DC Rebirth Reveal – Some Art And Quick Reactions

…SO, today was kinda nuts. Before I go in-depth on all of the big announcements, since I fully expect more news to come out soon enough, let’s instead take a look at some of the art revealed for the new books and a few quick notes I took for the different titles.

80 PAGES FOR $2.99?! That’s some insane dedication to the price drop!

…So wait, several of my favourite Bat Family characters, all part of a team book, and debuting in the same month as my birthday? I feel like this book is especially for me. 😀 Kinda confused by Clayface’s presence, but whatever.

Supergirl going back to a more classic costume makes sense, especially since we have her show going right now. The only thing that’s kinda weird is that we’re keeping the story arc where her father is the new Cyborg Superman. It’s just…odd.

He’s back in blue! THANK GOD! Also, the reaction to the first story arc’s title, “Better Than Batman” got just the exact reaction I was expecting. XD

Greg Rucka is coming back to Wonder Woman. This is going to be INSANE, and I REALLY can’t wait for Wonder Woman Year One, with art by Nicola Scott. Also, thank God, Wonder Woman’s back in gold. I don’t even care that it’s blatantly copied from the movies, it looks good on her. 🙂

Lex Luthor as the new Superman of Metropolis. That’s literally all you need to know to realize that’s gonna end badly. Throw in Doomsday, and I’ll be surprised if there’s anything LEFT of Metropolis by the time we hit Action Comics #1000.

Interested to see where this new story takes Batgirl, but I hope it eventually returns her to Burnside. Would hate to see everything that’s been going on with her dropped so unceremoniously.

So Hal’s going back to the Corps, while Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz are having to take over on Earth. Interesting set up, and REALLY glad to see Cruz graduating to Green Lantern. 🙂

DC has a REALLY warped sense of humour, revealing that the sons of Batman and Superman will be teaming up in the same week that Batman and Superman threw down. lol

Bryan Hitch, Tony Daniel, and Fernando Pasarin have got some BIG shoes to fill with Justice League, but I like the team. Also, it seems details on JLA are being kept a secret for now.

Relax, people. It’s not THAT All-Star Batman. lol Also, I guess now we know what Snyder’s been up to. That said, gotta admit, I’m a little disappointed to see Ivy relegated back to being simply another rogue for Batman after all the work that’s been done with her as her own character.

Y’know, everybody else is talking about how Damian is on the Titans and how Wally West is still black, and all I can think of is “Thank God, Starfire’s on the Titans and NOT the Outlaws”. 😛

A mostly all-new Outlaws team with characters I don’t care much about. So, in other words, Lobdell is being kept away from anything I love. Good to know. ^_^

Whoa, whoa, whoa, lemme see if I understand this correctly: A Titans book where there’s only ONE person in red??? 😛 Also, who is that in green? Can’t be a Lantern, can it?

They really might as well have just said “We’re going with the same team as from the movie”. I mean, honestly, I don’t even really care that they’re cross-promoting, so why not just admit it?

Oh goodie, David Finch is on Batman. -_- Tom King should prove to be a good choice, though, and I’m interested to see where this goes in the aftermath of Superheavy, especially as it pertains to Duke Thomas.

Interesting set-up with Flash having to mentor not one but SEVERAL new speedsters. Also, I don’t care that Wally is still black. I just hope he’s FUN again. That’s all I’ve EVER wanted.

I’ve never been so excited and so confused for a book. So someone is posing as Oracle? Does that mean Oracle is canon again? Also, that’s clearly New 52 Helena as Huntress. So does that mean she really WAS Huntress before having to fake her death?

Anyway, that’s all for now. I’ll go more in depth soon enough, though. Lemme know your own thoughts below, and we’ll see how things pan out from now to May 25th, 2016. Ja né!

Early Preview of Next DCIU Fanfic: Teen Titans Infinite

When there’s trouble, do you know who to call? Yep, once Justice League Infinite is finished (which recently had its fourth chapter uploaded), I plan to do a fan fic for Teen Titans set in the DC Infinite Universe that I created. Each member of the Titans will also function as sidekicks/partners to the members of the Justice League, much like how the original team was, and will also be getting training from the League, kind of like in the Young Justice cartoon. So, who are the members? Let’s take a look.

Mia, AKA Supergirl

As I’ve already mentioned, Supergirl’s design was created by Magnacide from DeviantArt. As such, I’ve decided to get permission to use designs from Deviant Artists for two more, which I’ll get to in a bit. Regarding Supergirl, though, she is roughly based on Cir-El, but with more than a few differences to both simplify her back-story and make her different in this universe. Specifically, her name is just Mia, and the terms by which she became a Human/Kryptonian hybrid will be explained soon enough. Her power levels are more akin to Superboy’s, as she’s clearly a level below Superman, but still incredibly powerful and a quick learner with her powers.

