Video Wednesday 7/3/13

Sorry about missing video Wednesday last week Infiknights so to make up for it here's 2 videos 

Absolutely love this fight especially the pain tornado

It's okay Will we all would do the same if we could

Interview with Jamal Igle: Ikaricast S5 E6

Jamal's creator owned property

This week's Ikaricast sees xaos and Seraph speaking with Jamal Igle Creator of the upcoming Molly Danger and an artist who's worked on comics for DC and Marvel like Superman, Supergirl. Daredevil, and Iron Man among others. He's also worked on series like Max Steel and Starship Trooper Roughneck Chronicles.

Email us questions, comments, suggestions to theikaricast@gmail.com

News Link:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/09/the-next-xbox-is-reportedly-called-xbox-infinity

Find Jamal at:

http://jamaligle.com

twitter @jamaligle

Jamal is known for working on Supergirl among other things

Our Links:

http://thebrokeninfinite.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ikaricast-Fan-Page/101323973280441

http://fighterxaos.deviantart.com

The video that xaos mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfpVoyANwjU

Download the episode here!

Igle Wants Danger & Needs You to Kickstart It

 A look at Molly Danger herself, made by creator, Jamal Igle.

  Jamal Igle, an artist who is mostly knowing for his run on Supergirl, has become a freelance artist earlier this year. And as such, he has been working on several different books for other companies. Yet, now, he unleashes his latest brainchild, Molly Danger.

   Molly  Danger is a girl who is a super hero who has been protecting the city of Coopersville for the last 20 years. Funny  things are a - she looks 10 years old and b - she's seemingly immortal. Yet, her life is shrouded with mysteries as she makes friends with a boy named Brian; the stepson of a D.A.R.T. pilot who helps keep a close eye on Molly.

   One of the inspirations of creating Molly Danger was the lack of all ages comics here in the United States. Igle wants to change that with give it another title alongside a female hero of a different kind. Igle teamed with   Action Lab Entertainment in order to make a full Molly Danger hardcover a reality. Igle has even stated 8.5 x 12 hardcover, split into 4 books that will come out twice a year. Any extra money for the first book would be used for the second book, so on and so forth.

  To get the full lowdown on Molly Danger, please go to the Molly Danger Kickstarter.

  Many creators in the industry have tweeted, asking for fans to help fund the project including: Gail Simone, Kurt Busiek, Jeremy Whitley and more.

 Any pledges can be from a $1 on up, with each higher pledge leading to more stuff you would get depending on your pledge amount. So please, take a look and make this book a reality. We've got about 9 days left. Please, donate what you can before the deadline.


  And here's a look back at my  interview with him back in February of this year: Jamal Igle Interview

#43- JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: RISE OF ECLIPSO

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: RISE OF ECLIPSO

Justice League of America (volume 2) #54-59 & Batman/Superman Annual #5

Written by James Robinson

Art by Brett Booth, Miguel Sepulvada & Daniel Sampere

DC COMICS

Review by Frankie Rodriguez

 TALE OF THE TAPE

            Welcome Clashers to another grand edition of Comic Book Clash. It’s Justice League Month and there are lots and lots of Justice League books to review. We recently review the current incarnations of the Justice League & Justice League International. I know we said we’d do dark this week BUT … we had a bit of a snag there. So the question becomes, what are we gonna review THIS week. As you already seen, Hector Ramirez reviewed the JLA Foreign Bodies one shot. And what am I gonna do? Well, I am gonna go on the WAY back machine to a year of grand spectacle. A year where the relaunch for DC had not happened yet and Marvel was still on top of sales.

            What am I kidding? I am talking about last year. Back in 2010, after the Cry For Justice miniseries and the firing of the now-late, great Dwayne McDuffie, James Robinson took over the book. And boy … it was different. The Justice League of America was different. At first, it seemed like a great mix of characters from the old Guard: Green Lantern, Red Tornado . .. to obscure characters: Dr. Light, Mon-El , Congorilla & Starman to the next generation: Dick Grayson Batman & Donna Troy. That changed after the first storyline as it moved into a crossover, written completely by Robinson: The Dark Things. It was at this point, the current team was really taking shape as Jade (taking over for Green Lantern), Jesse Quick (a speedster) and Supergirl ( in place of Mon-El) really came together. And while the line up of Batman, Donna Troy, Jade, Jesse Quick, Congorilla, Supergirl, Starman Mikkal Tomas & later Saint Walker do not seem like much .. . Robinson made sure every adventure was as epic and deadly as their predecessors.

            And while many fans were arguing about the line up, I found the line up fascinating. You have people with similar powers of the classic Big 7 but with VERY big and sometimes interesting differences. Jesse Quick is as fast as the Flash but also has super strength. Donna Troy died and came back. Jade’s powers are similar to a Green Lantern but are not from Oa and do not have to be recharged. And Let me point out that Dick Grayson could very well be the greatest team leader in comic book history. He’s lead the Teen Titans, the Titans, the Outsiders and now the JLA … twice. And while I can go on and on about the legimacy of the this league, we are here to talk about the story. And we shall as we embark on this incarnations LAST journey  … against a villain who was once the subject of an all annual storyline in the 90s, a catalyst for Infinite Crisis & even had his own ongoing. Get ready as we go dark for “THE RISE OF ECLIPSO”

CLASH FACTS

            Our storyline starts in issue # 54 with a quick little recap of the current Justice League. After the recap is done … we go to an named about the devil. That sounds like the ultimate vacation spot. We focus in on Bruce Gordon . .. No, he is not Jim Gordon’s son … and no, he is NOT an amalgamation of Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon. Bruce Gordon happens to be the leading solar scientist on the planet. And he’s on the run … from angry natives. That’s what he gets for going to a place called Diablo Island. He calls his long time love (who oddly sports black hair now when it was red before) Mona and tells hints at the occurances that were happening during the Dark Things crossover. See … I tell you thinks we get back to eventually. With heroes, elementals and the planet having issues, Bruce starts feeling himself changing … while the sun is out.

