand. The difficulties seem to come when some stuff is canon.
Just read the about the new relaunch in March. So let me get this straight: the last relaunch basically said continuity didn't matter, and nothing is really canon so it's less restrictive on writers, and this relaunch went the opposite extreme, saying everything is canon...so it's less restrictive on the writers?
Yeah pretty much. And really stupid. So now Diana remembers that she is made of clay but is also daughter of Zeus. Cassie remembers that she is daughter of Zeus but also daughter of some random demi god. Superman remembers 5 billion different reasons as to why Krypton blew up.
Give my compliments to your friend. I collected the first six issues. Definitely was an instant buy for me when it was new. A cool spin on the southern crime story but done in a simple and very effective way. I'll pick up the next stories.
Since the pandemic I've been catching up on comics.
Recent ongoing comics I've been buying: Nailbiter and The Immortal Hulk (which is AMAZING). Plus I'll just buy miscellaneous ones that pique my interest, mostly from Image.
As a Brubaker//Phillips fan, Pulp and Reckless were stellar. .
Lately I've been on a Spider-Man kick due to reading Nick Spencer's run which has been a blast. I'm trying to go back and read older issues. Besides the 70's Romita/Lee, Conway era, anything afterwards does anyone have recommendations?
I read Flash Facts last night and feel that it is a perfect book for elementary and middle school settings. I just suggested that the programs I work for add it to their library.
I read Flash Facts last night and feel that it is a perfect book for elementary and middle school settings. I just suggested that the programs I work for add it to their library.
The Future State: Swamp Thing series concluded this week. It's the only Future State book I was interested in, namely because I'm a huge Swamp Thing fan and because Ram V is writing a 10 issue series that starts next month.
It was very, very good. My only familiarity with V as a writer is from a few issues of Catwoman (he wrote a fill-in during Joelle Jones' run that was the best issue of the series before and after that point) and Justice League Dark, which felt like inconsistent, disposable horror action that depended upon, with a seemingly large amount of indifference, Tynion's run.
I'm glad to report that with Future State: Swamp Thing, Ram V proves he can bring the goods when it comes to writing a low-key, more cerebral kind of horror story with a healthy amount of intelligence.
It's never made clear what Swamp Thing we're with in the story, Alec Holland, Ram V's new character Levi Kamei, or someone else, but the character had a weight, nuance, and insight that made the character interesting in a way not seen since, arguably and surprisingly, Mark Millar's run from the mid-90's. In fact, the book has a narrative thread that feels like the next logical step of Alan Moore's "The Anatomy Lesson" which is the most engrossing part of the book.
The plot in and of itself was a little "meh", and the story saw a total waste of
Obsidian, nice as it was to see him again, as nothing but a macguffin.
. But the thematics came shining through.
The shelf life of Alec Holland has seemed awfully limited since 2011, Tom King's Winter Special and Batman stories not withstanding. lf V can bring the kind of writing from this 2-parter to a new longer series about a new Swamp Thing host that serves more or less as a ground up reboot, I'm all for it.
It's the combination of everything that makes this look really bad.
A jewelry store in New York City, which has a very well known area of jewelry stores owned by Orthodox Jews in New York City. Uncut Gems captures the Diamond District pretty well from what I understand.
Naming it after David Cronenberg, a Jewish director of horror films. He could have thrown that reference on any other building, any other store for he wanted to.
Throwing a Star of David on the window, an poorly drawn Jewish star on the window (which I find most offensive of all).
Completely missing a letter in the word jewelry, making it look just that much worse. I can understand this and misspelling Cronenberg as legit typos while trying to write backwards, but when you add everything together it just stands out.
If most of this wasn't planned out before hand this is one of the biggest ****ing coincidences I've ever seen in my a while.
But in the end, as big a **** up as this is, I don't know if anything should come of it. If anything the editors are just as much to blame as the artist because they let this **** get printed. Why the **** are they getting paid if they're not actually editing the books and finding dumbass mistakes like this. The inker didn't catch it either. If one head rolls, shouldn't they all?
Not the first time something like this happened over at Marvel...worrying to say the least.
Honestly i didnt even realize it at first, the art wasnt so strong that i looked at all the details...but when you notice it, you wonder how the hell they could mess up this big.
If i dont see it thats something else, but the artist, the editor, the inker get paid to see stuff like that and they didnt?
That is very strange.
Anyway...to some better news
Im still super impressed by future state, a lot of fun stuff in the titles.
That Yara Flor gets her own series was clear as day after the first issue with her.
The reaction of people was so positive, im super happy.
Did anybody read Man-Bat?
I dont know what to think about this, feels like they want to do something like Hulk here.
I kind of like the idea and all, but its such a strange concept that will take a bit to get used to.
But cool to see them do more with the character.
Harley Quinn i mainly read because of Black Mask, he looked super cool and all.
Otherwise its neat too, but nothing that can go more than a few issues.
Next Batman still pretty cool and i like the characters very much, again as a short event it works.
Yeah, I'm enjoying Future State for what it is. It's a fun little diversion from the regular books and continuity. I like how all of the titles take place at different times/points in this "Future State" continuity.
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