Garfield Logan, AKA Beast Boy

Garfield’s back-story will be slightly adjusted in that, instead of being found by the Doom Patrol, he was found by Poison Ivy on her travels. This is both so that he can act as a positive influence on her mission that always seems to be at odds with governments that fear and hate her, but also to make a sort of flora/fauna green team. lol Anyway, his design is based on his current appearance in Teen Titans, as drawn by Kenneth Rocafort, although I’m contemplating whether or not to give him the monkey tail he has in Young Justice. I dunno, lemme know if I should do that or not in the comments. As for his personality, he’s a bit less jokey than, say, his more well-known animated counterparts can be, and instead just a very warm, optimistic, caring individual, who has a knack for knowing people’s favourite animals and helping them cheer up when they’re down. Also, HEAVILY considering having him be a romantic interest for a certain little bird to be mentioned later, because I think that’d be ADORABLE.

Kyle Rayner, AKA Blue Lantern

I decided to go with a teenaged Blue Lantern version of Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern’s sidekick. Also, as you can see, his design is also done by a Deviant Artist, this time Jarein. And much like Jarein, my reasoning is simple for why a Blue Lantern: Similar powers as Green Lantern, only not to the same degree, and possessing plenty of side benefits that could assist him. With Kyle, of course, he’s the more artistic and technically sound of the team, able to overcome his power limitations on his own through more creative uses of his constructs.

Bart Garrick, AKA Kid Flash

Roughly based on the Bart Allen version of Kid Flash, with just a touch of Wally West for flavour, Bartholomew Wallace Garrick is Jesse Garrick’s little brother, having taken up the mantle of Kid Flash without her permission when she became The Flash. Jokey, impulsive, and a bit of a show off, he’s nonetheless a good person, and isn’t willing to sit idly by while injustice is being performed. As for his costume, I decided to go with the pre-Flashpoint Kid Flash costume he wore, though I may add red tinted see-through lenses to his mask, like the yellow ones he had as Impulse.

Carrie Kelley, AKA Robin

 

In this universe, Robin is Carrie Kelley, though she carries over several traits from the Ame-Comi universe in that she’s also Jim Gordon’s niece. Once again, I sought out permission from a Deviant Artist for this design, this time Bobkitty23, who gave her a look that combines the Ame-Comi uniform with Dick Grayson’s look in the Young Justice cartoon, which, despite the lack of green, I REALLY like. Plus, y’know, she’s got pants now, so there’s that. lol Anyway, this version of Carrie is a bit more openly resentful of her neglectful, apathetic stoner parents, and while she still talks in slang from time to time, it’s a bit more updated. She also possesses the trademark telescopic staff used by Tim Drake (and later Dick Grayson in several different animated shows), as well as the Stephanie Brown mix-and-matchable Batarangs.

Jackson Hyde, AKA Aqualad

Jackson Hyde in this story is already aware of his true heritage, that of being Black Manta’s estranged son, and while he was initially Aquaman’s partner, he’s recently been studying various mystical arts under Doctor Fate. He’s usually level-headed and confident, able to keep his cool even under the most dire of circumstances, but possesses a terrible grudge against Ocean Master and Circe for the murder of Aquaman. As usual, he wields the Water Bearers, which allow him to focus his hydrokinesis into various forms and weapons, and can channel electricity through his fingers like an eel. For his design, I pretty much just went with the version from the comics, but with the twist that his top has a more orange shade to it, and his leggings have a more teal shade, basically to make him look more like Aquaman.

Donna Troy, AKA Wonder Girl

 

Finally, for Wonder Girl, I decided to create my own design, which you can imagine in your head through the step-by-step guide above. And hey, if anyone wants to take a stab at sketching it, they’re more than welcome to do so. lol Donna will still have a sisterly, almost motherly vibe to her, but at the same time, she’s interested in the outside world away from Themyscira in a way that’s a bit different from Diana, as is reflected in her costume. She’s proud to be Diana’s sister, but, at the same time, wants to create an image for herself outside of just being Wonder Woman’s mirror duplicate as a teenager.

Anyway, that’s it for the sneak peek of Teen Titans. Be sure to check it out when it comes out, and comment below on what you think of the team. Ja né!

A Look At Wonder Woman & Mera From The Justice League Infinite Fanfic

Well, I announced earlier this week that I’m doing a Justice League fanfic entitled ‘Justice League Infinite’. As such, I’m going through all seven members of this world’s League, what makes them different from their counterparts, etc. So far, we’ve looked at Batman, The Flash, Poison Ivy, and Superman. So, for today, let’s go ahead and take a look at this world’s version of the Spirit of Truth, Wonder Woman.