Back Story Breakdown: Eclipso is a being that *normally* only arises during an eclipse.

   But thanks to the Starheart, the thing that made Alan Scott evil and a bunch of other heroes and villains go nuts during Dark Things (which, by the way, this scene starts DURING the Dark Things crossover), Bruce Gordon loses control and once again becomes the host of Eclipso. Instead of sporting a more traditional supervillain look, Eclipso went to the gym and is showing off his bare chest while wearing his signature cap and face still eclipsed. Come to find out, Robinson establishes that this possession is different from before as Bruce can actually talk with Eclipso while the fallen angel (yes he’s a fallen angel and it is a plot point) begins to murder every last native on the island. And it is gore as we see at least one panel where Eclipso is holding up a severed head. It replays how Bruce became Eclipso’s host and Eclipso’s history . .. which includes the fact that Eclipso said that Jean Loring as a host was a BAD idea, ending with the destruction of Diablo Island.

            And throughout the rest of the first part of Rise of Eclipso, we get interplay with Bruce and Eclipso collecting a bunch of shadow powered people for his plan … including The Shade; who seems to be the only Eclipsed being who can talk. Nightshade, Acrata, Shadow Thief, the monsterous looking Bete-Noire, Canadian hero Dark Crow & Elder God Syththunu … Oh my god … The thing looks straight out of Lovecraft! DAMN! The group gathers at the Emerald City, a newly formed City on the moon after the events of Dark Things that was created and maintained by the Starheart and Alan Scott (aka the ORIGNAL Green Lantern from the JSA, at a great time . . . months after Dark Things and while their ultimate target is .. . Jade. You thought it’d be Obsidian … so did I at first.

            Jade and Jesse Quick are visiting Alan, who was recently crippled because of the Starheart. They are attacked by Eclipso and his Shadow Army. Jade asks Jesse to take her father and get him away … and she does. Jade prepares to fight alone. Meanwhile, over in the remains of where New Krypton once stood, Dark Supergirl .. . *stops* Yes. Before the reboot, Kara had be evil for a short time. Once brought about by Darkseid, another time brought about by another villain of hers and now . .. after a recent battle with a being known as the Omega Man, Kara is Dark Supergirl again. Yet, this time . .. she’s not evil . . . just got lots of attitude. She, Alpha Lantern Boodikka (they made a lantern out of Rey Mysterio’s theme song?!) and Batman, who is Dick Grayson. Grayson laments that he misses his friend Kara, not the brat he sees before them when … they are attacked by Doomsday. Batman calls the Satelite to send for help when Boodikka is injured only to find Starman coming to their aid. Saint Walker joins the fray after Doomsday slaps Starman away. Starman, Dark Supergirl, Batman & Saint Walker find that Doomsday followed them to the Satelite which is being controlled by Cyborg Superman. It seems he infiltrated Boodikka in order to get into the League Satelite . .. and Doomsday wants to kill him.

            We get treated to a sub-plot that Dark Supergirl is dying from holograms of Doctor Midnite and Doctor Fate when we find the source . . . her own mind. It seems that Kara going dark is due to survivor’s guilt from being one of the few Kryptonians to survive. She finds her light and starts to beat back Doomsday . .. only to find that Doomsday had beaten Cyborg Superman to become . ..CYBORG DOOMSDAY. WTH? This subplot ends with Cyborg Doomsday taking Kara away with him while a distress call from Donna to the guys has them move out towards the moon.

            Back on the moon, Donna is doing her best to find off Eclipso’s Shadow Army in the Emerald City only to fall from sheer numbers. Then Jade arrives . ..only to be eclipsed. *sigh*  So Donna and eclipsed Jade trade blows and the denizens of the Emerald City try to run but the Shadow Army is winning. Shade mocks Donna, telling her to join them when the calvary arrives . .. but not who you expect. Congorilla comes in with a bunch of JL reserves, including Red Tornado, Cyborg, Zauriel and Dr. Light. Eclipso just mocks them as Bruce says that Eclipso will fall to the heroes. Eclipso says they will all darken.  We see the reserves get eclipsed little by little, including Red Tornado. Eclipso trades swords with Zauriel, who says his former angelic name of LLadiz. Congorilla fights the Elder God alone and looks about to be swallowed by a giant order of calamari when . . .Starman blasts Syththunu off of his friend. Dick leads the charge and we come to find out that all the JL reserves, save for Zauriel, have become eclipsed with the majority of the citizens of the Emerald City. All the Leaguers left standing are Batman, Donna Troy, Congorilla, Starman & Saint  Walker. Before Eclipso's Shadow Army can descend upon them, Obsidian, Jade's twin brother and one time partner of Eclipso, comes and sucks the remaining Leagues into the abyss . . .

         And while it looks like Obsidian is working for Eclipso, we come to find out he is not as he teleports the non-possessed Leaguers to Jesse Quick and Alan Scott. And it is thanks to Obsidian and Eclipso ... through the power of exposition and some really stunning panels by Brett Booth, we find out EXACTLY what Eclipso's plan is. And I have to say it is one of the most outrageous plans in the history of super hero comics. Using Zauriel, Eclipso calls his successor, The Spectre, to bring him over to the moon. The Starheart adds to Eclipso's power alongside Jade and the Shade. These things allow Eclipso to KILL his successor and then CRACK THE MOON IN HALF!

      Armaggedon has come on Earth with disaster after disaster while the JLA try to fight Eclipso for the final part of his master plan to . . . WELL, to KILL GOD!!!

     Yes. ECLIPSO'S PLAN IS TO KILL GOD!!!

    We have the moon split in half. One of the most powerful angels and beings in the DC Universe getting killed. I ..  . I can't say anymore about this story here.


