Broken Infinite TV: Comic Book Crave (#10)

It is back. Comic book cartoons and shows for your enjoyment. It is time to get your power rings, swords, guns or capes and spring into action. It's Comic Book Crave and it starts ... NOW:

Broken Infinite TV: Comic Book Crave (Vol. 1, #8)

Comic Book Crave Returns. After a week off due to the holiday, it is back and ready for more. Get ready for great comic book action & adventure.

Broken Infinite TV: Comic Book Crave (Vol . #1, #7)

With Astonishing X-Men done for now, Comic Book Crave has a bit of an overhaul. The classic 90s X-Men show joins the roster alongside The Tick, Incredible Hulk, Nightman & Justice League. With our standard shows of Ruby Spears Superman, Static Shock, WildCats, Savage Dragon, Avengers EMH, Teen Titans & Spectacular Spiderman It is a bold, new Comic Book Crave. NOW!

Countdown: Top 25 Best Comic Book Cartoon Openings!

 I needed a week off from doing news. I wanted to do something a little different during this past holiday. And I think I found it.

   Many of us are fans of comic books to the point that we are gonna die comic book fans. And as television became such a big part of comic book medium in general, studios began to pump out more and more cartoons. And Maaaaaaaaaaaannnnnn . . .  there have been a LOT of comic book cartoons. And some cartoons from the most surprising places.

  The following is my list of personal favorite Comic book Cartoon Openings. And since there are cartoon openings, there will be no sign of the live action Adam West Batman theme or Wonder Woman theme here. Yet, this will have some very interesting shows. We have several incarnations of a team and two of the most recognized heroes on the planet. These are measured by song, popularity of the show, popularity of the character, popularity of the song, arrangement and content of the opening. So sit back, relax . . . smell the nostalgia. Welcome to My . . .


 TOP 25 BEST COMIC BOOK CARTOON OPENINGS


by Frankie Rodriguez

25) - THE MIGHTY THOR  (1966)

    Okay. It's only 20 seconds. And you see rainbows for a nice chunk of it. You see Asgard. And it is pretty old. Yes.  Now watch it again. Seriously . . . And listen this time.

Cross the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard where the blooming heavens roar
You'll be held in Breathless wonder, the God of Thunder, Mighty Thor 

  The fact that it shows where Thor came from, shows us some lightning and thunder was a big plus. The choir singing this song was very good at giving itself a mystical feel to their singing. They acknowledge that Thor is supposed to be this amazing character . . . from a place with a rainbow bridge. Sure, laugh it up but the song tells us we will be in breathless wonder from this God of Thunder and how close to Jack Kirby art that Thor looked . . . that was amazing. It gave people just enough to want to see and hear more of Thor.

Unfortunately, it's a very short opening and could have used a bit more meat to it. Which it is why it is on our final spot. Still . . . if you want to see more, look up episodes on Youtube and see the Mighty Thor!! (you know, cause he's dead in the comics for now)


24) WITCHBLADE (2006) - XTC by Psychic Lover 

     Top Cow's only entrant in our illustrious countdown. The opening is a nicely dark & haunting, while being sexy and violent all in one foul swoop. The images of the latest bearer of the Witchblade, Masane Amaha, is in a ravaged japan dealing with her new powers while being a single mother to her daughter, Rihoko. The opening shows us the dangers that she must face but also how the Witchblade has somewhat changes Masane, making her go through an actual internal struggle. The dark rock mixed with the hard and more upbeat chorus really helps work with the visuals and Masane's struggle. The fact that the song, XTC, is done by pop J-rock band Psychic Lover, who is known for anime & sentai openings (Yugioh GX opening, Boukenger Opening & Closing, etc.)

 As to why it's 24? Well, it only lasted a single season and it is not even about the Witchblade bearer that we  know. It's a whole new character with little connecting her to her predecessors other than the Witchblade itself. That and the show met with minimum popularity. This is done again in this countdown but in a much better way. But still, when Masane in full Witchblade gear comes at you for her XTC . . . you'd better give it to her.


23) SILVER SURFER (1996)

   Marvel Strikes again with this theme. This orchestral theme really works for Silver Surfer, giving depth to the vast space that he is part of and gives food to his master, Galactus. The art mixes computer generation well with the cell animation, just giving you the feeling that this was gonna be EPIC.

The Problem? Make that Problems. First, there are very few visuals in the 30 second opening. Seriously, we see more of Galactus and Silver Surfer than anything else in that period. And lots and lots of space. Silver Surfer should be in space yes but for the love . . . give us a little more of his rogues gallery or something. And  it being only 30 seconds hurts what could have easily been a theme for the ages.  Despite that, it does give a great epic feel and vastness of space.


22) ULTRAFORCE  (1995)

 Who are Ultraforce you say? Don't know who they are you say? Back when comics was in a big boom, Malibu comics had licensed out their characters for a cartoon. And it lasted . . . a season. One Season. Yep. Tanked. But still, this opening is incredible. The music is fast and interesting, giving this group its own feel. The characters are introduced to you, not through song but through visuals . . . which include their own names, moods and power sets explained and the art for it was amazing . ..  noting that there was definite George Perez influence, the man who original penciled Ultraforce when it first came out back in 1994, used for the art. The problem with this that one, you might not even know who they are . . . and 2, this was already done MUCH better. But you will see that later in the countdown. Still, if you want to take a look at a team from Malibu's Ultraverse, this would be it.


21) SUPER FRIENDS (1973)

     Well, I know there are gonna be some controversy with this. The first DC entry and its the Superfriends. This iconic theme . . . all the way down in 21. But you ask . . . why? oh why? It's awesome. Yes it is awesome. It is iconic since they used a variation of it for 11 years. But here is my issue with this theme; while it works great with the animation, the fact that we are being told what they do works against it, not for it like Thor. Second, while visually appealing, the music gives Epic when I see campy and laughable. Sure, it was the 70s and all but still, you got big superheroes and two kids that don't seem to know what they are doing. Where is child services? Sigh. Still, this is ICONIC and good to listen to. It was used better later on but the damage had been done.