Origin wise, this version of Diana of Themyscira is pretty much the classic sculpted-from-clay story. Not that I have a problem with Wonder Woman being a demigod, just that it taints her back-story in a bad way. She also has her sister, Donna, who is a mirror duplicate of herself as a child and a possible inheritor to the Wonder Woman title, AND THAT’S ALL. lol What’s different is that, not only was her mother Hippolyta the first Wonder Woman on the Justice Society (an idea that’s been tossed around on occasion), but recently, Hippolyta and Aquaman were tricked into entering a fight to the death, which was witnessed by Diana and Mera. As a result of that, and as a means of keeping their respective peoples from declaring war on each other, Diana and Mera married, becoming co-Queens of each other’s lands, and thus uniting the people of Themyscira and Atlantis (meaning Themyscira is no longer a land bereft of men). Of course, the two were already close friends, thus making their relationship a bit interesting now that they’re wives. In terms of personality, Diana is a compassionate, loving soul, but while she will try to negotiate her way out of a confrontation, she will fight with the ferocity of a lioness if necessary to protect the weak and defenseless. Likewise, while she will not bring death to humans, she has no such compunctions for demons, monsters, undead, and some aliens.

Regarding Wonder Woman’s costume and appearance, take her Earth 2 costume in the New 52 (only with gold replacing all the silver and red boots instead of blue), give her chest coverage that her Justice League War costume had and the ponytail (because I LOVE it, lol), and a red cape like she’s sometimes seen in on some of her more diplomatic missions. As far as her skill set goes, she has her usual package of super strength, speed, reflexes, durability, and stamina, tracking skills, and is a master of both unarmed combat and wielding a shield and sword. She’s also a highly skilled diplomat and negotiator, meaning that she can oftentimes avoid ever having to use such gifts in combat by putting an end to conflict before it ever even begins. She can also fly fast enough to keep up with Superman, but as a means of reserving energy, she mostly prefers to fly on the back of a pegasus. As always, Diana wields the unbreakable Lasso of Truth, which forces one to reveal their true nature, tell the truth, and even free them from brainwashing or other types of control. Finally, she has the Bracelets of Victory, which guard against all forms of attacks. When the bracelets are removed, however, most of her natural abilities increase to ludicrous levels, the likes of which even Superman cannot contend with. For all of these abilities, though, Wonder Woman isn’t invincible. Her stamina, while incredible, does have limits, meaning she will eventually tire out if a battle runs for too long. Also, while removing her bracelets doesn’t cause her to go into a berserker mode like in the comics, it DOES put a huge strain on her body. Just a couple of minutes is long enough for her to be ready to pass out in this state. Finally, while her compassion is a great gift, it also comes coupled with a sense of self-sacrifice, constantly causing her to put herself in harm’s way to protect others. Granted, she more often than not walks away without being too harmed, but when you consider the possibility of her leaving Themyscira without its Queen…well, hindsight is 20/20.

…So, that’s all there is to know about Infinite Wonder Woman, but what about her new wife? Granted, she won’t be joining the Justice League, but she will be making an appearance or two, so let’s look at Mera.

Again, Mera is very similar to the mainstream version seen in the comics: A princess/assassin from another dimension sent to kill Aquaman, but instead fell in love with the King of Atlantis and married him. She’s also become somewhat of a surrogate mother to Jackson Hyde, AKA Aqualad, due to his estrangement from his father, Black Manta. In this universe, she’s also a close friend to Diana, and accepted her proposal to get married for the sake of their friendship and their peoples (which is quite the twist from Flashpoint). While kind and loving, she is also known to fly into fits of rage when wronged. You know the old saying “Heav’n has no rage, like love to hatred turn’d, nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn’d”? If William Congreve had lived in today’s society, he likely would’ve been talking about Mera. And yeah, I know, it can be something of a sexist comment, but it’s most certainly true of Queen Mera ‘Don’t You DARE Call Me Aquawoman’. While she understands that she SHOULDN’T kill, she at times has difficulty keeping the desire to in check.

Mera is more or less exactly like the mainstream version of her in both appearance and powers. Like Aquaman, the Queen of Atlantis is perfectly capable of surviving in a kingdom at the bottom of the sea, meaning she has the strength, durability, and enhanced sight of someone who lived in a place so dark and having such constant pressure put on her. She’s also an extremely fast swimmer, and possesses a leap out of the ocean measuring at approximately 1000 feet. Mera also possesses telepathy, able to send messages to someone’s mind and receive replies, though she lacks skill in terms of digging deeper into a person’s thoughts. Her trademark ability, however, is her skill in manipulating water. She can shift water around to her will, form hard water weapons, and launch concussive blasts. Also, get her REALLY mad, and she could conceivably warp the water molecules inside of someone to hurt them from the inside. Ultimately, her greatest weakness is her anger, as it can blind her in combat and cause her to make mistakes. Also, while she’s durable enough that bullets would only scratch her skin, she is by no means invulnerable.

Anyway, that’s it for Wonder Woman and Mera. Next time, we wrap up our look at the Justice League Infinite with Green Lantern and Doctor Fate. Ja né!