CLASH TACTICS 

      This league was filled with controversy. As I said in the beginnning of the review though, most of these heroes are legacy heroes: Dick Grayson Batman, Donna Troy, Jade, Jesse Quick, Mikkal Tomas, Supergirl . ..  all holding fast to legacies. They also are very good replacements for their A-lister counterparts: Bruce Wayne Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Starman, Superman respectively. As such, having them be the JLA was a very BIG move by Robinson and DC. And this might be one of the stories which best displays that this team not only can deal with anything the Big 7 can, but that this team has more than earned their Legacy.

       With that out of my chest, I am gonna start with art. Brett Booth, Miguel Sepulveda & Daniel Sampere all pencilled portions of this story. Daniel Sampere penciled the least amount of this storyline and I will say this . .. the man has potential. While there were some panels that seemed not as detailed and unbalanced, over all Sampere did some really great work. His 2 page spread in issue #59 was amazing. Miguel Sepulveda was stunning with his pencils being able to convey so much emotion and power while giving some wonderful visuals. Although, coloring wise, I find Andrew Dalhouse's colors are more vibrant with Sepulveda's work than Jose Villarrubia, who's colors are a bit more subdued. The MVP of this storyline is definitely Brett Booth. I have been a fan of Booth's work for years . . . since he was doing art on Backlash for Image Comics back in the 90s. His work on Justice League of America has been nothing short of exceptional. The characters and settings are lively and multidimensional. The action is stunningly rendered. The emotional parts are full with that extra umph! Truly, a great job to Brett Booth and his team.

    Which gets me to Mr. Robinson. Mr. Robinson. Mr. Robinson. You were so on your way to a World Heavyweight contendership rating. You really were. Let me break down why you are NOT getting that:

  -First, there seems to be inconsistencies at times with certain parts of the story. One minute, Eclipso's old angelic name was  Lladiz, stated by Zauriel during a battle in issue # 56. But in issue #57, The Spectre then states that Eclipso's angelic name was Galid. So . .. which one is it? Is it both of them?

- Second, there were times were I felt that the cuts between scenes were so dramatic in some places that it felt a bit daunting. One minute, we see Jade about to leave for  action. Next minute, she's possessed by Eclipso. Which brings up my final point.

 - Finally, there are just points in this story where the pacing seemed so wrong. The sudden jumps at times or the fact that things happened a lot quicker than they should have. There is a sense that this storyline should have been A LOT LONGER!! And it does not seem apparent till the 3rd and 4th parts of the storyline. There just  seemed like there was a lot of cramming which really effected the pacing in the middle. We see the League reserves come in. We see them in action for one other panel, then we don't see them again till they are eclipse. Wait ...  what?!

 Yet, the follow are things that definitely work in Robinson's favor:

 - Robinson does a good job handling not only the Eclipso storyline but also the Reign of Doomsday storylines at the same time.

  - He truly does his best to make all the cast seem important with great amount of character development. If he decides to not have a character around, he does make sure there is a reason behind it. Well, for the main characters anyway.

  -Really does make this team stand up to their predecessors.

  - The fact that Robinson's final JLA story deals with his team stopping Eclipso trying to kill GOD is one of the most insane yet entertaining plots in history. And Robinson does his very best to make sure everything towards that plot connects and makes sense. Why he takes Jade? Why he takes Shade? How Earth and its people are connected directly to God? All these things were just so well displayed and explained it makes the storyline that much richer.

 - Robinson had Eclipso TRY To kill God after killing the Spectre and splitting the moon in half. OH DEAR GOD!!!

 So overall, why Rise of Eclipso does feel crammed at times and there seems to be so much more that could have been done; this storyline is entertaining with great character development, beautiful art and smart writing. It is not perfect but it is a great storyline that can stand with any of the Big 7's stories.


  I give Justice League of America: Rise of Eclipso an Intercontinetal Contendership (4 out of 5). You can find this story in trade.

NEXT WEEK: I promise, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK & more.

           

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JAMAL IGLE

INTERVIEW WITH JAMAL IGLE


by Frankie Rodriguez

Welcome everyone. I recently was about to interview artist Jamal Igle, who had landmark runs on Supergirl (Pre- New 52), Firestorm and most recently, the Ray. Here is what he had to say: 




1.) You recently just ended your 6 year exclusive contract with DC Comics. You mentioned in your blog how it was time for new things. Now it is a little bit of time later, how are you feeling? How have your fans responded? 


JI: Well, the first week felt as bit weird but now I'm getting back into the idea of working for multiple clients and having to hustle a little again to secure work. I'm also doing personal work again for the first time in a very long time and that feels really good.


2.) You have taken commissions (which are listed on your webpage jamaligle.com) and posted Ultimate Spiderman (Peter Parker). How did it feel to draw that after so long with drawing DC characters? 


JI: Pretty cool actually. The commission was from one of my regular customers, so there was a lot of freedom. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how to approach it, so it went fairly quickly.


3.) An interesting question is, for either fans that do not know cause I could not find it, but what was your first comic book work and how were you introduced into comics? Personally, I was introduced to you during your New Warriors run (which I still own today and will own til I die). 


JI: Well, my first official work in comics never saw print. It was a book called flashpoint that was written by Jim Higgins (who teaches writing at Cal Arts in the Character Animation Department. my first published work was Green Lantern #52, written by Ron Marz. How i was introduced to comics was a bit complicated because my gateway to comics was Superman the movie, starring Christopher Reeve. I fell in love with Superman as a character and that got me into comics.


4.) Looking back, how has your art evolved since you started comics? From when you started your now legendary run on Supergirl till your last issue of Ray? 


JI: The basics of my style were there of course, even the line I use is still present in my early work. My anatomy has improved;I have a much better sense of pacing and page design. I have this obsession with detail in my work now that was non-existent back in the day. I hated backgrounds and now it's one of the things I'm known for.