20) BLADE (2011)

     Okay. Okay. I know I know. I can hear the "are you kidding me"s from here. But make no mistake, this show has one brilliantly epic theme behind it. The techno rock opening to the anime has a look and feel of the live action movies. It flows with the visuals well. And Blade looks a lot like his comic book counter part. It is amazing how well it looks. The downside . . . well, some of the vampires look a little more special than others, which can be confusing. And while the visuals synch up, I am still a little confused on some of them. Still, it is full of awesome and win which makes it get here. Kudos to Marvel & Madhouse for making a great theme to a character that should be getting more play in the comics . . . and yes, that is another reason why it is lower on the countdown.


19) IRON MAN (SEASON 2-1994)

   Surprise. Surprise. You were thinking I would say his latest cartoon Armored Adventures or even the new anime. WRONG! What those and the first season of this show's theme lacked, this opening makes up for in spades. The sound of "I Am" with Tony Stark, damaged heart & all, pounding on steel to make new arm to the great guitar solo in the opening, this opening showed Tony's ingenuity, his sense of duty, his intelligence and how manly and awesome Tony Stark can be. We saw Tony build an armor, put it together, displayed his various other armors, him putting it on and then fly off like it was nothing. THAT IS AWESOME!

Yet the problem was is that this show was cancelled after this season. That and the fact that we didn't get to see Rhodey at all, who is a supporting cast member of the show. Such a shame for Iron Man getting cancelled, for it and Fantastic Four's second seasons during the 90s were so much better than their first seasons. Cest la vie. But if you are a man and you like Iron Man, this is the opening for you.


18) TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1987)

 Wait. Wait. Don't kill me. Stop booing me. I know a LOT of you fans like this old theme. Some of you are like, BLASPHEMER. Allow me to explain. This song was fun, charged with energy and full of exciting adventure and action with 4 teenaged turtles who were ninjas. And they were fighting against a group called the foot and an alien brain named Krang.

The opening was catchy and addictive and they used it for YEARS. The original show lasted about a decade on tv. Yes . . .THAT LONG. My problem with the theme steams from a couple of things . . .

1 - How are they ninjas when they have multicolored scarfs . . . some that can be seen easily at night.

2 -  Why do we need them showing off their weapons while standing still.

3 - We are told more than shown that they are the worlds most fearsome fighting teens.

And

Finally - IT IS A BASTARDIZATION OF THE ORIGINAL WORK!!!

 I am sorry if I am getting people made but this old cartoon was a joke. Sure it was fun to watch. I know I did but seriously . . . Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has always been, according to co-creator Kevin Eastman, a love letter to Daredevil. Think about it. And does THIS look like a love letter to Daredevil or its original product? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Still, the opening is kind of infectious which is why its number 18 on the countdown.


17) WILDC.A.T.S. (1995)

  I know. You are probably laughing. Go ahead. You got it out of your system? Yeah? Good. Why does this rate higher than some of the others. Honestly, there are several reasons. The song is actually kinda of catchy for the most part. The art style is doing its best to do Jim Lee come to life. The opening has a lot of good action that makes you interested. You see the major players. You see the main characters. You get very little of the heroes thanks to the rap . . Oh the rap. *sigh*

  Okay. The rap is BAD. Just very bad. And while the animation looks okay, there are some hiccups here and there. And the song is more nonsensical than it really should be. We know they are heroes. And that is pretty much it. We hear how awesome they are and they show it but . . . eh . . . Still, the tune is catchy and will stay with you.


16) X-MEN (ANIME -2011)

   Epic. JUST EPIC! EPIC! That is what this opening is. With its orchestra, stunning visuals and great pace, we get to see the X-Men in a brand new way. Taking notes from Grant Morrison, the look of the X-Men is very much like his new X-MEN run with some changes. Plus, the little notes on the characters are appreciated. You can tell that this was gonna be a great epic like none other.

 The problem is that people who don't know X-Men are gonna be confused as to who they are fighting and why. The villains are never really revealed until you watch the show which is a double edged sword for this show. Plus, with all the epic, we got names for all the good guys . . . why not the bad guys? And Emma Frost & Armor are main characters but their names are not up on their. Overall, a great way to kick off this new anime.


15) THE BATMAN (SEASON 1) 

    When this show first was announce, I, like many fans, were skeptical. It was definitely very different from the Bruce Timm beloved Batman Animated series which still hold roots today. This show was different. From look to feel. Yet it was a bit more frightening at times . . . at least it was with this theme. This theme definitely gave you a much darker Gotham City. More violent. And the visuals were definitely giving that off. The guitar of this song, by legendary guitarist, U2's The Edge, was soulful, horrific and dark in a way that pounded at your soul. Thus creating a darker Batman.

Unfortunately, the soul wasn't quite living up to that darker side after a while and this theme was dropped after the first season. The theme was so good that it felt as if it might not even belong with this show. And that is why it goes down but still . . . with the frightening whisper of "The Batman" at the end of the song, you will remember this theme.


14) TEEN TITANS (2003)

    Yay! Teen Titans! Go! Teen Titans! GO! This unbridled joy of the song is part of its infectiousness. You listen to it and you bob your head. You start trying to sing it. You enjoy it and the visuals of their name constantly bombarding you alongside just the stars of our show . . . and only the stars of the show and their base. The style is great and visuals are sweet while awesome.
  The problem is the song itself. We all know that it is two japanese j pop artists (Puffy Ami Yumi) doing the song in English and we got Engrish. And that wouldn't be bad but to this day . . . I still don't understand the second part of the second verse. Seriously. I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD. Plus, the whole lack of what they are fighting is a little . . . interesting at times. And while the designs of the Titans go from awesome to what the frell, over all, this is a great . . .sweet, sugary pop theme that will make you have cavities in seconds.

13) INCREDIBLE HULK (1996) 

   How appropriate a number for one of the most interesting and unlucky characters of the Marvel Universe. Bruce Banner has to go through so much. And This theme shows that in spades. With a great instrumental going with the visuals that start slow but pick up and add on and on till you are bombarded, much like the Hulk is. It is an incredible opening that just grabs you in and holds on to you through a ride.