DC Comics’ Convergence + Characters and Concepts I’d Like To See Make a Permanent Return

DC Comics recently announced the event that is clearly intended to be the Crisis On Infinite Earths anniversary event, and it’s not exactly what I was expecting, but I’ll nonetheless take it. The event is referred to as Convergence, and it follows up on plot hooks going back as far as Justice League International’s finale, and heavily involves recent revelations from Superman Doomed and Future’s End. Long story short, Brainiac (or rather A Brainiac) has been bottling people and cities from various worlds across different universes in the Multiverse. In fact, some of these universes don’t even exist anymore, meaning that this version of Brainiac managed to survive the Multiversal reboot of The New 52, as did the people he’s captured.

According to what I’ve read up on, the current New 52 books will be taking a two month break in April and May (so I guess I’ll be saving a bit more money than usual, lol), which explains why all the current arcs in the storylines are ending at the same time. During this break, there’ll be a weekly series for Convergence, as well as a number of two-part miniseries that’ll cover different worlds involved in Convergence. Basically, seeing what these characters have been up to since the last time we saw them, and probably tying into the greater events of Convergence. And since I’m seeing worlds based on the last year or two of the pre-Flashpoint New Earth, the pre-Flashpoint Earth 2, Superman Red Son, Kingdom Come, and several others, I would imagine there’ll at least be SOME comics in this event that’ll catch my attention.

So, a common theory among fans right now is that, following Convergence, the current reality of The New 52 will be adjusted to include a number of characters and concepts from past continuities. Others are suggesting that this is the end of The New 52, and the restoration of the previous continuity. Honestly, I’m hoping for the former, since there has actually been some great stuff in The New 52 that I would hate to see wiped away. Plus, if that happened, what the hell would’ve been the point of the past 3+ years? It would’ve just been a complete waste of our time. With that said, there’s plenty of the previous continuity that I would like to see integrated into the current one, and plenty of BAD stuff we’ve seen in The New 52 I would like to see done away with. So, with that said, here’s a list of changes I’d like to see after Convergence is over, be it returning characters and concepts, or the end of current ones…

#1 – The Return of the Classic Superman Costume

This is actually something that is possibly being teased for before Convergence, if I’m correct, that is. Basically, I took notice of the fact that solicits for Superman #38 promised a new costume for the Man of Steel, and that his pelvic area was hidden or otherwise obscured on the cover of every book he was on that month. My theory is that he’s either returning to the old tights, or his current costume is being adjusted to resemble it and its colour scheme. Honestly, either one works for me.

#2 – The Return of the Justice Society

Now, there ARE a ton of heroes on Earth 2, but they aren’t really so much a team. Bringing back the Justice Society would be a huge benefit to the Earth 2 books. But beyond bringing back the JSA, I would also bring back some of its members, like Jade, Wildcat, Doctor Mid-Nite, Liberty Belle, possibly even the Kingdom Come Superman, and so on. That said, I think I would wanna keep the newer costumes for those that have been around in The New 52. No offense to the original designers, but I just think the newer costumes look a bit better.

#3 – Lois and Clark Back Together

I’m sorry, but the romance between Superman and Wonder Woman needs to end. Like, NOW. This was doomed to fail from the beginning, and I think reader response has proven that it did. It really says it all when even Man of Steel knew well enough to have Clark and Lois together. I don’t even care if they’re married or not, I just wanna see them back together. That said, wouldn’t necessarily have to cancel Superman/Wonder Woman, just make it about them teaming up to fight supervillains instead of ‘the fauxmance’. Speaking of Wonder Woman, though…

#4 – The Restoration of Wonder Woman and the Amazons

Seriously, we need the old Wonder Woman back. Badly. Beyond the obvious, having her be the compassionate diplomat once again, her back-story and the history of the Amazons needs a change from the current New 52 version. What bothers me most about the changes to her back-story isn’t so much the fact that I mind her being the daughter of Zeus. That much I can live with. Rather, it’s Hippolyta bending over backwards for Zeus (or was it forwards? I honestly can’t remember), and the HORRIBLE changes to the Amazons, making them pirates and rapists. That, above all else, needs to be undone. If you wanna keep Diana as a demigod, fine, but fixing the situation with the Amazons is a must, and the circumstances surrounding the tryst of Zeus and Hippolyta need to be changed to make her look better. Finally, just a cosmetic note, I think I’d want the silver on the Wonder Woman costume made gold again. Gold just looks better on Diana than silver, to be honest.

#5 – Bring Back Proxy (and several others)

Beyond some of the more obvious heroes to bring back (Blue Beetle, Donna Troy, Plastic Man, Renee Montoya, Cassandra Cain, Elongated Man, the Blue Lantern Corps), one that I would like to see make a comeback is Proxy, AKA Wendy Harris. Seeing as how Babs is currently Batgirl, and I actually rather like what they’re doing with her nowadays, bringing Proxy back to fill her role as Oracle would seem like the best option. The loss of Oracle, as someone who helped to coordinate the various heroes on Earth, has been significant, and is still being felt nowadays.