5.) What have been some of your favorite work from over the years? 

JI: There's been a lot of fun stuff. I once did a "Little Dr. Sivana" story I did for a JSA annual that still cracks me up.


6.) Who were some of your biggest influences growing up? Both character wise and artistically? 


JI:Well artistically I started out as a fan of John Byrne and Arthur Adams. When I was in high School, I started reading independent comics like Nexus and the Rocketeer Adventure Magazine; so I became a fan of both Steve Rude and Dave Stevens. I also became a fan of Jerry Ordway, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and Brian Bolland 


7.) So now that you have been inspired by others, how does it feel to be an inspiration to 
aspiring artists?


JI:If I think about it that way, I get nervous. I just hope that I continue to lead by example.


8.) Who have been some of your favorite collaborators? Why? Who would you like to work with?



JI: I've been lucky, the writers I've worked with are a literal Who's Who of comics. I've worked with Morrison, Rucka, Waid, McKeever, Dini, Beechen, Sterling Gates,James Robinson, Alex Simmons, Marv Wolfman, Dan Jurgens, Jay Faerber. I've worked with Al Williamson, with Jon Dell, John Sibal, Marc Deering, I've shared page space with Gary Frank, and Pete Wodds. It's been amazing.


9.) What have been favorites or has stood out to you in the world of comics or animation? Which titles?


 
JI: I'm loving Batman right now, but I think I read everything Scott Snyder is writing right now. I love Luther Strode, Invincible, Rachel Rising and Amazing Spider-Man.


10.) Finally, besides commissions, any hints or announcements of upcoming projects?


JI: Not yet but announcements will be made soon.

COMICS ON THE SCREEN # 2 - SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Review

By Darryll “YTC” Carter

Hey there Clashers, we are back again with another review. This week it is Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Before we get to it, I’d like to give you guys a brief overview of how I do things. I cover three categories; the story, the art and the Hype Factor. The story recaps the story and comments on plot elements and storytelling. The art focuses on the visual effect and style. When working with a film or animated movie that includes sound. Lastly, there is the Hype Factor. The Hype factor is essentially anything that induces a feeling of excitement or sheer joy: geek climax. Forewarning, there are some spoilers below, let’s jump in.

Apocalypse is the direct sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. It takes place a few months later, where the past events of the Luthor Presidency are still fresh in the minds of the world’s citizens. The story starts off with a mysterious object crashing into the waters of Gotham Harbor. Being his backyard, Batman doesn’t waste any time arriving on scene ahead of any organized city, state or government effort. While diving to the bottom of the harbor Bruce uncovers some sort of space fairing pod when he’s alerted that his boat has been infiltrated. After the explosive destruction of his boat, Batman follows the bread crumbs of mischief and destruction to the end of the trail, Kara Zor-El.

Superman arrives on scene to help clean up the mess and shortly afterward discovers that Kara is his cousin. The World’s Finest take her to the Fortress of Solitude where they convene and explore Kara’s intent. Not surprising in the least, Batman is suspicious of her and so is Krypto, which opens the door for Bruce to crack a subtle joke. Superman swears by his blood that Kara is his real cousin and takes her to Metropolis to unwind and embrace life on Earth.

On the island of Themyscira, the Harbinger Lyla, seer of future events, has a vision of Superman pulling a dead blonde girl from the ocean wrapped in his cape, which they presume is Kara. The film leaves us to fill in the blanks, but one could assume Diana (Wonder Woman) informed Bruce of the vision and they in turn organized a plan to capture and protect Kara.

After a short shopping montage, the Els are confronted in front of Metropolis’ Superman statue by a squad of amazons and Wonder Woman. Ultimately, it is Batman that convinces Clark to calm down and let the amazons take Kara to Themyscira and train her.

The plot jumps forward a few months and Kara has been training for a while. After a teenage lash out from Kara, she flees the scene and runs off the Lyla, the Harbinger, to take a swim. Clark, Bruce and Diana converse when they are suddenly ambushed by a boomtube unleashing an army of Doomsday replicates. The battle waging on between the Doomsday army, the amazons and the Trinity, when Bruce has a moment of clarity and runs off. Superman rises to the sky and terminates the Doomsday army with a blazing wave of heat vision. Everyone regroups and rendezvous’ with Bruce on the other side of the island. The Doomsday attack was a diversion. Batman arrived on scene to find the blonde girl floating in the water. Superman lifts her up and wraps her in his cape and sees that it is Lyla not Kara. In death Lyla manages to show the Trinity a window to the past, revealing Darkseid as the culprit.

Diana, Clark and Bruce seek out Big Barda for help in getting to Apocalypse. After some mild persuasion, the four embark on a journey to save Kara. When the team lands planet side they each have set objectives. Superman is to confront Darkseid directly. Batman is to commandeer the Hellspore cache. (Hellspores are explosive orbs. One is capable of turning a whole planet into a pit of fire.) Barda and Wonder Woman are to dismantle the Furies, Darkseid’s elite femme fatale squad. Superman confronts Darkseid and is forced to face off against Kara, who has been brainwashed by Darkseid. Shortly afterward, Bruce arrives with an ultimatum for Darkseid; forswear Kara Zor-El or he’ll blow the entire Hellspore cache, ripping Apocalypse a sunder. Darkseid works him over a bit until he concedes, praising Bruce’s strength of character. Darkseid gives his word he will not come for Kara and orders them to leave Apocalypse.

Once back on Earth, Kara and Clark head to Smallville for some much needed downtime. Upon reaching the Kent Farm the two are ambushed by Darkseid. The battle is spectacular and showcases the result of Kara’s Amazonian training. It ends with the two Kryptonians shipping Darkseid next day air through a boomtube to the center of space.