Unfortunately, the bombardment is a bit much when it comes to the opening. It feels as if you are suffocating with the Hulk, even after he smashes through stuff. And while the instrumental is great and fits so well, it is the visual sensory overload that takes this theme down. That and the fact that this opening was only one for a single season till they toned it down with some She-Hulk. Otherwise, Hulk would be sitting on the top.


12)  FANTASTIC FOUR (SEASON 2 -1994)

 

The Fantastic Four have have Various incarnations in cartoon form over the years. Yet, this particular season, the second season of the Fantastic Four from the 90s which had better art, better story telling and wonderful episodes that could be held up against its source material. This opening reflected so much in so little time.
   The joy that comes from this teams exploration. The EPIC villains they have with that giant sized Dr. Doom, they're differences in powers and personalities as well as them being a family that have been together for a while.
  Each of this are so well done that make this theme nearly perfect for the team. And while it is pretty great for the Fantastic Four, one of its biggest problems was that it sounded . . .dated. While I am all for using older material told today, the sound of your theme should not sound as old as your parents. That coupled with the fact that this theme was only used for this one last season . . . brings it down a bit but Marvel's First Family still has one of the greatest cartoon themes of all time in my mind.


11 )  STATIC SHOCK (SEASON 1 OPENING)

 

  This is pure nostalgia for me in multiple ways. Bruce Timm involved. Dwayne McDuffie one of the writers and over looked the show, as well as one of the characters creators. This show was gonna be great as a major fan of the Milestone line of books. And How I loved Static as a character. This opening was such a great introduction to a character that, once again, went a lot farther along than most people thought. The opening gave us great uses of his powers, a bit of his life at home and him being the smart hero as it is while giving us the background of his urban home of Dakota. This opening caputured that well yet there just seemed to be something missing.
  It is not a bad theme and I love listening to it. I guess I wanted a little more from Static's theme. The theme just needed a little more . . .and I don't mean Lil Romeo. Otherwise, this theme would topped the charts with ease.


10) BATMAN BEYOND 

 Oh man! THIS THEME . . IS  . . AWESOME!! The guitar with the techno, making a dark yet powerful blend to the ears. The Animation showing a very different and darker future for Gotham City that needs a new Batman. Our new hero, rising out of his own tragedy to take the mantle. The original hero still there, older. The grainy animation added to the mystique of the opening. With a great beat that will not leave your head, you will listen to this over and over again.

This is taking a classic character and doing them justice with a new face. And that is why this theme does so much better than other themes similar to it . . . like Witchblade. The only real pit fall to it is that sometime you can see how overly stylized it gets in the opening, which detracts from the music. Otherwise, get ready to go Beyond with Batman Beyond.


9) SPECTACULAR SPIDERMAN

 This series was severely underrated and under appreciated by the networks. And this opening was no different. It has a great simplicity with its lyrics that are easy to follow with a great sound. The visuals were appealing. And a great way to see his origin and his supporting characters along with the beat of the music.

What brings this opening down is the fact how I can understand how the guitar is supposed to mimic a spider in some sense but it gives the series a darker feeling than it should. Other than that, this is a great theme and recommend it to anyone. Sorry Hector for not choosing the 90s theme. This one is better.


8) SUPERMAN (1988)

I love this theme. It is so epic. Fits with Superman so well. And the announcer is saying stuff we all know about Superman with some stunning visuals going on. This is a near flawless opening. Seriously, it is EPIC and AWESOME.

The problem is that we've heard it before in all the Superman movies from the late 70s, early 80s. Seriously . . . it is the same main theme of Superman from the movies. Not that it is a bad thing. It is smart marketing. Still, they had a chance to give the cartoon its own brand here and they didn't take advantage of it. Ah well. Next time Superman. *hears knock, goes to open* Oh hey Geo! What's up? *hear a punch and me going through a window. I land on the ground and look up for a moment* I'm . . . sorry.


7)  BLACK PANTHER (2010) 

   When I first heard this theme and saw the opening, I was hooked. I wanted to know more and loved what I was seeing and hearing. The rendering of John Romita Jrs. art as animation with the music was done perfect. The visuals were all interesting and beautiful, giving way to its rich African roots. Getting an idea of both the cast, its surroundings along with the actors and actresses was very smart. The opening flows very well. The music is a great representation of Wakanda, mix traditional and ancient traditions with technology today, mixing tribal with hip hop flawlessly.

 The only reason it is not high is cause it is more recent and the fact that the show only last 6 episodes. Tis a shame. But this theme will live on in infamy and holds a special place in my heart. Now to listen to it as I dance . . .


6) SPAWN (1998)

  This cartoon broke new ground. It was almost exactly like the cartoon with its violence, sex and dark, yet rich visuals. Making full use of the ideals set in the comic, this opening was very much Spawn come to life. The style was similar to Todd McFarlene's, his creator and original artist, that it worked well yet still different that it did not hinder the animation.

  This opening was mysterious, full of dark imagery and haunting things . . . like Al Simmons burnt face. And let me tell you . . . this opening scared the crap out of me. Seriously, this opening had me scared from the world go but I loved every second of it. It is so simplistic that it lets you have just enough to draw you in.

The only real problem was that it felt too simplistic in letting me imagine and I would think about not watching it cause I was scared. There. I admit. But one listen and look at this opening and you will know why.

5)  SPIDERMAN (1966) 

   Talk about Iconic themes. You look at the opening and you see him swinging his web and going from one place to another. Spiderman! You probably know the words. Your parents know the words. Everyone you know knows the worlds. Your future wife or husband knows the words to the song. It is catchy and accurate. The opening itself allows you to see Spiderman swing around.

Which gets me to why I put it in #5. Did you remember how the opening looked like BEFORE you pressed play on here? Did you? Me neither. The song transcended the opening animation. And that is a great accomplishment but you don't remember the opening other than the song makes you wonder what was there and that is why this theme is #5.


4) JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED (2004)

   This theme was awesome. It started off with a great orchestra building up to a great guitar with a symphony. And bang, you are in for it. And with the pictures of any episode in between some stunning Timm designed characters of the DC Universe on there, you were just glued. The fact that parts of the opening changed every episode kept the opening fresh. And that fact that there was a variable cast of thousands.