#6 – Reform the Birds of Prey

I cannot frakking believe I forgot to mention this before, but bringing back the Birds of Prey would be amazing after this, and here’s why: In the final issue of Gail Simone’s run on Batgirl, we learn that Babs has the means by which to get ahold of pretty much EVERY SINGLE SUPERHEROINE ON EARTH. That means she could conceivably form a team out of ANY of these women. You wanna see a team-up of Strix and Katana? Catwoman and Batwoman? Zatanna and Raven? Misfit and Vengeance Moth? Starfire and Bleez? Any and all of these are now possible. Heck, she’s also in touch with Helena Wayne, so she could conceivably call in help from Earth 2 superheroines like Power Girl, Red Tornado, and Aquawoman someday. The Birds could actually succeed the Justice League as the greatest assortment of heroes on Earth at that point. People, just TRY and tell me you would not read a book like that. 😀

Anyway, that’s all for now. Leave a comment below on stuff you’d like to see change following Convergence, and we’ll see if we get any of these wishes. Ja né!

Batman Endgame and Superman Doomed #2 News – Just When You Think You Have The Answers, The Questions All Change

Soooooo, couple of noteworthy things on the horizon that I felt like bringing to everyone’s attention. First up, there is a story arc coming up in Scott Snyder’s Batman called Endgame. He’s kept his lips as tightly sealed as possible, and the covers for the next few issues have been a complete mystery…UNTIL NOW, when we got an early look at the cover for Batman #35, which is part one of Endgame.

Basically, based on this, a few preview sketches that have appeared on occasion, and some rumours that have been floating about, Endgame will feature a confrontation between Batman and the rest of the Justice League, or at least some sort of situation that puts them at odds or creates distrust among them. And considering that Batman has collected little boxes with items meant to exploit each of the team’s weaknesses, tricked them so that he could break into the Watchtower and take his Hellbat suit to go to Apokolips to save Damian, stood up for Lex Luthor joining the team, and is generally the most paranoid and distrustful member of the group, I can’t possibly imagine how they could EVER be at odds. lol I will say this much, though: Ever since I saw that variant cover for Justice League drawn by Greg Capullo, I’ve been wanting to see him draw the Justice League in a book for YEARS. And because Scott Snyder is writing this story, I know I can trust him to write a story about the Justice League and Batman being at odds and have the proper balance in place, as opposed to making Batman look so much better than them just because he’s Batman. I HATE that shit.

But yeah, that’s the second biggest news I’ve heard today. THE biggest was made apparent at the end of Superman Doomed #2, when Brainiac, and by extension, the readers, were shown THIS…

HOLY FUCK, THEY’RE STILL AROUND! O_O …Okay, naturally this raises a few questions. Basically, here’s what I think happened: Either the pre-New 52 Multiverse never actually disappeared and has continued to exist along with the New 52 Multiverse (which shouldn’t be possible, but then again, when has that ever stopped them from doing something insane before?), OR there’s a world in the New 52 Multiverse that is a condensed version of the DCU’s history before the reboot in September of 2011. Now, either one of these explanations is, of course, a major continuity mess in the making, is almost certainly going to get worse far before it gets better, and is a weak attempt by DC to have their cake and eat it too…and I can’t even be mad! LOOK AT THEM! It’s Superman in his red trunks! It’s the Justice Society of America! It’s Harley Quinn in her old costume! It’s the New Teen Titans, with Donna Troy and the REAL Starfire before she became whatever the frak she’s supposed to be in Red Hood And The Outlaws! Okay, there’s also stuff like Nightmare Batman and the Flashpoint versions of Aquaman and Wonder Woman, but c’mon, it’s the pre-New 52 universe! There’s a good chance we could see more stories told of that universe in the future! Although, I gotta wonder what’s different with Batman and Green Lantern, since their New 52 stories started by more or less picking up where their old continuity stories left off. I mean, we’ve since gone back to show some of the stuff that’s the same and different about the two continuities, but that aside, you can see a lot of what’s happened as the natural progression of those stories.

Anyway, leave your comments below what you think about all of this, if you think this will end well or BADLY, and we’ll see what comes of this. Ja né!

How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch? – Teen Titans (Robin, Wonder Girl, Bunker, And More)

Well, welcome back to my own personal Put Up Or Shut Up moment for comics, How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch. Granted, I may not be the best person to make such judgements, since apparently DC Comics is meant for 45 year olds, but this is just my own personal take on it. This time around, I thought I’d take a closer look at the members of one of my favourite superhero teams of all time, who I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up writing a fic about in the future…

Now, because a lot of these are known primarily for being Teen Titans, and/or for being sidekicks to other superheroes, not all of ’em have logos, so I’ll be using pictures. With that said, let’s start with who is usually considered the leader…

Robin

As I mentioned before, I’d naturally start with Dick Grayson as Robin. However, following his eventual transformation to Nightwing, I’d probably do as the Young Justice cartoon apparently did and skip over Jason Todd in favour of probably my favourite Robin of all time, Tim Drake. Now, that’s not to say that I would never involve Jason Todd, just not as Robin. Why? Well, for starters, I’m not exactly a huge fan of Jason Todd and what DC continues to try to do with him. Second, like I said, I prefer Tim Drake as Robin (and yes, he WAS Robin, I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t even mind calling him Red Robin, I just hate that DC insists he was never Robin). Now, would I put the mantle on others like Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne later on? I dunno yet. Either way, though, Dick would be the leader of the team, though would often-times confer to this next individual…

Cyborg

I already covered most of what I’d do with Cyborg, but at the same time, I think I’d want him to act as a sort of mentor to the Titans. He’d be in charge of training them, putting together their base and equipment, etc. He might occasionally butt heads with Robin over leadership decisions, but otherwise would be friends.

