DC Rebirth One Year Later – Detective Comics

Well, it’s June, so it’s finally time for me to take a more in-depth look at DC Comics’ Rebirth initiative. However, the reason this is only starting now in the middle of June is because…well, there’s a lot to talk about, both good and bad, and I can’t really imagine me going over ALL of my thoughts on DC Rebirth in one article. As such, I’m gonna be talking about several specific books in their own articles, what I liked and disliked about them, and then give overall thoughts on where I think the book might be headed. And obviously, considering I’m going over the events of these books, there will be SPOILERS, so if you aren’t caught up on them and don’t want to be spoiled, turn back now. So, with that said, let’s talk about Detective Comics.

Now, first and foremost, when I heard about this book initially, I was PUMPED. Not only was it going back to the old numbering, meaning we’d be hitting #1000 relatively quickly, but just look at the cover. It’s a TEAM book, featuring some of my favourite Bat Family characters: Batman, Batwoman, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain… … …erm, Clayface…Yeah, I’mma get to Clayface, but suffice to say, he’s one of the elements of the book that’s both good and bad. Regardless, though, this was gonna be great… … …Then some shit happened that made me a lot less excited. But I’ll get to that later. First, let’s talk about Tim Drake, AKA Red Robin.

So one of the first things the book did was re-establish everything great about Tim Drake. He’s the brains of the Robins, the one most on par with Bruce when it comes to detective skills, and is the one who builds a lot of the tech they use in their new base of operations. Bruce also gives him a new costume that’s more closely associated with the other Robins (remember, in the New 52, Tim was never Robin, and was always Red Robin), and makes it clear to him that he ALWAYS considered him a Robin, whether Tim did or not. Even Tim’s relationship with Stephanie Brown is re-established, much to my joy. And it goes a long way in explaining why these things were re-established here when you consider that, apparently, James Tynion IV is a big fan of the character and his original solo-series. So, for fans of Tim Drake, like myself, this was a great thing to do… … …Then Tim died.

Well, okay, anyone who has read the book where Tim Drake makes his final stand knows that Tim didn’t actually die. Before he could be killed, he was basically removed from the area by Mr. Oz, a character who has been cropping up in Superman’s stories for a while now, and was made Oz’s prisoner, effectively taking Tim off the board because he was an important link to a lot of different people in the DC Universe. What Oz’s motivations for doing this are is still a mystery, and I’ll get more into that when I talk about the Superman books, but that’s the situation as is. And frankly, while that DOES annoy me, that we finally got Tim back as he should be only to lose him, the fact is, this DOES play into a bigger story that even goes outside of this one book. Oz’s plans are one of the big mysteries of DC Rebirth, and Tim is now a part of that, as we see him trying to escape, make contact with Batman, taunt Oz over the loss of other prisoners, etc. He’s not just being benched permanently, it’s part of a storyline that’s actually going somewhere. But, I wouldn’t be lying if I said that fallout from his apparent death has led to things that DO legit bother me.

Now let’s talk about Clayface. First, let me explain that I actually do like his motivations for joining Batman. For those that don’t recall, it was established in the New 52 that Karlo’s abilities had evolved to the point where he could not only assume the forms of other people, his DNA would also change to whoever he made physical contact with. However, this came at a price: He could assume the form and DNA of anyone…except Basil Karlo. So, when we first encounter him in this book, he’s basically hit rock bottom, just sitting alone at a theater showing one of his old movies and not caring for crime or if he gets sent back to Arkham or not. It’s a position that I think a lot of us can understand and would probably find ourselves in if we were in his shoes. Thus, when Batman offers him a chance to become Basil Karlo if he joins Batman’s team to help Gotham, he accepts. And as a result of that, we see him start to change. He’s regaining his humanity and is legitimately wanting to help people again as opposed to feeling forced to. It’s a well-written redemption storyline that, hopefully, won’t be undone.