The story was pretty solid and was ripped right from the pages of the comic book when the last incarnation of Supergirl (before the new 52) arrived on Earth. Wonder Woman was an awesome inclusion to the Batman, Superman mechanic. It was fun watching them interact and the little motions and statements that the creative came up to show their friendship. It helped form their character. The story is really Superman/Supergirl heavy. The two Kryptonians take up the majority of the screen time. The buddy moments between Bruce and Clark aren’t as plentiful in this one.

The Art

The art style is different than that of Public Enemies and frankly, more to my liking. The characters were more realistically proportioned as opposed to the style from Public Enemies. The animation sequences shine in this film. The fighting scenes with Wonder Woman and Barda have extremely intricate and embarrassingly satisfying animations. There is one particular moment when Diana, catches the mace of a Fury with her lasso, wraps her foot around it, stomps down on it and yanks the Fury over to her fist.

The next thing that the art delivered for me should also fall under the Hype Factor. Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly reprise their roles as the voices of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel. I’ve been listening to Conroy and Daly since I was a child. They are the voices I hear when I read a Batman or Superman comic. Casting them for those parts is just good practice and guarantees sales.

The Hype Factor

I’m going to do the Hype Factor a bit differently this time around; in the form of a list.

·         Krypto was in this!

·         Batman made more subtle cracks in this film than I have ever previously seen.

·         Wonder Woman did some sick stuff with her fighting style.

·         Batman once again, the man without powers who gets the job done.

·         Kara beat Darkseid all across the skies of Smallville… despite actually losing the fight.

·         Superman pummeled Darkseid by creating a F5 tornado with his fist… His fist…

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse was sick and visually impressive. If you’re a DC fan, I recommend watching it. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse gets a Metalgreymon; 3 stars out of 5.

DCnU Special 4 - What We thought of WEEK 4

More and more opinions have come for the 4th week of books. And while there were 12 books this week . . . there are some people who were a bit . . . outraged and some pleasantly surprised.


BATMAN

Eric McLeod of FL

Wow, this was an awesome representation of Batman. Practically every major Batman character makes an appearance in this book and not a single one feels wasted, and new readers will definitely understand Batman's character even if they've never picked up a Batman story before in their life. Batman's narration works perfectly, describing everything about Gothamand its people without sounding overly preachy. The speech given by Bruce Wayne captures everything that separates him and Batman. The ending, although most likely a red
herring, leaves us with a great set-up for a mystery. Aside from some
of the character faces looking weird in a few panels and Dick looking
noticeably dwarfed by Bruce, this was a fantastic first issue and a
must for any Batman fan.

CBC's Hector Ramirez of Philadelphia, PA

Batman #1 and Nightwing#1-two awesome #1’s definitely awesome plot twists love the allusion to a crossover DC is really coming in strong and I can’t wait to see what’s in store


Randy Crawford of Cincinnati, Ohio

Batman #1 is a definitive take on the Caped Crusader. It's dark and mature, focusing on Batman's detective prowess and Bruce Wayne's role as a philanthropist. It ties in nicely with pre-relaunch continuity, but prior knowledge of the DC Universe is by no means essential to enjoy what's on offer.
Batman's new identification scanner serves as a convenient means of introducing each character, giving us a bite sized dossier on the key players. It's a feature that writer Scott Snyder has shoehorned in for the newcomers, but it's an unobtrusive way of bringing them up to speed. 


 Less than a few pages in, we're treated to an Arkham Asylum brawl. There's an escape attempt at the infamous madhouse, and the Dark Knight swings by to quell the unrest. Batman faces off against Two-Face, Scarecrow, Killer Croc and more, while waxing lyrical about how each of the rogues are perceived to embody Gotham's lesser qualities. It's a well handled action scene - enhanced by Greg Capullo's brooding artwork - and provides a depiction of these iconic villains that sits somewhere between Christopher Nolan and Frank Miller. There are some great splash pages in there too, including a memorable one showing the Batcave in all its glory. The Dark Knight's role as the DC Universe's greatest detective is embraced here. Snyder displays his skills of investigation and deduction throughout, and has his dynamic with Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock down to a fine art.
Nightwing prominently featured in Batman's efforts to quell the Arkham troubles and is caught up in the comic's thrilling cliffhanger. Batman #1 is one of the best titles to emerge from the 'New 52' initiative to date. Snyder and Capullo clearly have a strong grasp of what makes the character iconic, and promise to take him down dark and intriguing avenues in the future.



BIRDS OF PREY

Gerald Williams of Hempstead, NY

Good story. Waiting for the explanation of who is Starling. I am confused about the Barbara’s cameo indicating that she worked with them as Oracle when she was in the wheelchair, something that Gail Simone did not mention in Batgirl #1.

Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD


The book hit the ground running and follows the Birds of Prey as they do battle with the latest villains seemingly out to get them. Although it's a new team, I liked the chemistry between Canary and Starling, who I am quickly growing fond of. Duane Swierczynski, who impressed me on Black Widow, has given her some great dialogue. There's also a nice appearance by the artist formerly known as Oracle, which leaves some interesting questions about her current relationship with the Birds. It was a very good action book with an ending that surprised me. Oh, and something is definitely not right with Canary.



BLUE BEETLE

Eric McLeod, FL

First, I must confess I have not read much of the Jaime Reyes Blue
Beetle. I did like what I saw of him in Booster Gold's book, which is
why I feel guilty for not picking up his book before it got cancelled.
I don't know what will become of Jaime's relationship with Booster
because in this book Jaime doesn't seem to know him yet (I really wish
he was in the JLI, but that might just be me wanting to see Blue and
Gold together). A lot of time in this first issue is devoted to
showing off the alien scarab that gives Jaime his powers. There's a
prologue showing an alien race called the Reach attacking a distant
planet in the past. We see multiple Reach warriors using the same
abilities as Blue Beetle, though some of them seem more dedicated to
certain powers than Jaime is. I hope we do see these other Blue
Beetles again. The rest of the book is about establishing Jaime's
relationship with his friends and family while still devoting time to
building up the tension around the scarab. There's a plethora of
villains going after this thing, and some big super villain names are
mentioned as part of the power-grab as well. We get some cool action
near the end, but the heart of the book is Jaime's life. I'm a bit
disappointed that we have to wait until the next issue to see Jaime
actually fight, but we got a nice taste of the Blue Beetle powers in
the prologue which will hopefully get new readers interested in
continuing.


CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

Okay. I was a fan of Ted Kord. I am a fan of Jamie Reyes. After Jamie won me over with his time on the Teen Titans and a bunch of other rabid fans of his that I know, I enjoy the fact that he got a solo book again.  So, when this issue came out, I knew I was gonna get it. And I have to say, I love it. Jamie's character is very much intact, along with members of his supporting cast from his last solo book (which I bought most of the issues of that.) They are setting up Jamie as a major player as there looks like mobsters and TWO evil groups want the scarab, not to mention the Green Lantern Corps don't like any of the SCARABS. And while we didn't see Jamie in the armor til the end, it was a great new origin by Tony Bedard. The extra touches of spanish made Jamie feel more authentic and Ig Guara's art was awesome, making the science fiction aspects look alien and majestic while the Earth moments are very real. I definitely  will be following Jamie's adventures.


CAPTAIN ATOM

Russell Winthrope of Winnipeg, Canada

Captain Atom’s powers are nuclear-based, and enable him to absorb and manipulate almost infinite amounts of energy. This ability puts him on a par with such DC heavy-hitters as Superman and Martian Manhunter. One of the problems with the character is that he’s just *too* powerful and means that writers have to keep creating ludicrously powerful villains for him to go up against.The character’s RIDCULOUS  power level is one of the first things that's addressed in this debut issue. Writer JT Krul introduces a flaw into Captain Atom’s powers which means that using them too much could kill him. It’s an inventive and hook but sadly, it’s about the only good thing that the story has going for it. Unfortunately, the issue reads like an average superhero comic with the rest of the cast introduced taking a back seat to the action.


The saving grace of this book is the artwork. Freddie Wiliams II’s linework here is a lot more interesting than the all-ages look that he’s favored on some of his recent DC work. The art doesn’t lack detail, but in many cases instead of drawing every intricate element of an object, he instead draws only the outline and one or two details, letting the reader’s imagination fill in the blanks. Overall, Captain Atom was okay and it has spectacular art. I just hope its story picks up soon.


CATWOMAN

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

   People are going to hate me. I LOVED THIS FIRST ISSUE. Before you go off about how I am some pervert and over masculine meathead, allow me to break down my points as to why I loved the issue. I wasn't planning on buying the books some it called to me. Reading it, I was very impressed how Selina's character was really fleshed out into addictions. Addictions to actions and danger. Addictions to riches and thrills. Addiction to Batman. These were all laid to bare while giving us great incite into Selina, setting up the book with multiple storylines; and giving a real big budget feel to the book. Selina & Batman were VERY much vulnerable here which made for some stunning moments. Winnick gave us a great start to Selina that is fast paced and multifaceted while leaving more to build on and Guillem March gave us great visuals of Selina.

   As for the last couple of pages . . . as I stated earlier, it gave a vulnerability to both Bruce and Selina no other writer has even really touched before. Second, WHY are people surprised by Selina and Bruce having sex. Really? REALLY?! They have been alluding to it for DECADES. And you know . . you are still talking about it.

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

I have never read any of the previous Catwoman series. I only kept updated about her character from her appearances in the bat family books so I went into Catwoman #1 with no expectations. Judd Winick really put his best foot forward with this one and while I have always been a fan of his work he really went adult on this one, in a good way. Here is another NU52 first issue that manages to give us all the basic info we need about our main character, and give us a story to follow, and answer a few questions about Selina's place in the new 52. Guillem March brings some impressive artwork. His faces are so full of life and expression and his action shots are great. Of course the best part of the book is the last couple of pages (which i will not spoil for those who have not picked it up) but i will say this is where the more adult themes happen and you learn how much Selena really cares for Batman. Can't wait for next issue!!!!!

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS

Russell Winthorpe of  Winnipeg, Canada

DC Universe Presents #1 follows Deadman's encounters with various troubled individuals, including a stuntman with a death wish and a soldier who has lost both his legs and all his comrades. Weaved among those stories is a revisiting of the circumstances of Boston Brand's death and his first meeting with Rama Kushna. A lots is packed into DC Universe Presents #1, but not in a way that feels overwhelming. Chang's pages burst with detail. He crams in panel after panel on to each page, but these add to the experience of Deadman's existence, flickering from perspective to perspective as he moves through different bodies, rather than simply feeling crowded. Jenkins's Deadman is immediately well-developed, with his wry observations tempered by moments of thoughtfulness which are interesting rather than dull or preaching. The character is likable and contemptible all at once, leaving us with a more rounded hero than the one we have grown used to. 


The issue balances an origin story with several separate strands moving towards the future, managing a look-back at Brand's life while maintaining forward momentum. Brand's voice sounds strongly throughout, with Jenkins capturing his dry humor and contempt for the man he was and the ghost he is. DC Universe Presents is a clever way of leaving a space for stories about characters that might not warrant an ongoing solo series. Jenkins and Chang are so far very much making the most of the five issues they have been given.




GREEN LANTERN CORPS

Mike Hudson of Woodland, CA

 Since the Green Lantern books didn't get restarted & previous continuity counts, the Green Lantern writers switched books which mean Peter Tomasi has returned to this title.  And with him, comes Guy Gardner whom Tomasi had been writing in Emerald Warriors. Tomasi takes his time to introduce both Guy and John Stewart to new readers.  It’s a little wordy, but Tomasi does a great job of showing the reader exactly who Guy and John are.  It’s a perfectly satisfactory reintroduction (or introduction if you’re the fabled “new reader”) to John, Guy and the concept of the Corps. Plus, I really enjoyed the art for the book.  I would have preferred a faster start.  But this was a perfectly enjoyable read.  Nothing spectacular, but it definitely please GL addicts. .