You see all the main leagues from Justice League plus a bunch of new members. Yet, with all that, the downfall of this opening is its strength. Depending on the visuals they used, they either enhanced the opening or spoiled it for you. Sometimes, you were feeling very excited, other times . . . the opening made you blah.
Other than that, this show's opening is still among the very best that I remember fondly at our #4.

3) AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES (2010)

 I will be honest. This song was a surprise. When they announced the show, I expected some kind of general instrumental. Then I saw and heard the opening for this show. And my is it GLORIOUS!!! The lyrics work so well for the Avengers as the visuals show each Avenger in a place of origin while Iron Man is looking at them then they get together and when you hear "Avengers Assemble", you lose your mind in excitement as the song kicks up its chorus.

 The fact that the song can work on its on as a single on its own is nearly unheard of in the US but common practice to shows in Japan. This visuals of the group fighting then getting together get you excited with the group shot at the end. It makes it all worth it.

The only reason this didn't top the countdown is cause of how overly effect the top 2 songs are. Yet, given time, this song might over take them.

2) X- MEN (1993)

   It is a safe bet that most people, unless they are under the age of 18, know the X-Men cartoon theme from the 90s. It has been heard millions of times since then. So much so that many people think of it whenever they see something dealing with the X-Men and have not forgotten it. The instrumentals working at a great pace at first but builds and builds and builds and explodes at the end. You see the characters get introduced with names and an idea of their powers. You see some of their enemies. This show's theme and opening has been so greatly revered, it has not left most people's minds.

The only reason why it did not top the countdown is cause the #1 is THAT MUCH MORE PERFECT & MEMORABLE.


 ....

THE NUMBER 1 TOP COMIC BOOK CARTOON THEME OF ALL TIME IS . . .



. . .

1)  BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (1992) 

  You should have guessed it. But yes. It is none other than Bruce Timm's great creation that still holds threads today. This theme started not just the long and GLORIOUS dealings of us having Kevin Conroy as Batman & Mark Hammill as the Joker . . . it started a DYNASTY of themes. Justice League Unlimited, Static Shock, Batman Beyond could NOT have been here if it weren't for this opening. So beloved that this theme was worked into Batman Movies and used over and over and over and over again throughout the DC animated universe.

 Anyone who has seen this opening remembers it. It still plays now on the Hub and other channels. You want to see who Batman is, watch the opening. Want to know how Gotham City is like? Watch the opening. Want to know how Epic Batman is . . . WATCH THE OPENING. It gives you just enough to want more and be hooked. The theme's orchastra gives a perfect blend of music to work with Batman's actions as well as visuals. Even after nearly 20 years now . . . I have not forgotten this theme. Have you?  . . . See what I mean.

 It is so grand and epic to work with a man dressed in a bat suit and it does perfectly. Thus why it is my number 1 pick for Top 25 Comic Book Cartoon Openings of all time.

Hope you enjoyed this special as I enjoyed writing it. This is Frankie Rodriguez saying thank you, good bye and good night.

Comic Book Crave (# 2, Volume 1)

It's more comic book cartoons and features.

Featuring: Astonishing X-Men Gifted episode 2, WildCATS episode 2,Savage Dragon episode 1, Superman: Red Son, Spectacular Spiderman episode 2, Static Shock episode 2, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode 2, Teen Titans episode 2, Spawn episode 2 & The full length Spiderwoman motion comic

#25 - STATIC SHOCK: STATIC TAKES MANHATTAN OR WAS IT QUEENS?

Hey Clashers! Hector here coming at you with my thoughts on the first three issues of Static Shock. Ok! So Virgil and his family have just moved from Dakota to New York and Virgil has an internship with STAR labs. First day on the job, an experimental flight suit is stolen and the pilot/thief loses control. Enter Static, who manages to bring the situation under control only to see the pilot sniped right in front of him. Afraid of what the pilot might have told Static, the Slate Gang is sent after him.  Going along with them is a being named Virule; an energy based creature of some sort. After multiple confrontations, Static manages to turn Virule into sludge.

 This was a good intro to the new series. It introduced both Static and Virgil into the mix of things as well as the Slate Gang. It definitely had some setups for future storylines; like what’s going on with the theft of all this technology? Who’s this Pale face guy and what’s his connection to the Joke,r if any? Being a fan of the Static Shock cartoon on Kids WB, I’m liking the direction this series is going in and having Hardware as his mentor was pretty cool; didn’t see that coming at all. One complaint though. What up with Virgil’s sister dealing with a Ben Reilly complex I mean really DC. It’s one thing putting Clark Kent on Peter Parker’s level with the crappy apartment and all but ripping off the Clone saga for a side story come on. Well that’s all for now folks. Until next time friends, keep clashing!

EXCLUSIVE!: BLOOD SYNDICATE RERUN by Ivan Velez Jr

Okay folks. There will not be any news this week. I have been away this past week due to my birthday. As such, I wanted to do something special for the blog; which has become a significant part of my life. Many people in my life know that I was a HUGE fan of Milestone comics when they were out. And my favorite was Blood Syndicate. Now instead of me ranting on and on about how much I love the book; I am gonna give you all an exclusive look at that book and Milestone at that time. Yet, it won't be me telling this tale. This . . . this will be under the pen of Blood Syndicate writer Ivan Velez Jr himself. And yes . ..  I did have several geek out moments when he email this to me.  So ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Ivan Velez Jr's Blood Syndicate Rerun.
_____

BLOOD SYNDICATE: RERUN

When Dwayne gave me a shot to write for the Milestone Bible, I was asked to focus on Paris Islandand the Blood Syndicate’s playing ground. Being raised in the South Bronx at the height of the gang system and a crumbling infra-structure (the 60s to the 70s was not funny on Vyse Avenue) gave me a little heads up on writing realistic disenfranchised teen gang members. I felt like I knew what I was writing about. The thing about the gangs of NY back then is that each neighborhood had their own flavors and colors. The Irish, the German, the South American, the Puerto Ricans, the Blacks, the Chinese, the South Asian, the Caribbean blacks… they all had their ‘brand’, and that’s what they fought about; turf and identity. When I saw the sketches and names of the Blood Syndicate (all Black and without personality), I knew I had some work to do. If Milestone was going to be about diversity, then I better get to work on diversifying the Blood Syndicate.