Unfortunately, there’s a problem with Clayface being the one to receive this redemption arc, one that I was not privy to because, while I know a lot about No Man’s Land, I have not read it in its entirety. However, since his introduction as a member of this team, a friend of mine let me in on the fact that it was made pretty clear (if not outright stated) that Clayface raped Poison Ivy during the events of No Man’s Land. This was part of the story that led to Ivy being put in charge of Robinson Park and looking after orphaned children. And I know, I KNOW, someone’s gonna point out that this might not be in continuity anymore. And granted, that’s a legit argument. However, here’s my counter-argument: DC, while getting better at it as of late, has never made it fully clear what all is and is not canon from the pre-Flashpoint stories. So, until it’s made clear one way or the other, we don’t really know whether the events of No Man’s Land are or are not still a part of these characters’ histories. Furthermore, even if No Man’s Land and the rape are no longer canon due to it being among the ten years of history taken from the DC Universe, it still doesn’t completely erase what happened, especially since events in recent comics suggest those ten years are going to be reintegrated into main storylines. And you just can’t have it both ways by saying that all of the previous history is canon again, but that the rape never happened. Other than situations where characters couldn’t have been physically present due to not being introduced in the new continuity until much later, re-establishing the past history means it ALL happened. Now, if this was an alternate universe with its own history and incarnations of the characters, then I would say “Okay, I can overlook that”. But this ISN’T. Rebirth has made it clear that this is the same universe that existed pre-Flashpoint, just with ten years worth of history removed and elements of the WildStorm and Vertigo Universes blended in. And I’m not even saying it’s IMPOSSIBLE to do a story wherein Clayface redeems himself for those actions, it’s just that, be it because Tynion isn’t aware or forgot about that story, or either he himself or higher-ups at DC don’t care, there does not exist a story wherein Clayface at least attempts to rectify what he did to Ivy. Now, if they do so later, fine, but for now, it’s an issue that will always stick out to me. And if you think I’m wrong to feel that way, lemme ask longtime DC fans something: What was your initial reaction to seeing Doctor Light appear in the New 52 as a good guy who joined the JLA? My guess is probably revulsion, because you remembered that image of Doctor Light raping Sue Dibny, and then later being made into a serial rapist who was killed by other bad guys because even they couldn’t stomach him. You can’t simply pretend that didn’t happen when these are all still supposed to be the same characters. This is what the publisher did with the character, and you can’t simply brush it off because it’s inconvenient.

…*sighs* And, speaking of which, that leads me to probably my biggest disappointment with the book: Stephanie Brown. I have made it no secret that Steph is one of my all-time favourite superheroes, held the #1 spot for me for many years, and was the star of my favourite Batgirl title. Now, initially, I didn’t really have a problem with Stephanie in this book. It wasn’t until she left the team that I had a problem, and that wasn’t even really with her leaving the team. The thing is, Stephanie Brown finding fault and taking issue with Batman’s methods? That’s totally in character for her. They DO have differing philosophies and methodology as it pertains to helping people and dealing with crime. It’s not even that she leaves over Bruce’s tendency to inadvertently get others caught in the crossfire of his fight with villains, since it works as motivation for him to be more careful and do more to help those caught in his path. The problem is just how fucking hypocritical she acts, talking about how Gotham doesn’t need heroes when she goes out and specifically does superhero acts, all the while sabotaging Batman and saying how he shouldn’t be out in the open taking the credit. THAT is NOT in character for her. And she talks about how Batman should stick to the shadows and not let the general public in on his existence, when guess what? THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HE USED TO DO!!! He DID stick to the shadows! He DIDN’T let people know he really existed! He was an urban legend, and the confirmed existence of him was known only to a select few. He only came out into the light when things in Gotham got SO bad that he HAD to, that his presence would’ve actually been a positive to Gotham. Then there’re hints that, in future issues, she’s gonna be teaming with Anarky. Now, Steph teaming with anti-heroes like Catwoman or the like, that makes sense. ANARKY IS A STRAIGHT-UP VILLAIN WHO KILLS PEOPLE. Her working with him makes no sense for her character. And the most insulting part of all of this is that the event that triggers it all is Tim’s supposed death, meaning it’s entirely possible none of this would’ve happened if not for the fact that her boyfriend bit the dust. Give me a fucking break!