LEGION OF SUPER HEROES

Gerald Williams of Hempstead, NY

Always have been a fan of LSH and very glad that not only DC did not reboot it, but that they kept the legion that I grew up with. All the other legion reboots left the book in shambles. This is taking the legion and expanding on the great stories that Paul Levitz has been writing since he returned to the title.

Joey Lester of Memphis, TN


I’m not a dumb guy. But Legion of Super-Heroes #1 made me feel like I should be wearing a dunce cap. As a long-time fan, I have read my share of Legion reboots.  This is the SEVENTH volume of this book alone; not counting all the various other series & relaunches that have been done time and time again.  I’m used to picking up the new Legion book, deciding it’s not for me and moving on.  It’s a ritual I go through every few years. Last week, I got a headache trying to read Legion Lost #1.  I could follow the book.  But it hardly seemed worth the effort.  I figured I’d give this week’s Legion of Super-Heroes a try.  I didn’t think it could possibly be less new-reader friendly.  But boy, I was wrong . . .dead wrong.

  I can see why they wouldn’t want to restart the continuity from scratch yet again.  That’s gotten really tiresome.  But to publish a #1 book that picks up immediately after the last issue of the last series on a book as dense as Legion of Super-Heroes just boggles the mind. I read the book Wednesday night and whatever story I was able to digest leaked out my ear while I slept.  I have neither the will nor the desire to go back and try to figure it out again.  If you were a regular reader of Levitz’s Legion, I’m guessing you enjoyed this issue just as much as the previous ones.  And maybe the book was doing well enough that DC is fine with maintaining the exact same readership.  But I can’t imagine any new readers picking up this issue and deciding to stick around for more.I know I won’t be and give me a call when the next Legion reboot happens.



NIGHTWING

CBC's Hector Ramirez of Philadelphia, PA

Batman #1 and Nightwing#1-two awesome #1’s definitely awesome plot twists love the allusion to a crossover. DC is really coming in strong and I can’t wait to see what’s in store

Mike Hudson of Woodland, CA

To be honest, I’m a little torn on what to think of this.  I enjoyed how it opened and the end really reeled me in, but part of the story midway in left me a little unsure of just how I felt.  Eddy Barrows’ art in this issue is absolutely amazing accompanied by Mayer’s inks, Higgins does a pretty good job of painting Dick’s outlook on no longer being Batman but I do wish he would have made a couple points a bit more clear.  A final complaint/question I have too is just where is Nightwing keeping his gear?  We see for a moment a grappling line which I’m just assuming is built into his suit like it was with his old Nightwing outfit during his time in New York. Plus, not sure what to make of him running into Haley's Circus and wondering if they are gonna become part of his new supporting cast. Time will tell, I guess. Although, kudos to Higgins & Barrows for really locking me in at the end.

RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS

Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD

Sigh. As a Starfire fan, this was the book that I really really wanted to like. But I just couldn't. Despite the art and promising premise, I was immediately turned off by the portrayal of one of my favorite DC characters. Yes, Starfire, aka Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran, was always open with her sexuality and free. In fact, I wouldn't even have a problem with the sexual dalliances at all if I felt that she were being treated as anything other than an emotionally-detached, alien, with memory issues, being passed around by two men acting like overeager 17 year olds. My problem isn’t that she’s shown as a woman who enjoys sex (She-Hulk and Catwoman are also two of my favorite characters). It’s that she comes off as the exact opposite, joyless, detached, and removed. And it doesn't help that the art totally sexualizes her (skimpy bikini!), while leaving her male partners as same ol' same ol' (boring ol' trunks). I would go into my spiel on male gaze or continued heterosexism in the comic industry but then this would read like a dissertation. And nobody wants to read that. LOL Plus, that poor horse is already on its last leg. So, yeah. Despite the premise and this featuring a favorite, this will probably be my first and last issue of this title.

Gerald Williams of  Hempstead, NY

I don’t know in what universe they thought this idea would work. The artwork is great, the story sucks. This is by far the first book of the new DC that I totally hated and will not bother to pick up the next one. I will admit to being biased against the Jason Todd character. I was one of those who voted to kill him off in Death in the Family and did not like his comeback. But the change they made in Starfire goes way beyond a simple reboot. 

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

 I will admit this book has caused great debate amongst a group of friends of mine. Some love it, some hate it. I guess that is one of the signs of good writing when people can have such a strong reaction to your work. I feel into the love it camp. Kenneth Rockafort's art is real gritty but for this book,which seems to be in the buddy buddy show vein I think the art works. The panels flow nicely and there are backgrounds (yaaahhhh). Scott Lobdell takes at somewhat 'controversial" approach to the character of Starfire, but this being a new universe and all I think it works. As with most of the new 52 books this one leaves you with more questions than answers, though it is nice to get a few answers on Jason Todd's standing with the rest of the Bat Family. I think the book peaked enough of my interest to make a return trip next month. 

CBC Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

Okay. AGAIN. I am gonna be in the minority. I liked Red Hood & the Outlaws. I liked it a lot. And now, here is where I am gonna probably get death threats. Starfire's character . ..  not that far off. Why do I say that? First, Kory has been very open about her feminity and sexuality from the beginning. They obviously didn't erase her relationship with Dick; just how she perceives things. And while nearly everyone has decided that Starfire sleeping with Arsenal and possibly Jason Todd automatically makes her a slut; I disagree. And while previous continuity may or may not count, Starfire sleeping with Captain Comet during her tenture on R.E.B.E.L.S. stating that her heart belonged to someone else and that they were friends with benefits. She even says in the comic that she does what she wants, when she wants. If Starfire has been a guy . . . any guy character, NOT A SINGLE PERSON would have been up in arms. So again, is it the sex that is bothering people? Honestly, again . . . I don't find it out of character. Maybe an evolution of a character but not out of it, in my opinion.