By the way, I didn’t know that I couldn’t and shouldn’t change things around. I just did, and the bosses didn’t seem to mind. Everything went by them, and I was enjoying a really big swell of inspiration and artistic freedom. When I see how things are done these days, I realize how unusual and frowned upon that is for a newcomer like me. I was very lucky.

So, I changed some of the characters around. The giant male Brick became the giant female Brickhouse, complete with steel rods out of her hair. Denys Cowan, the designer of the Milestone team, created the final look for her, but I contrived the future storyline to make her revert closer to my original sketches. Brick was a big force of nature that was too angry and confused to be really effective on her own. Fade and Flashback became dark Dominicans who each had an overwhelming secret which caused them to act out. Tech-9 became a cocky and charismatic Puerto Rican who was beloved and hated by the others (the mandate to kill him off was decided even before the bible was finished, since his power of undying pistol fire was reprehensible).  Third Rail’s first name was Livewire, but I think another character had been created in one of the Batman or Supes cartoons, so we changed it. Third Rail turned out to be Korean, and had father issues, and was secretly a small kid who used his power to be a big powerful kid. The whole team was going to become about secrets. I changed his look to be less 90s rocker and more like a kid who uses a lot of black electrical tape to see how far he can stretch it. Wise Son did not change much (at least his look). I had seen this guy around the block most of my life. It was going to be a pleasure to write him. There was a drippy, zombie type in the background who was going to be joining the group later on. I liked the monster idea, but his look was not fun, I thought. I was hoping we’d never really use him, so I avoided him until the end. Masquerade looked like a Bob Marley type complete with overgrown dreads, colorful hat and shades. I kept him Caribbean (Haitian rather than Jamaican) and made him transgender. What better way to deal with TG issues than with a shape-shifter born woman who wants to be a man. And what a great secret! Not even the audience had to know until mid-run. Holocaust was just perfect as he was. His anger was his selling point, and all we needed was to dig in and root out some of the cause.

Then I started adding. 

I liked the idea of a talking dog. In the Dakota-verse, anything was possible, and the bratty mutt from A BOY AND HIS DOG was one of my favorite characters. Dwayne seemed into him as well.  Dogg’s original name was going to be Mutt, and he was going to be a black German Sheppard type, but I wanted him to be more puppy-like so the words out of his mouth would be more jarring. The final look came for Dogg after Chris Cross (the guy who drew more BS than anyone) just decided on the generic brown dog look. It worked really well. 

Kwai came from a team that I was toying with before I met Dwayne and the others came after my first experience tabling at one of the NYC comic conventions. My friend, Howard Cruse, asked me to sit with him and show off my TALES books. I noticed that, while there were many people of color in the audience, the professionals were almost 100 percent white. Then I made the connections about the amount of characters in comics who were of color, and realized that there was a deep connection. People write about what they know. People must also hire the same way. Of course I was working for Hetrick-Martin, the gay youth agency, at the time, and I was so deep in that social worker souped-up-enlightenment frame of mind. For fun, I sketched my own team up and started playing with a 20s look, and a superhero history that included characters of color, and how they dealt with the same repression and racism their non-powered counterparts would feel.  The Color Purple was fresh on my mind. Man… I was so influenced by pop culture back then. Still am. The kung fu flicks of my childhood were being replaced by the Wuxia magic power of the Hong Kong studio. Tragically beautiful women would fly in a swirl of magical cloth and hair. Kwai was born of that. Denys created a rocker look to her that was all wrong for the final bible. I kept her closer to my original sketches, and added the pagoda shoulder wings. I was very proud of her design, and Chris was very faithful in reproducing her in the 8^th issue of BS, a book that presented an iconic image that I’ve seen many times on home-made tees and jackets; Kwai flying out into the world. I also had a Louisiana super woman named Diva, whom Dwayne wanted to use for Icon. I lent her out, figuring I would have a chance to use her again, and even connect Fade to this team from the past.  I also had a soft spoken flower-powered Cuban woman, and a southern Black dynamo with exploding hands… and I am grateful I did not use them in the book or they would be lost to me like my beloved Kwai and Diva.

Uh, ok, moving on. 

I thought we needed a Spanish speaker… someone with no English to reflect the immigrant experience, especially since I established that Paris Island was a haven for new immigrants from all over the world (which reflected what I knew about the Bronx). She would represent one of the Spanish gangs, and be very dangerous… and very Latina. Her powers would be water based. At first AquaMaria was going to look small and squat… much like an Ecuadorean or Peruvian immigrant. She even had a blow hole (my connection to water-based creatures). Denys took one look at my sketch for her and put a stop to that. He preferred making her more ethereal. The Abyss had just come out, and he loved that water plume that mimicked people’s faces. He thought she should look like that. So he designed her watery body, and was spot on. Chris, of course, made her bubblier… but she was beautiful enough to be worshipped… a living personification of Yemaya, which is what I considered her from then on. 

I created a villain for the book, someone to really work them. The team was so enamored of their ‘rep’ and secrets, so what better foil than a creature who can ‘read them to shreds’.Demon Fox came out of those great HK flicks which presented demons as beautiful temptress foxes… but her real form would be as hideous and puny as her/his soul. And why make her/him a woman…why not a dual-gendered creature? Thus, he/she was spoken about in dual terms.  I was very proud of my design for him/her… and Chris did a great job of making her/him majestic and scary.