In terms of the other characters, I like that the book makes use of people like Batwing, Azrael, and Bluebird, heroes who don’t have their own books and are able to get some stories told about them here. I also like that the book was able to tell a story that directly led into Batwoman getting her own solo title again, which is always a good thing. Batwoman is a popular and important enough character to deserve her own book, and I’m glad they’ve done so. I also like that it’s made clear that she and Bruce are equals on this team, as they should be. Not sure why they completely shaved her head at the beginning, but whatever, minor nitpick, and at least it’s growing back out again as of late.

One problem I have with the book that’s actually a bit smaller than the ones I’ve mentioned thus far is the fact that Kate’s dad was made a villain. I mean, I GUESS when you look at the story as a whole and how it unfolded, it kinda makes sense. Still, I kinda find it problematic if, for no other reason, it pushes Kate to be more like Bruce, since she now no longer has a father to go to. And frankly, the story of him going after a super-secret organization that Batman doesn’t believe exists, but then it turns out they do and that they’re a far bigger threat just makes Batman look like an idiot, especially since this isn’t even the first evil group he thought never existed and then was proven wrong about.

So, now for where I think/hope this book is going. Well, first off, it’s pretty clear that Tim being alive will come out at some point, especially with Superman apparently having to deal with Mr. Oz more directly in upcoming events. What they’ll do with him at that point is anyone’s guess, but I’d imagine him being confirmed alive will probably be what leads to Steph and Bruce resolving their issues. I honestly hope they DO actually work what happened in No Man’s Land into a story, with Clayface feeling the need to make right what he did in some way, shape, or form. CAN he be redeemed is a question everyone needs to ask themselves, but personally, I’d at least be fine with them giving it a legitimate attempt. At least acknowledge that he feels guilt over what happened. And hopefully, Kate and her father can resolve their issues as well, and WITHOUT him dying in some way. Honestly, what I think would be a good move after Tim is brought back into the fold is for Bruce to maybe take a step back and let the team do their own thing. Let us see how the group can function without Batman taking direct control of it.

One thing I’m legitimately worried about is that, with the recent reveal that the Outsiders are still canon, the team in this book will be disbanded and replaced with the Outsiders. I’m not against the Outsiders getting back together, and I would be in favour of them getting their own book or integrating this team into their ranks. However, I hope this team is not completely broken down for the sake of bringing them back. I feel like that would be a disservice to these characters.

Most importantly, though, I want Detective Comics to remain a team book. Detective Comics basically just being another Batman book in the New 52 seemed like a waste, whereas now we have actual stories we can tell with it. And, to be honest, despite everything bad I’ve said that’s happened in this book…it’s still a lot better than another Bat book I could name, which I’ll be getting to eventually. For now, lemme know what your own thoughts on Detective Comics in DC Rebirth are, and join me next time for something a bit more…wonderful. Ja né!

Batgirl #50 Preview

Not gonna lie, kinda bummed these guys aren’t the new Birds of Prey, but whatever, should still be a good book, as should this. Here’s the preview for Batgirl #50.

• It’s the explosive conclusion of the epic that changed Barbara Gordon forever! The enemy lurking at the edges of Batgirl’s life has been revealed, as have the gang of heroes assembled to help her! From this point on, Batgirl doesn’t walk alone! It’s an extra-sized celebration of the greatest hero Burnside has ever known, from Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher and Babs Tarr!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/batgirl-50-dc-comics-2016

Batgirl #49 Preview

Hoo boy, this could get very, VERY bad if even one little slip-up occurs. Anyway, here are the preview pages for Batgirl #49.