  Arsenal is very much the same as he was before he lost his arm and daughter while Jason evolved from everything that has come before. Lobdell says this is a story about redemption and it is going that way and artist Kenneth Rocafort renders everything beautiful, women, men, action and leisure. The mysteries set up and the characters were interesting and compelling. Essence is mysterious and mystical while being vulnerable at the same time. I am looking forward to more.


SUPERGIRL

Gerald Williams of Hempstead, NY

This throws out the great story that Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner created to bring Kara Zor-El back. It was great and now it is being redone. I hope they get it right.

Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD

Supergirl crash lands on Earth and discovers her powers while being attacked due to a big ol' misunderstanding. It's a straight forward fight issue but Michael Green and Mike Johnson use it as an opportunity to gain insight into Kara's confused thoughts as well as showcase her powers. I especially liked when she first encounters her super hearing with choice bits from other DC books. The art was great too and I am digging the new costume. This Supergirl is definitely worth giving a chance.

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

What can I say? I gave it a chance, i have never been a huge fan of Kara Zor-El. The last version of SuperGirl i enjoyed was the Earth Angel version from the early 00's. So I thought with the new 52 this would be a good place to try again. The book was one long fight sequence. I enjoyed Muhmad Asrar's pencils. His work is very kinetic and I dont mind the redesign of the characters costume. You know by now my big thing is backgrounds, well the fight was in a snowfield at dawn so there is a lot of snow and sky. This book gave no answers and I may check back later to see what has occurred but I will not be chomping at the bit to see what the last daughter of Krypton is up to.

WONDER WOMAN

Eric McLeod of FL

Based on some of the preview images, I was expecting some gore, and I got more than I was expecting, but it didn't hamper my opinion of the
book at all. There's no given backstory for Wonder Woman herself and she's dragged into the story literally, but her character is
definitely intact. We mostly see her warrior side, fighting centaurs
off with finesse and brutality equally, but when she meets up with
Hermes, we see a glimpse of the compassionate warrior that defines
Wonder Woman for me. Despite not getting much to say, her actions
speak volumes. There's a conspiracy between the gods that is being set
up well, and though we don't know much about Zola at this point, we
know she'll be important later on. and I really like the usage of
references to Greek mythology. There is a point during the book where
it's unclear who's narrating that doesn't make sense until the very
end and it could have used more clarification, but otherwise the
writing is solid. It's already an improvement over J. Michael
Straczynski's WW run (where I stopped reading WW), and there is
promise of a cool, dark take on the the Greek gods that has not been
done yet in Wonder Woman's history. Fans of action and Greek mythology
will definitely want to pick this up, and because this doesn't rely
heavily on the old DC continuity, it's new reader friendly to boot.


Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD

Probably the book I was most looking forward to. I've been a Wonder Woman fan, since I was a kid, and have seen her through tons of remakes and re-imaginings. There was a lot of buzz around this issue and I found it to be pretty decent. Not wowed. But still pretty good. There's an interesting take on the gods here and Diana is presented as tough, strong, and fierce. There are definitely a few gory spots but Wonder Woman is a warrior. So, such moments are to be expected. Brian Azzarello has crafted an interesting set-up, based firmly in Greek mythology, and I'm curious to see what's next. 


Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

It occurs to me as I write this weeks reviews that not only was this ladies week with three books coming out with female leads but that the books with the most controversy surrounding them also feature lady leads. So Wonder Woman came out this week. Now I am a Wonder Woman fan, and even in writing that statement it does not give the full weight to the scope of fandom I enjoy for this character. So when word came out about the universal reboot the one bright spot for me was that maybe someone would not be lost writing this character (I can't discuss her last storyline prior to the reboot cause it SUCKED). Well my hat goes off to Brian Azzarello for his take on the Amazon princess. Finally we get a writer who recognizes that Wonder Woman is steeped in mythology and magic and that the Gods of old really didn't care to much about us lowly humans. A very solid story for a first issue with some blood and violence, which some think is excessive, but hey she was raised in a warrior culture. They are amazons, that is kind of what they do.  Cliff Chiang brings some solid art work, his characters are not as smooth as I would like but i know that is my own personal taste. He brings life and movement to his pencil work and there are backgrounds. I am still on the fence about the new costume but that does not effect the quality of the book. At last a Wonder woman book i can get excited about again.





Those are all the opinions for this week. We've got one last week to go. Let's see what happens next.


NEXT WEEK: THE FINAL WEEK OF THE NEW 52 #1s.

PLUS: If you missed out on giving your opinion on any of the books within the last month, you get One last chance as we will be doing a final impression special as well.

Till next week, keep clashing!

_____

**************** PLEASE READ ALL THE INFO FIRST!! *****************

J1 Studios (www.j1studios.com) invites you to our mini convention! 

AN-EX 3


Friday, October 7th, 2011


5:00pm - 8:30pm


At: Hawthorne Recreation Center


1200 Carpenter Street


Philadelphia, PA.

- Bleach Movie 4: Hell Chapter will be in the Video Room
(movie starts @ 6PM).

- Yugi-Oh and J1 Studios' VTF fighting card game testing in the Card Gaming Room.

- $5 Mortal Kombat (2011) Tournament!
(It will be Tag teams matches w/ single elimination (tournament starts @ 6PM).
0
- There will be a FEW other games will be there TOO (Don't cry).

- Cosplay contest for prizes!

- $1 Raffle for secret prize!

- Artist Tables

- Dealer Tables

If you want to order a VENDOR TABLE, email me at j.richardson@j1studios.com. There are ONLY 6 available!

ADMISSION IS $2.00

SPREAD THE WORD!!!!