Wonder Girl

Yes, I know that’s Donna Troy. Sorry to Cassie fans, and I MIGHT eventually show her some love too, but frankly, I just prefer Donna. As for her origin (hoo boy, Donna Troy’s origin), I’d probably just go with the story where she’s a mirror duplicate of Wonder Woman as a teenager, though I’d put her in the black costume with the blue stars. It’s just my personal favourite look for her. Otherwise, her role would be something similar to what Superboy’s was in the Young Justice cartoon, though with a better relationship with her counterpart. Finally, I think I’d want her to have a silver lasso as opposed to Wonder Woman’s golden lasso.

Bunker

Y’know, much as I like to rag on Scott Lobdell from time to time, one thing I can thank him for is for intentionally making Bunker and his back-story completely angst free. And trust me, you have no idea how much I appreciate that, given the status quo of DC Superhero angst these days. So yeah, Miguel’s personality? Perfect. His powers? Pretty awesome. The only thing I’d change about him is his costume’s colour-scheme. I’d change it to violet and some other colour, like green or black. I just don’t like that sort of reddish-purple that goes down the middle of his mask and across the right side of his costume. Maybe it just bugs me because, in the comics, he’s on a team brought to you by the colours red, yellow, and brown, but it’s always bugged me.

Jesse Quick

Yeah, with enough characters in other colours, I can let Jesse Quick keep her normal red and yellow. 🙂 Also, as far as why I picked Jesse Quick over Bart Allen, it’s two-fold. One is that I already picked Wally West over Barry Allen to be The Flash, and two is that I’d want a more diverse team. After all, Jesse can not only tap into the Speed Force, but she also inherits her mother’s enhanced strength and stamina. As for her back-story, pretty much the same, minus the affair with her mother’s younger fiancée, because oh dear GOD that was stupid. Speaking of which, she’d also have the costume she wore in the earlier issues of The Titans, AKA Lewis Lovhaug‘s favourite comic book series ever. I just like it a lot, and find her other costumes to be kinda…eh.

Aqualad

No offence to Garth (in fact, far from it, I think I’d rather have Garth as Tempest), but Kaldur’ahm would be the Aqualad of this team, likely in his Young Justice TV show appearance (although I’d change the shade of red to a more orange tone) and power-set. However, to keep things from getting overly repetitive, I think I would kinda want him to be the sort-of Sixth Ranger member of the group (look it up on TV Tropes). Still, Kaldur would be the serious one, and would pretty much play designated driver to some of the antics the rest of the team might occasionally get up to.

Anyway, that’s it for the Teen Titans. Next time, I talk more about the villains, specifically who faces whom. Ja né!

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How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch? – The Justice League, The Teen Titans, And More

Here I am, once again, talking about How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch. ‘Cuz hey, you never know. I might decide to do a fanfic about one or more of these characters, or be a creative consultant for a web series, something like that. No way to know what the future might hold, y’know? So for this time around, I thought I’d talk about what I’d do with some of the landmark teams of the DC Universe. The Justice League, the Teen Titans, and so on. So, let’s start with…

Justice League

For the main team, I’d wanna take it back to being the Justice League of America, or the JLA. Of course, they would refer to it as the Justice League for short on occasion, but it’d be the JLA. As for what I’d do with it for a story, probably go back to Starro the Conqueror, except that it would be about Starro invading and the Big 3, the Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman not being enough to stop the invasion, and thus some of the new heroes (in this continuity, that is) would come to their aid, like The Flash, Green Lantern, or Cyborg. I’d probably include others, like Aquaman, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, or Green Arrow, and have the book mostly focus on them stepping up to be on the same level as the Trinity while also fending off threats like The Legion of Doom, the Royal Flush Gang, the Black Lantern Corps, and Darkseid.

Teen Titans

Teen Titans would probably go back to its roots a little bit as a team of mostly teenage sidekicks who band together to form a superhero team that responds to calls from teens in need. Obviously, Robin would be a must, as would Donna Troy as Wonder Girl. As for the others, Bunker would be a nice choice for the international flavor, his optimism, and his position as an openly gay teenage superhero. I think I’d wanna change his costume from purple and red to purple and green, though. Just looks better in my head. Jesse Quick would be a neat option too, especially as someone brilliant enough to tap into the Speed Force on her own. Other choices would likely include Aqualad (either one, really), Danny Chase, Hotspot, Bumblebee, Beast Boy, Argent, Damage, Starfire, or Artemis. Also, to reference his time spent with the team in The New Teen Titans, Cyborg would be acting as a mentor to the team as they battle the likes of Doctor Light, The H.I.V.E., Deathstroke, Harvest (only done smarter than in The Culling), and the Brotherhood of Evil.