Other characters I was proud of were Wise Son’s family, especially Cornelia, his little sister, and his not much younger son, Edmund. They were a great team, and had powers as well (sort of a combo of the purple crayon and the wardrobe). I would have loved to spin them off or do a storyline that featured them a bit more. I was planning a whole OZ storyline too. Sigh.  ORO came out of the Shadow Cabinet crossover we did around #10. It was a great chance to create another Latino character (Cuban to fit his pride), and someone I could imagine would be hot enough to cause confusion between Fade and Flashback. He had my second best costume design ever. Bad Betty was a sort of Astro Boy as a lesbian construct.She was designed after Sharon Cho, the coolest comic book agent ever. Iotacame from the same storyline, and she was my version of an adventuring Atom slash Catwoman ala Penelope Pitstop. I was very proud of her, because every little aspect of her just seemed to work. Chris did a great design for her. Kuka was one of my finest creations. She was a transgendered Latinain a wheelchair, and she was fabulous. She, of course, had her own ‘house’, a group of affiliated gays, lesbians and tgs who formed a strong family. And she created fabulous costumes for the local heroes. The one thing I really have to thank Milestone is for the chance to introduce not only Latins and Latinas of different colors and hues, but issues and concepts pertaining to difference of sexuality and orientation as well. They were groundbreaking that way, and got no press for it.  

So let’s see… who’s left?

Ah… besides some characters for S.Y.S.T.E.M. and creating the matriarchal structure for their org, and designing some of the other later members who never got to shine(TEMPLO and MISTRESS MERCY), I guess we should talk about Boogieman. He was that sewer crawling creepy guy that was kept in the background. Well… it was time to add him since he was going to debut in the 3^rd issue. There was a mandate from DC that we needed a white character. Of course that was going to happen, but it was surprising to hear it said out loud. So, we started thinking. I came up with some sketches and a werewolf type guy…make him a rat man. He was going to be the ‘stereotype’ of a hip hop character. He would carry a boom box with him as he travelled the sewers, and that how we knew he was coming, because we’d hear his music. I wanted to make him Marky Mark… and Jewish… all the more to deal with his issues and the whole ‘vermin’ thing from the Holocaust. His issues would be as messed up as everyone else. He’d be a self hating white Jewish boy who would hide his identity to be down with everyone. No one would know but his little buddies, the sewer rats who were enhanced by the Big Bang event (thank you, Secret of Nimh). I was dreading writing this character… but after I sketched him out, I realized that it would be a lot of fun.  I gave him the backwards cap, gold chains and biker shorts (thank you, Vanilla Ice). Denys looked at the sketch and made him beefier and scarier and Boogieman was born. 

Thus, the BS was born.We had a hard time finding the right artist. Trevor Von Eden was the first guy, and he did a great job, but he pulled out after it. I don’t know quite why. I hoped that it wasn’t because there was an openly gay writer on the book, or that there would be gay characters on it as well. It probably had to do with the working schedule and the relationship between him and the partners. James Fry was nice, and interesting. Flashback had real booty… but he wasn’t picked as the leader. Chris Cross came on at the 3^rd book, and did a pretty good job. I voted hard for him, since his characters looked closer to my vision, and they emoted so well... and they were so beautiful. His Fade was more Chris Williams than Ice Tea, and that was fine with me. He was on the book by the time I got full writing credit.Ah, writing credit. Me and the boss were figuring out the storyline and timeline. Marvel style was more about plot and adding dialogue after the art. I liked DC style, which was full script and embellishment after the art. Dwayne was teaching me well, and had me do the dialogue on the second book. By the third I was doing more of everything, and was solo by number 5. 

It was some of the best times in my life.  Even now, with all the sour relationships behind me, I understand how lucky I was to be in the industry at that time, and how very miraculous it was for a nobody like me to work in the company of Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan on such important work. 

More stories about my life at Milestone later on… like the infamous Archie Syndicate story, and the in-house newspaper that blew up race relations in DC Comics all over the place.

___


And that was Ivan Velez Jr. I can't thank him, ChrisCross and other members of Milestone for all their work for them making me believe I can write comics and that diversity isn't just some mandate. More on what Ivan is doing now, check his Facebook page out. Thank you again.

DCnU SPECIAL #2 - What we thought of WEEK 2 Comics?

Last week was considered week one.  This is week two with 13 titles had come out and we've got a LOT of opinions from different people on it. 

Here we go:

ACTION COMICS

Jake Estrada of Estrada Media in Melbourne, FL

Now this comic showed us a very young Superman that was out to take on the world in general. If you are bad, fat and out right rotten Superman is for the people here. He doesn’t take any crap, and he has the moves. I did love Rags Morales artwork, it was fresh, lavish and it gave us this boyish man that the people loved. Now we were also introduced to a Lex Luthor that worked for the government and had a clear disdain for Superman, and was willing to do anything to get his mark.

Wilson Sam of London, UK

With Action comics I was expecting great things with Grant Morrison,one of my favourite writers.And he did not disappoint.The first issue was a great solid read.This Superman was fun,young,righteous and cool.A cape,a T shirt,blue jeans and an attitude is what I got and I'm craving for more.It was a easy quick read but full of,well,action and Grant Morrisons witty banter.The train sequence was awesome.Rags Morales was on fire.Loved every panel,especially pages 4 and 5 where Superman is on top of the building.Mr Morales should have been a superstar.After this,he will be.Grant Morrison is having fun with Superman and so am i. More please.

ANIMAL MAN

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

The opening of the issue was very engaging as it opened to a newspaper article giving you a brief of synopsis of Animal Man and what he has done. The artwork by Trevor Foreman was very powerful and engaging and it fit with the title well. It gave us an interesting take on a great character that was once written by Grant Morrison. Lemire has taken a page from Grant Morrison, and appears to be forging a very intriguing road here with Animal Man

G. Williams of Hamstead, NY

 I liked it but it has the feel of a Vertigo title than a DC title. This book hit the ground running with a great first issue and I look forward to the next one

BATGIRL

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

Probably the book that inspired the most upset ,outrage, and out and out fan emotion, Batgirl was always going to be a hard sell. Taking a beloved character a like Barbara Gordon and canceling out the history that turned her into the fan favorite techno goddess “Oracle” was a risky move bring her back to her Batgirl roots, but leave it to the talents of Gail Simone to turn lemons into lemonade, and what a sweet sweet flavor of lemonade it is.

Gail has written a story that is as kinetic as the Adrian Syaf’s artwork. She manages to fit in the main story, a introduction of our main character and some of her history. The art simply flows from page to page and I can’t stress enough that the panels have backgrounds. When you read these stories from a view of reviewing them it is amazing the things you see or rather what you don’t see. Batgirl is also one of the few NU52 that manages to feel that the story it’s told is a complete chapter to a story and that the story didn’t just stop because the writer ran out of pages.

