Batman cover by Greg Capullo
It’s been a while since I stopped into my local comic shop and after hearing a few good things about DC Comics’ recent Mister Miracle, I figured I’d swing by and pick it up. Unfortunately for me, my shop was sold out. Not wanting to waste a trip, I picked up a few random issues, one of which was Dark Nights: Metal, the first issue of DC’s latest summer cross-title extravaganza. After giving it a read, I’m still up in the air on whether buying it was the right call or not.
The issue opens 50,000 years in the past with a narrative about three great tribes and quickly transitions to a story in media res of the Justice League locked in a Gladiator-style battle orchestrated by Mongul. Mongul has clad the heroes in accessories that negate their abilities and is forcing them to fight giant robots without any powers. As far as openings go, it was pretty powerful and fairly entertaining, though I don’t understand how it related to the main story at all. Unless it was some kind of continuation from a previous issue somewhere that I missed, all this section did was remind the reader of how clever Batman is.
Dark Nights: Metal was written by Scott Snyder and is the springboard for a new multi-month, multi-title, epic crossover. Snyder is best known for his work on Batman and helped to redefine the character during “New 52” so it comes as no surprise that Batman is the center for Metal. The issue is meant to set the scene for the next few months so most of it is just a run-down of the danger that the Justice League will have to contend with. It’s a universe threatening event and it’s laid out to the audience in no uncertain terms. Literally. Over pages and pages of dialogue. I suppose this is the easiest way for Snyder to really prime readers for what they’re in store for but it doesn’t make for the most explosive of openings. Quite the opposite, actually.
The Justice League are forced to battle in an arena without the use of their abilities.
Greg Capullo’s art did little to capture my attention. I followed him and Snyder for a bit on their initial run on Batman when “New 52” launched and I remember Capullo’s art being far more intriguing than what we’ve gotten in Dark Nights: Metal. I’m not sure if this is due to Jonathan Glapion’s inks detracting from the pencils. Most of Metal is clad in bright lighting, making it a far cry from the darkness and shadows of the “Court of Owls” storyline from Batman. Or it could be the colors by FCO Plascencia, which, again, are far brighter than what I recall of Capullo’s early “New 52” work. It could also be some of the choices Capullo makes; though most of his pages are dynamic and exciting, there are a few panels that are static and uninteresting. Even confusing, on more than one occasion. I’d expect these poor choices from a lesser artist but it’s uncharacteristic from someone like Capullo.
As I stated earlier, most of this first issue is expository, explaining the nature of the “Dark Multiverse” (despite how ridiculous the concept is) so that it’s easy to understand by readers. That exposition helps to bring both regular DC readers and new readers on the same level playing field. However, this causes a confusing disconnect when it comes to casual readers (like myself) and really showcases all of the harm DC has done over the past few years.
The aforementioned “Justice League Megazord”
Dark Nights: Metal spends pages reintroducing characters that are familiar to casual fans, again, like me, creating an awkward continuity. I found myself wondering why no one recognized Red Tornado or why the name “Carter Hall” isn’t familiar to any of the characters. That’s because all of the dicking around DC did with their universe invalidated these characters, so here Snyder needs to reintroduce them. Am I, as a casual fan who hasn’t regularly read a DC comic since six months into “New 52”, supposed to know that? Evidently, yes, and that’s where my enjoyment of the title started to plummet.
There are a few things that I liked about the issue, a couple of flourishes that brought a smile to my face. Batman riding a dinosaur was a neat little touch and came completely out of nowhere. I also liked Cyborg saying “Booyah,” his catchphrase from the Teen Titans cartoon. I don’t think it would have been possible for me not to hear Khary Payton’s voice in my head as I read that. Besides that, though, I was wholly let down by Dark Nights: Metal. The story didn’t do enough to grab me, the exposition was boring and the concept made me roll my eyes.
As a limited “Elseworlds” type series, I could see Metal being something interesting but as a multi-title crossover spanning six months and set in regular continuity, it just sounds dreadful. I do hope I’m wrong, however, and that the story produces some great lore but after the first issue, I’m not confident that will happen.
Grade: C+
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
Warner Brothers announced a slew of films yesterday morning, essentially challenging Marvel with their upcoming movies. So what’s all on the table? Aside from the previously slated Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them (now to be a trilogy), here’s what we can expect through 2020 from WB.