• To unravel the secret of Batgirl’s bizarre new nemesis, her friends must travel to strange and uncharted territory: the inside of Barbara Gordon’s spectacular mind!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/batgirl-49-dc-comics-2016

Batgirl #47 Preview

Okay, this isn’t a complaint, more-so just something that’s kinda bugging me: Why doesn’t Babs just TELL her dad the truth now? Not only is there little to nothing he can say about it, given the situation, but it would benefit both of them, as she’d have someone on the inside at GCPD and Powers, and HE’D have someone in the Bat Family who firmly recognizes him as an ally. I just don’t get why she can’t be honest with him, and the only reason I can think of is because Bruce is coming back and the status quo will be returning to normal, and having that revelation now would off-set that. Yay, status quo. -_-

*sighs* Whatever, tangent over. Here’s the preview for Batgirl #47.

• Batgirl’s about to lose the greatest weapon in her arsenal…her mind is failing her! Is her ragtag group of allies enough to pick up the slack?

http://www.comicvine.com/articles/exclusive-preview-batgirl-47/1100-154684/

Nightwing Cancelled – What’s Next For Dick Grayson?

Okay, I know I’m kinda late to the party, but I thought I’d give my thoughts on a controversial announcement coming outta DC: Nightwing is cancelled. Given what’s been going on in Forever Evil, with Nightwing’s unmasking by the Crime Syndicate, his identity being made public knowledge, Chicago apparently being attacked by the Secret Society, and constant hints and teases that he’s going to be killed by the end of the series, that doesn’t exactly bode well for Dick Grayson. In addition, the fact remains that Dan Didio, arch nemesis of comic fans ’round the world, has wanted to kill the character at least once before. And since then, Dick has become Batman for a short time, and we know how Mr. Didio feels about characters that replace other characters in their aliases. So, with all of that said, there’s two possibilities as far as what’s going to happen.

1. Dick Grayson is going to die. In my opinion, the wrong choice to make. Even ignoring the simple fact that his book is getting cancelled (and for the record, I really liked the current arc where he was stationed in Chicago), there’s still more that can be done with the character. Also, it would mean that the only canon Robin of this Earth to never die is Tim Drake, and you KNOW someone would see that and go “Whoops! Gotta kill Timmy now!”.
2. Dick Grayson will live, and this will turn out to be a massive swerve. It’s even possible he’ll fake his death or die and be brought back to life right away. For me, the better option of the two. Evidence suggesting this is that, while Didio has wanted to kill him before, he’s apparently been “proven wrong” on that call. Also, while it isn’t exactly concrete, the blond fellow in the Thanksgiving pic is wearing a mask that greatly resemble’s Dick’s, meaning he could be assuming a new identity to keep villains off his back.

Also, girl in the purple hoodie is most likely Steph.

Regardless, I get the feeling Nightwing won’t remained cancelled for very long. A year, tops. For, even if Dick Grayson dies, there’s been some artwork making the rounds as of late…

Not too keen on the gun, although I suppose it might not fire bullets. Love that she’s bringing the blue back, though.

What does it mean? Well, the most popular rumour is that this is Harper Row, assuming the mantle of Nightwing due to the character’s death/faked death/retirement/whatever. Either way, the next issue of Batman is apparently a preview of what’s to come in the upcoming Batman Eternal weekly series (which also features the return of Stephanie Brown), and in a preview for said issue, Harper is shown prominently. If it IS her, we’ll probably get a hint of that then. My theory is that, either during Batman Eternal or following it, Nightwing will be given a new Issue #1 and will star this new Nightwing, presumably Harper.

Nightwing #30’s cover DEFINITELY doesn’t help quell the belief that he’s gonna die.