Honestly this is in my opinion the best NU52 book that has come out so far and I plan on

sticking around to see how all this turns out.

Jake Estrada of Melbourne,FL

Now Batgirl was a great title. My initial things on the character was very low, but what made this interesting was that they kept the part where the Joker shot Barbara as canon and it made the story much more powerful. It gave us a brief explanation that she had gotten better, and that she was not back in action as Batgirl. It was fast and engaging and it kept me glued to the pages til the very end.

BATWING

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

  Batwing was one of those titles that was mocked out. " look at his purple and green (blue) armor. Who is gonna want to pick that up," said a member of the J1 crew. Well, they changed the color of the armor (thank fully) and introduced us to a taste of David Zavimbe's world . . . and it's gore, dark . . . and cool. I want to know more about the Republic of Congo, David's life as a police office for Tinsha and more about Tinsha, Batwing's city, itself. And Ben Oliver is drawing the book of his career here. The realism to some of his picks are absolutely stunning. 

Louis Laughton of Chicago, IL

Winick’s writing for this issue suffers a little from being too quick to get all the pieces into play. This issue moves fast issue. We’re briefly introduced to two supporting cast members, get two dust-ups, two piles of corpses, and even a taste of Africa’s superhero history. Massacre is built up as a very convincing threat.  Even with some of the villains introduced, Massacre has more than lived up to his name within this first issue alone. But all this doesn’t leave much time for learning about David Zavimbe himself. He’s an officer in the local police, he has a suit of Batarmor, a Batcave and a Batfriend; but who is he beyond all that? Ben Oliver’s art is very slick, and pairs well with Brian Reber’s colors. The layout is edgy and nontraditional, matching the energetic pace of the story. As he makes abundantly clear from the backup interview, Oliver is extremely jazzed about illustrating Batwing’s armor. This is particularly important in light of Batwing’s wafer-thin introduction back in the old DCU. He’s the ‘African Batman’ , but what does that mean?

DETECTIVE COMICS

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

 The artwork was beautiful and it gave us the introduction of Batman and Joker at it again. Now the story felt kind of flat, but the art did help make the story move and kept my attention glued to the story the entire time to see what happened next. I will say this though there was very little detective here, just pure Batman fisticuffs’.

GREEN ARROW

D. Jones of Brooklyn, NY

Nu52 Green Arrow looks a lot like Smallville Green Arrow to me. Gone is the hippie feel of Oliver Queen, he feels a lot more like a “Dot.Com” millionaire. J.T.Krul manages a decent introduction of who this new Green Arrow is but it comes off a little contrived to me. Most of the story seems to be one big fight. It really left me kind of blah.

The art however is a different story, Dan Jurgens is not a “superstar” artist he is just great as his job. His characters have distinct looks and if everyone ran around the book naked you would still be able to tell them apart. Normally people mention the artist and ignore the inker but it is impossible to ignore George Perez’s inks backing up Dan Jurgens pencils, there like one of those great music duo’s from the 80’s.

While the art is good this was another one of those books that felt like the pacing was off and the writer felt that since the story would run over several books he could leave the writer in story free fall. The art will bring me back but the story is questionable.

G. Williams of Hamstead, NY

I've read Green Arrow. I didn't like it. I feel it is a major detraction from before. While I understand the original Green Arrow was similar to Batman. A millionaire using his money to fund his costumed adventures but now I felt like I was reading about Bruce and Oracle not Ollie and his new crew.

HAWK & DOVE

D. Jones of Brooklyn, NY

It is almost impossible to review this book without bringing your own feelings about Rob

Liefield into the equation, this being Liefield’s return to a monthly book in many years. I will begin with the story, Sterling Gates writes a story that in itself is simplistic but that is not  necessarily a bad thing with it being a first issue and a jumping on point to the “NU52”. Gates throws in the history of the characters and gives us a couple of mysteries to keep us coming back. I guess one of the most confusing things about the NU52 universe is that some things that came before in the old DC universe still exist but others don’t, so I guess we will have to wait and see what parts they kept.

Now back to the Rob Liefield and the art. I asked a couple of non-comic readers who don’t know the history of Mr. Liefield’s work. The words “cheesy”, “bland” and “boring”. To anyone familiar with the history you will be happy to know that Rob has learned to do hands and feet a lot better, but that is the about the best I can say. Body proportions are still off, Dove looks like a female body builder, and backgrounds are almost non-existent.

All in all this book is very reminiscent of the opening days of Image Comics where all the new books hit the stand like throwing paint up against the wall and seeing what stuck. For me the book had no distinct voice or brought anything new or exciting to the mix. Maybe that will change when the new creative team takes over (if his past is any indication the book will be late and then he will drop from it all together by issue 7). I say come back then for the real relaunch.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

 I was a huge fan of the JLI when they first came to be and bought the entire original run from the late 80s and 90s. After a great series in JL: Generation Lost, I was wondering how this JLI would stack up. And GOD . . . it did such a great job. Jurgens comes back to some characters he knew very well but adds some new tweeks, letting Booster Gold be the leader that we saw back in JL: Generation Lost but even more confident.  The cast had great voices that gave the team flavor and really gave it's international feel. Although, I ALREADY DO NOT LIKE GODIVA. I want to slap her. That  . . . is good writing. The team got to together, several subplots were put into play and I loved Aaron Lopresti's pencils on the book.

  Truly, JLI seems to start off on the right foot and look forward to more. 

Randall Grayson of Toronto, Canada

JLI, for me, ended up being a big disappointment.  Seeing a team of heroes learn to work with one another on the fly could have been intriguing but writer Dan Jurgens presents a storyline without heart or wonder. You’d expect this part of a companywide relaunch to do something special with its cast of mostly D-list heroes. Aaron Lopresti’s art is at its best when the characters are in close-ups. The detailed, emotive facial expressions are vital to the dialogue-heavy storyline that’s filled with bickering. What you get is a shred of potential and a lot of disappointment. Unfortunate stereotypes abound with non-Americans speaking broken English and lots of ethnocentrism. Justice League International is an insipid comic with filled with uninspiring heroes with nothing worthwhile to offer, except assurance that its many forgettable superheroes are certain to remain forgettable.