2016
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
We’ve been privy to several released photos and plot lines from Zack Snyder’s gritty, filtered upcoming movie featuring a grizzly, buff, Batfleck and the chiseled jaw of Henry Cavill for some months now, yet I’m not alone in feeling blah toward the upcoming flick, even with the addition of Gal Gadot (whom I adore) as Diana of Themyscira. Inspired by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight, we can probably expect something a bit darker than what we’re used to!
Comic Recommendation: Frank Miller’s Dark Knight books, or maybe Kingdom Come for a slighter older take on the Trinity
Suicide Squad
Again, gritty seems to to be the word of the year over at the studio, so who makes up the roster of this flick of bad guys directed by David Ayer? Deadshot seems to be the obvious choice, but my money is on Harley Quinn making her first ever movie appearance, as well as Black Manta, and the Wall herself, Amanda Waller. I’m all up for bad guys tearing shit up, but as long as there’s some FUN to it!
Comic Recommendation: Keith Giffen’s or Adam Glass’s Suicide Squad
2017
Wonder Woman
FINALLY. It’s been an unforgivable amount of years, but thank the old gods and the new, that our warrior is finally getting her own movie. Sure, it’s two years away, but it’s HAPPENING. Gal Gadot will again be donning the tiara as she battles her way through who knows what, but with the rumors swirling around that Diana’s origins will be in line with her New52 ones, we can except some amazing battles. Hopefully Brian Azzarello or Gail Simone will be on hand to assist with the script, so we can get the Wonder Woman we deserve. PLEASE DO NOT FUCK THIS UP, WARNER BROTHERS.
Comic Recommendation: Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman
C’mon, guys. A whole movie of this? Solid gold.
Justice League
There’s not much to be said about this ensemble film. Will it rival the Avengers? Who knows. Will Martian Manhunter make his appearance? I fucking hope so. Will it be along the lines of the Justice League: War animated film, so our team spends the film sputtering insults at each other? Pass.
Comic Recommendation: Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America
2018
The Flash
It’s not news to some that this cinematic Flash would be different from CW’s Flash, but for some it was quite the nasty shock that Ezra Miller (of Perks of Being a Wallflower fame) will be donning those red tights. No word yet on what sort of story we might see, but MAYBE we can get a different Flash instead of Barry Allen, since he’s basically covered in the television show. Mayhaps a twist on The Flash: Rebirth!
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s The Flash: Rebirth
Aquaman
I had tons to say about Aquaman, but when I found the photo above my wits left me. We know Jason Momoa will be outfitted in the green and gold of DC’s “lamest” superhero, and I personally wish to see the New52’s storyline on the big screen. It handles all the misconceptions about Aquaman, while rendering him a certified badass. This is definitely in my top two “must see” flicks on this list so far, simply because it was getting lonely being the only Aquaman fan!
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s Aquaman
2019
Shazam
We got confirmation that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be wearing that shiny, white cape of Billy Batson’s alter-ego, but this is the movie I’m least excited to see. It has potential for laughs, as Shazam gets the job done with a child-like wonder, but my main concern is how strong the story will be. There’s so many questions too, such as will the rest of the Marvel family appear? Will he just be called Shazam, or will we know him by Captain Marvel (not to be confused by Marvel’s Captain Marvel), if the copyright is still in place? Will Black Adam be the big bad?
Comic Recommendation: Jeff Smith’s Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil
Justice League 2
Again, there’s not much to go one, except rumors, but if rumors are all I have, so be it. Speculation places Darkseid as the blue-faced villain of the first Justice League movie (joining other blue faced nemeses like Apocalypse, from Fox’s X-Men, and Thanos, from Marvel’s cinematic universe), so I will use my tiny bit of internet to plead for Starro or Amazo or Vandal Savage! There’s so much out there, just waiting to see a tiny slice of the general population. So much. It’d be amazing as a comic fan to see some of it played out in all its glory.
Comic Recommendation: Mark Waid’s JLA: Tower of Babel
2020
Cyborg
Of all the people in the DC Universe, I was most surprised by this announcement. Victor Stone isn’t a character that you normally see solo (normally he’s on the Teen Titans roster), but a teenager with a genius level intellect will be a nice addition to all the burly men (and one woman) we will so far be seeing! Ray Fisher doesn’t have much under his belt aside from a handful of Broadway shows, but he’s set to make his first appearance in the Batman v. Superman movie, giving us a peek at what we can expect in 2020.