Either way, I hope this turns out to be a massive swerve, and it would actually be a pretty good one when you consider just how much evidence suggests that Dick will die. I will keep everyone posted if anything new comes up, though, so leave your comments below, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

Related articles

• Dick Grayson (Character) (comicvine.com)
• Batman: Eternal (wikipedia.org)
• I’m Slightly Scared At the Moment… (sidekickcomplex.com)
• Is Nightwing Going To Die in Series Finale Of Comic? (wordpress.com)
• Off THEIR Minds: What can a Hero do if their Secret Identity is Revealed? (comicvine.com)
• Why I Don’t Think Nightwing is Going to Die (henchman4hire.com)
• So, that’s definitely Harper Row, right? (gothamspoilers.com)

What I Bought Today – Detective Comics #21, Earth 2 #13, The Movement #2, Batman: Li’l Gotham #2, The Fearless Defenders #5

Well, my birthday has come and gone, but it is now officially Wednesday, so it is time to check out…

…with my birthday money. And whoo, did I get a lot of books, so let’s start off with The Adventures of Harper Row #3!…Oh, sorry, I mean Detective Comics #21. lol

Okay, I should note that I didn’t buy Detective Comics #0, since it was done by the previous team who did Detective Comics that I REALLY didn’t like, so I’m a little lost on some stuff that happens here. The jist of it from what I can tell is that an ex-lover of Bruce’s who turned out to be an assassin is back and looking to kill him. Fortunately, it’s Harper Row to the rescue, reminding us all why she’s so awesome. Unfortunately, the assassin gets away, but is punished by her boss: Ra’s al Ghul, who appears to be out of his cell and back in power. In the back-up, we see that Kirk Langstrom is back, his wife having found him and returned him at some point, but is still transforming into the Man-Bat at night. Apparently, he likes the power it gives him, and feels he needs it to be of any use to the people on the streets of Gotham City. Too bad a John Doe is discovered that leaves him to believe he may have committed murder. Uh oh.

Earth 2 #13 picks up where the Annual left off, with Captain Steel headed off to a fire pit in Rio de Janeiro, one of the many created by Terry Sloan. While he’s doing that, Hawkgirl is still tracking down clues regarding why Green Lantern‘s lover, Sam, was murdered, and how and why he’s connected to Apokolips forces. Fighting a horde of giant Apokorats, she nearly gets taken down by a surprise attack, only for her attacker to be killed by an exploding Batarang from the new Batman…Damn, this guy is one cold mother frakker. Meanwhile, Captain Steel emerges from the fire pit, horribly burnt and with his left arm completely gone, screaming they have to save the world from “her”. And who is her? The Red Lantern!

Before I get to the main plot of The Movement, I should clear up an error I made with the first issue. I said that the main cast are all completely new characters. Not so. Two of them have appeared before. Katharsis was in a couple of issues of Batgirl that I missed due to getting into the series late, and Tremor was actually a member of Secret Six before the reboot. My bad, folks. Speaking of Katharsis, it seems that she’s got a major chip on her shoulder and is pretty much out to just kill cops. This rubs Virtue the wrong way, and she and the rest of the team go looking into a lead regarding the killer in Coral City, while Katharsis goes looking for the source of the corruption in town, only to find herself in a massive brawl with the CCPD. Also, Mouse mourns one of his fallen rat friends…and then eats it… … …Gail Simone, I love ya and all, but you can be kinda sick sometimes. lol

Gotham City Sirens, HO! XD

Batman: Li’l Gotham #2, HOLYCRAPBLUENIGHTWING!!! Seriously, blue Nightwing being in this book is frigging awesome. I don’t think anything could beat that-HOLYCRAPGOTHAMCITYSIRENS!!! So yeah, plenty of awesomeness in this book, and all kept clean enough that kids can read it and enjoy. We need more books like this, for realsies.

…Huh. It’s not a video game, and yet I WANT that video game. 😛

I’d heard about The Fearless Defenders for a while now, so I decided to pick up #5 today. Lucky for me, it makes a good first impression with me, as I’m a sucker for both kickass super-heroines and situations that call for LOTS of heroes in the same place at the same time. Can’t say as I know too much else about what’s going on, only that Valkyrie has brought Hippolyta (Marvel’s Warrior Woman) and Dani Moonstar to Descanso De Deus in Brazil, they fight Doom Maidens, Caroline LeFay, and Mr. Raven, but are hopelessly outnumbered until Misty Knight arrives with MASSIVE back-up, as you can tell from the cover. Unfortunately, while victory is theirs, Valkyrie becomes Brunhilde again, which leaves She-Hulk to try to knock some sense into her. Note to self: Bring snacks for next issue’s fight, as well as tissues since someone is being advertised to die.