Justice League International

I’d probably go with the standard government-controlled Justice League here, but with some changes. Specifically, the JLA decides they don’t want the government to be afraid of them, so they elect one of their members to join. Of course, unlike the New 52 Justice League International, I think I’d want Wonder Woman on the team, representing Themyscira. Vixen would represent Africa, Congorilla would represent Scotland, Katana would represent Japan, Fire would represent Brazil, Ice would represent Norway, Booster Gold would represent Canada, Vibe would represent America, and Mera would represent Atlantis. They’d fight foes like the Injustice League (would have different members than The Legion of Doom).

Birds of Prey

With the Birds of Prey, I’d wanna combine them with the idea of the Justice League Dark. Basically, an all-female team that deals with supernatural threats. As such, members would be a combination of the two groups: Black Canary would be acting leader, Raven would join seeking to bring together a group to stop her father, Zatanna would become a member to try to track down her father, Batgirl and Spoiler would team up with them from time to time, and Pandora would join to try to find information leading back to her box…Not even close to what I mean, pervs. lol Their enemies would include Trigon’s Sons, Vandal Savage, and Morgaine le Fey.

Justice Society of America

Basically, the Justice Society of America, or JSA for short, would be the first superhero team, existing prior to Superman and the others. Their members act as inspirations for the current crop of heroes, and in some cases, direct predecessors. They would consist of characters from the original JSA, the All-Star Squadron, and some of the other Earth 2 characters to appear since. The original Flash, Jay Garrick, hence why Wally chooses that name for himself. The Atom, Al Pratt, would be the father of Damage, and would have his atomic punch, the ability to turn giant like Atom Smasher, and the ability to shrink like the modern Atoms like Ray Palmer. Liberty Belle, Libby Lawrence, would be Jesse Quick’s mother, and Jesse would get her increased strength and stamina through her mother’s genes. Batman, Thomas Wayne, would be Bruce Wayne’s father who was a member EXTREMELY briefly. Others could include Doctor Fate, Hippolyta, Zatara, Sandman, Hawkman, or Doctor Mid-Nite.

Anyway, that’s all for the superhero teams. Next up, the villains! Ja né!

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How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch? – The Big 3

So you’ll notice I haven’t done What Would I Do With The New 52 in a while. The reason is actually quite obvious: There’s really no point. The New 52, if you actually still wanna call it that since it is neither new nor made up of 52 comic series, is whatever Didio and the rest of the higher-ups at DC Comics choose it to be. Hell, they’re even rebooting stuff that’s already rebooted, like redesigning Lobo so he looks like something outta Twilight. On top of that, a lot of what I was suggesting actually ended up being what we got anyway, so why bother talking about what I’d do different?

So I was thinking the other: What if I was tasked with rebuilding the entire DC Universe from scratch, either for a reboot or a fanfic or a DC equivalent of the Marvel Ultimate universe? How would I do a whole new DC Universe, while still taking cues from things that have been done in previous continuities? So, that’s what I’m here to talk about: How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch? Let’s start with the Big 3 of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. (Btw, if you wonder why I bother with THIS, it’s simply because I never know what I might wind up doing in the future. I might end up writing a DC fanfic someday, I don’t know.)

Superman

For Superman, I’d probably wanna tell both the current stories of Superman, what he’s doing in the present day, while also covering his teenage years, bringing back the old Superboy. Plus, he’d be wearing the tights his mother made for him as a teenager, but then upgrade to a more modern suit in his adult years. That said, I think I’d want said suit to at least look similar to his tights. There’s actually a concept art for Superman in Injustice: Gods Among Us that shows him in an armoured version of the old Superman tights that would actually look great (side-note, looking at him in that suit with that face, they SO shoulda used that for Regime Superman in that game). Also, I’d probably take a note from Man of Steel and have Lois Lane know who he is from the start and be his support/love interest.