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s Teen Titans or Judd Winnick’s Titans
Green Lantern
As much as I would love this Green Lantern movie to feature John Stewart (cause let’s all admit, 90% of the Ryan Reynolds GL was trash), I think that would be hopeful to the point of foolishness, given DC’s track record of being wholly ignorant of what we, the fans, want. TWO blockbuster filmed led by black men in the SAME YEAR, would be absolutely mind blowing, and tons of people are already fans of John Stewart, having grown up on the animated Justice League series. Let’s make this happen, DC. Representation matters!
Comic Recommendation: Geoff John’s Green Lantern: Rebirth or John Starlin’s Cosmic Odyssey
Overall, this is exciting, and I’m very much cautiously optimistic of what the future holds. There’s still stand alone Batman, and Superman films that haven’t been announced yet, so with these PLUS all that Marvel is bringing to the screen…well, let’s just say my wallet is going to be a lot lighter, assuming I like what I see from trailers, and so forth. My only thing is…I hope both studios think of the younger people, and involve some of the teenager teams, like Teen Titans, and the Runaways or Young Avengers.
What movie are you most excited for?
Editor’s Note: Leia will be glad to help you find the comics referenced above, just tweet at her (@ladyvader99)!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
This week was a sudden blaze of animation and cartoon related news both good, bad, and the ugly which all together have sent bloggers of animation and cartoon fans into a frenzy.
First the good: Cartoon Network has finally after a years of whispers, rumors, and a small confirmation from Genndy Tartakovsky (though he was not involved) have announced a new Powerpuff Girls special! Bringing back everyone’s favorite superhero kindergarteners, the original voice actors are also back for the ride along with with a brand new look and a special guest Ringo Starr. The special is being produced by Cartoon Network Studios in association with UK’s Passion Pictures (the studio responsible for the band Gorillaz’s music videos) so you know it is going to be amazing.
Cute. As. I. Can’t. Even.
While the special will be in CGI, the officially released concept art shows a retro 60’s era cut paper children’s book or advertising Mary Blair-like illustration style omitting their formerly signature black thick lines. Most notably their hair has been given a stylized makeover with more realistic detail and lines and subdued colors in the case of Bubbles and Blossom and fun new bangs and part for Buttercup. The consensus on blogs is that people either love the new look; or hate it. Which I really don’t understand much because the involvement of UK’s Passion Pictures means the vectorized flat cut paper look will probably be what the short looks like; CGI doesn’t always mean 3D. The last two seasons of the show were done in CGI.Plus, there are going to be MORE Powerpuff Girls. How can you say no to more PPG? How many times have they redone Scooby Doo after every few years with brand new production and animation teams and you “90s and 00’s kids” never scream foul. You don’t see our parents who watched them in the 60’s and 70’s complaining. I’m twenty-three, I remember the original pilot for PPG when it was just a cartoon short. And you don’t see me screaming “You’re killing my childhood!” and I loved them quite a lot. Would you like a medal or something? This screams good design. Why not turn PPG into an everlasting franchise that can be reinterpreted every few years? I’d be up for it!
I really don’t understand this particular uproar and I hope everyone is blown away by the special, which if we’re lucky may or may not spin-off a new series (maybe if popular, just my own thought).
And now the bad:Cartoon Network has similarly announced the cancellation of DC Nation fan favorite Saturday Morning cartoons Green Lantern The Animated Series and Young Justice. Whether it’s the lack of sales of merchandise or less than stellar viewership, the shows are routinely voted as some of the highest rated on Cartoon Network’s current roster outside of Regular Show and Adventure Time which has caused many to cry foul over the network’s decision. Both series were constantly put under long running hiatuses since their launch, pretty much ensuring their failure or lack of interest. The revival of Teen Titans as the purely comedy series Teen Titans Go! and the new gritty CG Batman cartoon Beware The Batman are poised to take their place in the Saturday morning line-up.
Aw yeah lantern’s unite fight the power!