*SIGHS HARD* Okay, so that’s everything for today. lol Check in next week when I…Are you kidding me?! Apparently Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing, Li’l Gotham, and Superman Unchained are ALL gonna get released on the same frakking day…I’m Jyger85, and I have a serious issue. lol Ja né.

What I Bought Today – Batman #18, Batman Incorporated #9, Talon #6 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

Gosh, what day is it again? Oh yeah, it’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to look at…

So unfortunately, still no Batman and Robin #18, so it seems I’ll need to wait another week to get ‘the feels’. Until then though, let’s look at Batman #18.

So this is a really emotional book that shows Harper Row return, realising that Batman needs her help after he’s become increasingly reckless, sloppy, and violent. While I do like this book a LOT, I have two problems with it. The first is that, after saving Batman’s life and showing her new skills obtained from some training she’s been doing, Batman shows his appreciation by punching her in the face through a fence and telling her off . Now granted, he’s EXTREMELY sleep deprived, working both in the day and the night, and he’s only doing it to shoot down any chances she’ll try to become his partner, in essence trying to protect her. Problem is, he still punched a teenage girl in the face and broke her nose. He does apologise for it the next night, though, after Harper went to see Bruce Wayne about helping Batman (teehee) by sending him a message on the side of a building, ‘RESOLVE’ (with emphasis on the R). The other problem I have with this book, and I’m sorry that I’m not the first person to bring this up, but this is pretty clearly what A Lonely Place of Dying would be like if it was condensed to one book and was starring Stephanie Brown instead of Tim Drake. I mean, it’s still a good book, but I can’t ignore that it feels a lot like retreading old ground.

I should probably take a moment to address something. Supposedly, there’s sort of an anti-Harper stink going around. Some people saying that she’s just Scott Snyder‘s personal character project. Um, if that IS true, then guess what? EVERYBODY is a writer’s personal character project to begin with. So yeah, sorry, but you’re not gonna get me on-board with that. However, I DO have to ask, what the hell is Harper wearing? She looks like Holly Robinson when she was serving as Catwoman for a while. I mean, it works for now, but I hope it isn’t her permanent look.

Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again

Batman Inc-Okay, I’ve danced around this issue for a while, but I need to discuss this: The continuity between Bat books SUCKS. They’re all good stories in their own ways (odd one out being Batman: The Dark Knight, though clearly some people are still buying it), but the continuity between them is TERRIBLE. Supposedly, they’re all happening simultaneously, but there’s no way that can work. But regardless, we’re back with Batman Incorporated after the death of Robin, and apparently Beryl has elected to become Knight, though it seems that people looking to possibly bring back Cyril are aware of the existence of another Lazarus Pit…Hmm…Anyway, it seems Talia has sent Gotham City higher-ups an ultimatum: Batman Incorporated is to be shut down, or Gotham will be brought to its knees. So yeah, Batman’s an outlaw again. Wonderful. Starting to see how this ends up getting us to the point we saw at the beginning of Batman Incorporated #1.

Talon #6, HOLY CRAP! So yeah, Calvin Rose starts to make an impressive escape, but it seems he’s caught again. Afterwards, he finds out at the same time as a snooping Casey that it turns out John Wycliffe, the current Grandmaster of the Court of Owls, is not the man who recruited Calvin into the Court. In fact, it seems that Calvin hasn’t been striking at the Court’s resources, but rather reclaiming them for the former Grandmaster: Sebastian Clark! DUN DUN DUNNNN!!! Also, seems that the Gotham Butcher, who is becoming even more difficult to control, is out for more blood, but he’s not after more civilians, he’s after Batman…Dude, you might wanna rethink that. Oh, and if you think all this is insanely shocking, guess who shows up next month?

WTF?!?!