MEN OF WAR

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

This was a two for the price of one storyline. For 3.99 it packed a punch and it gave us a modern day Sgt. Rock, it showed us how everyday men are dealing with the superhuman around them and what they would do in this setting. It gave us a true human side to this brave new world that DC has unveiled.

Mike Jentry of San Diego, CA

I will say that Men of War surprised me. It was two well developed stories that seemed to give us a look at how real solders would deal with Writer Ivan Brandon keeps the super heroics to a minimum with just the one (or two shadows) while focusing on this new cast of characters . . . which includes a new version of Sgt. Rock. Not usually into war books but I have to admit that over all with both artists, this was a decent read.  

O.M.A.C.

Candy Warren of Las Vegas, NV

   OMAC was just a bit too weird. I have a lot of respect as a fan of Jack Kirby but this just seemed weird. The main character is nothing more than a puppet. And while the story seemed okay . . . I am not so sure about it. Still . ..  I am intrigued enough to want to know what will happen next but not sure if I am gonna buy it next month. The art was okay but it's Keith Giffen and I am used to his old stuff on Legion of Super Heroes.

Joseph Lester of Memphis, TN

OMAC #1 is awesome and manly. It’s a crazy, over the top, fight-filled story with Keith Giffen giving serious props to the work of Jack Kirby; who created OMAC back in  the 70s. OMAC is a huge blue bruiser with a big mohawk. In this comic, OMAC breaks into the Cadmus Project and bashes his way a mile underground to a secret lab run by science fiction monsters. He punches them a lot.

 By the end of the first issue readers are introduced to a whole ton of weird looking creatures and characters, learn that OMAC is a regular guy . . . a manly guy mind you . . . who gets hijacked by a force outside of his control, and met Brother Eye, a strange space-dwelling thing that seems to know just about everything in the world. It’s a potent mix of madness from back in the Silver Age.

.

STATIC SHOCK

CBC's Hector Ramirez of Philadelphia, PA

So read Static Shock #1 last week, loved it. They have Hardware as his mentor he set Virgil up with his own secret HQ an internship with Star Labs and a background story to protect his secret identity. I’ve been a fan of Static since the cartoon on Kids WB and the changes they made aren’t so major that they make him unfamiliar if anything they make the character more interesting I’m definitely looking forward to following this series.

Wilson Sam of London, UK

I was a huge Milestone fan back in the day .I collected all the titles.With the untimely death of the late,great Dwayne McDuffie I was worried about the future of the Milestone characters.I was a bit sceptical with this 'Static Shock'.Well....it was a good read.Almost reminded me of the Static comics in the past.Virgil is a smart-alec genius who uses his brains to get out of trouble.His family is also an important factor of his life.I love the family interplay,especially with his sister.(sisters,bah).John Rozum is a Milestone writer from way back.For Milestone he wrote Xombi and Kobalt I guess Static is in good hands.The art,hmmm,was a bit too cartoony for my taste.Scott McDaniel can do better but if this is his new style hopefully I'll get use to it.A good read.Bring on issue 2.

STORMWATCH

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

Now I loved the old Stormwatch and when it became the Authority in the original Wildstorm line. This series takes the old name, but uses the old Authority characters in this new world setting. The series threw a lot of plot lines at us, it showed us an angry moon that was willing to kill people and I loved it. I thought the pace was brisk and it had the action that made me what was going to happen next.

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

 As a fan of both Stormwatch & the Authority, this was a joy when it was announced. Once I got this first issue . . . I was amazed. The characters fit seemlessly into the DC Universe. They established a major threat. Had introduced all the characters giving aspects of powers and personalities. Miguel Sepulvada's art was gorgeous, dark and filled with cinematic flair that grabs you and never lets go. Paul Cornell's script and characterizations were interesting, flavored and wonderful to read. I read this first issue TWICE in a row then another 3 times since I bought it. It is THAT good!

SWAMP THING

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

Now Swamp Thing had amazing art, it had an interesting storyline and it felt like a horror story where a man was at odds with his past, and was trying to forget who he was and what he could do. Of course the world did not forget him and it was crawling at him at every inch. The ending which was shocking and engrossing in the end will certainly have me racing back to the comic book shop for the second issue. Very powerful issue to say the least.

Louis Laughton of Chicago, IL

Despite Swamp Thing’s illustrious career, we really do know oh so very little about its human originator, botanist Alec Holland. We all know Swamp Thing had a lot of heart, but does the one inside the monster beat at the same pace as the one inside the man? We may never really know the answer to that. His memories have been colored with years of memories from his dubious existence as a vegetative avatar, with experiences that apparently still linger in his resurrected brain.  All this makes him and us question which thoughts belong to him, and which are residue of the creature he can’t seem to leave behind. People have a conflicted reaction towards the unknown.  The more foreign and unrecognizable something is, the more it plays upon our fears, but the more it also draws our curiosity.  

Snyder works both emotions expertly, consistently offering ideas and scenes that disrupt the sense of familiarity we need for peace of mind.  In other words, he’s getting very good at disturbing you, which may not be the most pleasant feeling in the world, but rather addictive all the same.Can we just straight out classify Paquette as a rising star among DC’s ranks of artists?  The depth of his work gives such life to the characters that instead of seeming “drawn” or “cartoony” and therefore impervious to pain, they take on a sense of fragility.  These characters can be damaged, and so you instantly feel tension for them.  But beyond that, Paquette provides simply some of the most eerily beautiful imagery I’ve seen, pulsing from Fairbairn’s colors.

And those are all the opinions we have on the comics from September 7th. More books come out today (September 14th) and if you want to give your opinion to us, feel free to email us at either j1studio1@gmail.com or francisco.k.rodriguez@gmail.com . . . just have the title of which ever book you are reviewing from today or the next couple weeks in your email. If you do more than one title, feel free to mark it  DCnU # 1 reviews.  That is all for now. See you guys & gals next week with more on this historic event.