Young Justice known for it’s new canon take on younger main hero sidekicks and their relationships was affected by the hiatuses the most; it was on hiatus more than it was allowed to air episodes. Many fans of both shows have started now to band together in acts of solidarity between the two to petition and help save the shows by boosting viewership and letting Cartoon Network know their unhappiness over the decision to axe the shows. Whether this will cause a change or not has yet to be seen but the hope is there. I urge anyone who is a fan to support the cause and seek out what to do from others in the fandom. I am not a viewer of either series, but I feel for those that do. Young Justice marked the first official appearence of DC’s favorite “toxic” superhero and Tim Drake’s girlfriend Stephanie Brown in an animated series outside of an unnamed blonde homage to her as Tim’s wife in Batman Beyond. As a fan of her and Cassandra Cain, I know the pain of having your favorite things being mistreated and abused by editorial decisions. So please keep up with your fight!
And now the ugly:
Supposed leaked character designs via posters for Disney’s upcoming 3D CGI “adaptation” of The Snow Queen, aka Frozen featuring Princess Anna and her sister The Snow Queen Elsa were posted online also earlier this week. The reception, however, was not too kind. Anna, already criticized for her Glen Keane and Rapunzel-like appearance in the officially released concept art looked particularly Rapunzel-like as did the Snow Queen, her sister. Fans, already touchy over the huge amount of changes to the Snow Queen‘s original plot-line (only the actual Queen remains, everything else has been changed) went to their blogs in an outrage over the designs and overall blandness. However it was brought to everyone’s attention that the posters were released by Cine1, a website that makes faux posters and artwork for counterfeit DVD’s. Thus the artwork and the shoddy quality of the designs were thus probably fake or doctored in some manner. However the soft facial characteristic if Anna’s voice actress Kristen Bell somewhat visible in the face of Anna, and the detail in their costumes has me wondering if the designs were partially leaked; the backgrounds and the like were fake, but the designs weren’t. Disney had made an official complaint and the site has since taken down the posters but they have since been passed along on the internet. For the sake of avoiding a complaint from Disney I will not be posting those pictures, BUT I will post a picture of the character that will be the “comic relief” character in the film and is confirmed official, Olaf the snowman:
Uhhhh, yeah…
Yes let’s leave it at that shall we?
Max Eber
Staff Writer/The Doctor
max@ihogeek.com
@maxlikescomics
Aquaman is the Embodiment of “Fine”
REVIEW | The Punisher Season 2
Sub Cultured Heads to PAX South 2019!
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
Sub Cultured is Heading to DakuCon 2018!
Almost nine months have come and gone since DC took the initiative and essentially rebooted their entire universe in hopes of reaching a broader crowd. At first fans, like myself, were worried and even upset at the idea of a DC reboot. Time passed though, and opinions changed. The past nine months have been rocky with some of my fears coming to fruition, and some being put to rest permanently. In the end, most of what I was looking for fell to the wayside, their place being taken by new titles that took me by surprise. Looking back, one title I absolutely was not looking forward too, Batwing, is currently one of my ongoing favorites! So, following Leia’s lead, here’s a list of my original pulls along with the new blood.
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
Top 10 Comics of 2017
We’re half way into the second month of DC’s New 52, and although retailers are reporting a slight drop in sales, the figures are still higher then last years reported sales. About twice as much in fact. Whether or not the sales will hold up into 2012 has yet to be seen. What we do have, however, are the solicits for January 2012! There are no new titles being released, which is a bit of a shocker, but the month still shows some serious promise in terms of story potential!
Hallow-Reads | The Line by Rob Ferreri
Hallow-Reads | Grim Vol 1: Teen Spirit by Nicholas Meece
Book Review | ‘Leech Girl Lives’
Review | Put Me In The Story – Star Wars: The Force Inside
REEDPOP Opens New Chapter For BookCon With Star-Studded Chicago Event!
Crysis 2 and Syndicate Writer Richard Morgan Launches New Dark Fantasy Gamebook
With the initial run of DC’s new 52 wrapping up, many questions about this new universe that have yet to be answered. The fates of many popular characters are still up in the air, not only in regards to their existence, but their origin! One example would be Karen Starr, or as she is more commonly referred to, Power Girl. With lasts weeks release of Mister Terrific, we did get a whiff of this universes version of Karen Starr; but whether or not she is even a superhero, let alone Kara Zor-L from Earth 2, has yet to be answered. Luckily, for us, DC has just released solicits for the month of December, and some of these questions are being answered, not a lot however.
REVIEW | The Batman Who Laughs – #1
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #4
Review | The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
Emerald City Conversation with Jen Wang
REVIEW | Doomsday Clock #2