Batman and Robin

For Batman, I’d probably wanna start his story off as Robin (Dick Grayson) finishes his training and the two are ready to tackle crime as a duo. I would of course make reference to Batman and Robin‘s origins, but I’d keep them generally the same and only make small references since…well, you don’t really NEED to constantly go over the origin story, since most people already flipping know it. Batman would probably wear a suit akin to The Dark Knight costume, albeit with dark blue and dark gray instead of pure black all over, while I’d imagine Robin would wear something close to his Teen Titans outfit, but possibly also have the wings Tim Drake currently uses folded under it for flight.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman needs to go back to being the compassionate one, the Spirit of Truth, someone who would never kill or allow death to occur on her watch, while at the same time would straight up headbutt Darkseid in the teeth during one of his speeches. lol Also, re-establish her and Superman’s FRIENDSHIP. I really feel like making them a couple cost them something far more important. I’d probably bring back Donna Troy as well, using the idea of her being a mirror-reflection of Diana as a teenager, without confusing her back-story the way it was originally. As for her costume…Yeah, I’m sorry, I’d probably put her in the pants too. Sorry for anyone who has a problem with that, but I’d put her in pants. Also, I think I’d wanna give her the tiara with a nose-guard that we see in her appearances in Frank Miller books, minus anything else that she has/does/acts like in Frank Miller books. lol

So that’s what I’d do with those three if I was doing one of those three things (alternate universe, reboot, or fanfic). What about you guys? Leave a comment below describing what you’d do in those scenarios, and next up, we’ll talk some of the other major heroes, like Green Lantern and The Flash. Ja né!

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Tales of Dumbassery – What Is Iconic In Comic Books?

Once again, dear friends, I hope you have anaesthesia on hand, as we are about to dive into…

Y’know, a word that gets tossed around in comics a lot lately is ‘iconic’. Specifically, what characters qualify as iconic. And I don’t mean their aliases, I mean the people behind the masks. It seems to be used to justify a lot of decisions made with the New 52. Like, “Hal Jordan is the Green Lantern serving on the Justice League because he’s the most iconic Green Lantern”, or “Barry Allen is the only Flash because he’s the most iconic Flash”, or “Barbara Gordon was made Batgirl again for the New 52 because she’s the most iconic Batgirl”…Well, okay, I should be fair, it’s not JUST the New 52 that does this. Take Injustice for example. Barry Allen is The Flash, Hal Jordan is Green Lantern, and guess who just got confirmed to be in the game as DLC?

Based on what I can tell, iconic in this sense means they were the first to serve as these aliases in the modern DC universe, and by that, I mean what was previously known as New Earth (created through the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths) and is now Prime Earth (created through the events of Flashpoint). My guess is that this means they’re the ones most people are most familiar with as these heroes. I’m sure that a lot of people feel that logic is justified, and I can definitely see how they would think that…despite how wrong it is.

Okay, bear with me here: You guys know how my favourite Batgirl is Stephanie Brown, right? Well, while she’s my favourite, I don’t know if I’d really call her the most iconic. For me, and this is just me personally, I think the most iconic Batgirl would be the one who has made the most impact by her presence, and when I think that, I think Cassandra Cain. And why do I feel she made the most impact? Well, aside from her uniqueness as a character, how she operates as Batgirl, and also that her costume is VERY different from Steph and Babs’, she was also the first Batgirl to get her own solo series that lasted longer than a single issue. In fact, Cass’ Batgirl title lasted 75 issues. Steph’s didn’t even make it half that amount.

But there are other reasons I consider the logic of the “this character was the first to be this hero, and that makes them the most iconic” to be wrong. As I said, I think the reason for that is because they’re generally the one people are most familiar with…except that’s not always the case. Depending on what comics you read and when, you might be more familiar with John Stewart or Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern than Hal Jordan. Or say you got into comics through the cartoons. In that case, you were likely more familiar with Wally West as The Flash than Barry Allen. Or perhaps you only started reading comics with the New 52. Under that situation, you’re probably more familiar with Damian Wayne as Robin than Dick Grayson or ANYBODY else who came before him. God help you if you got into comics through the Joel Schumacher movies, though. Then you’d think Mr. Freeze was an Austrian who spewed ice one-liners, and Bane was some random thug they stuck in a luchador mask and pumped full of crap that made him a mindless brute.

There is a third reason I find that logic to be bunk, specifically as it pertains to the New 52: If the characters were chosen based on their iconic stature of being the first to assume the mantle of certain heroes, then why is Bart Allen in Teen Titans as Kid Flash? Now before anyone suggests this is an attack on Bart Allen, you can relax, I have no issues with the character whatsoever. I’m just wondering why it’s him to assume the position of Kid Flash instead of Wally West. Or heck, why is Cassie Sandsmark operating as Wonder Girl instead of Donna Troy? Again, nothing wrong with Cassie, I just find that the meaning behind these choices is very warped and confused when you consider her presence here.

Do you see where I’m going with all of this? Basically, the word iconic is used to explain certain character choices, but the meaning behind iconic is constantly changed to mean whatever the individual(s) in charge want it to mean. And honestly, if yer going to go that route anyway, why not just say “We picked who we liked”? Because I get it, you had a limited number of spots to utilize with the massive roster of characters you had available to you, you got overwhelmed, and you knew that no matter who you picked to get into these stories, you’d piss somebody off. So why not just tell the truth and say you’re sorry? I don’t get that.

Anyway, that’s my two cents on this particular matter. Feel free to add your own, and I will be back later today with my vlog from Free Comic Book Day and my latest What I Bought Today. Ja né!