Anyway, that’s all for this week. Next week, we traverse back to Earth 2, check in on Batman dealing with the Mystery of the 900 in Detective Comics, and hopefully I FINALLY get the last issue of Batman and Robin to be titled Batman and Robin for a while. Ja né!

What I’d Do With New 52 – Part 03: The Current Characters

Okay, these are just touching on a few characters already present in The New 52 that need some tweaking. And since I’ve already gone to great lengths talking about what’s wrong or what I’d change about them, no Red Hood, Starfire, Power Girl, or Superman here. So let’s begin with a character that has had some serious downs as of late, Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman

Problem: Okay, as I mentioned before, I like how Wonder Woman’s new incarnation worked in Justice League: Origin. It’s not the greatest interpretation of Wonder Woman ever by far, I personally would suggest that honour goes to Gail Simone‘s. However, I should note that I don’t read her solo title, where her origins have been retconned so that she’s actually Zeus‘ bastard and the Amazons were made into pirates and rapists. I honestly didn’t think anything could ruin Diana‘s mythos anymore than Amazons Attack, but there ya go. Also, since Origin, Wonder Woman has gotten into a relationship with Superman. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind that so much, if not for the fact that they way they’re writing her now has her being just Superman’s girlfriend, and that is WRONG.

Solution: Well first off, I wouldn’t make the changes to Wonder Woman’s or the Amazons’ backstories. It just raises too many questions. However, even with the changes in place, one thing I’d do is that I’d put Gail Simone back on as writer for Wonder Woman, or at least co-writer. As for the relationship with Superman, I’m just gonna say this: They have to be EQUALS for this to work. And I’m sorry, you can make whatever argument you want, but they have not been written as equals in this relationship since it started.

Lincoln March

Problem: Okay, admittedly this isn’t so much a problem as it is me saying what needs to happen with Lincoln March for whenever he comes back…

Solution: Keep it ambiguous as to whether Lincoln March is really Bruce’s brother or not. Don’t answer the question. It works a lot better as a mystery, and plus it makes the antagonistic relationship between him and Batman all the more unique.

The Teen Titans (and The Ravagers)

Problem: The Titans of the New 52 just seem too dark and gritty. And maybe my opinion is coloured by having my first exposure to the group being the animated series, but I have have read Titans comics since, and I gotta say, this seems a bit too big of a change. I don’t so much mind the new members, but can we have some of the fun back please? Also, this bares repeating, while I haven’t read the Ravagers and might be way off here, every image I’ve seen of Beast Boy since the Ravagers started has depicted him as being really angry. Again, I prefer him as being green, but at least having him be red due to his powers coming from The Red makes sense. But the angry thing really needs to go.

Solution: Okay, I’ve mentioned this before, but the Titans and the Ravagers need to be made into a single group, or two sub-groups of the same faction with some members changed up. That way they can have a more upbeat and positive group of Titans and the dark and gritty group of Titans  that DC seems obsessed with having. Also, I’d have Beast Boy go back to being a bit more happy. Maybe through a series of events he finds himself being able to be more laid back. Oh, and one other thing, I’D BRING BACK TITANS TOWER!

Alfred Pennyworth

Problem: It looks like they’re gonna kill Alfred. If I had all day, I still wouldn’t be able to list the number of reasons that’s a bad idea.

Solution: Don’t kill Alfred…Either that, or have him return as a hologram in the Batcave. Because as silly as that would be, it would also be admittedly awesome. ^_^

Harper Row

Problem: Okay, this is kinda weird, since I actually like Harper Row as a character a lot, but I do have a single problem with what they’re doing with her, and that’s that the seem to be planning to make her Oracle.

Solution: Don’t make Harper Row Oracle. Oracle-like works, in fact it works a lot. But don’t make her Oracle.

Arsenal

Problem: Hey, I only said I wouldn’t talk about Red Hood or Starfire, I didn’t say anything about the other third of their group, and really, I haven’t talked much about Arsenal in the past, so I guess here’s my chance to. Put bluntly, Roy Harper is a character that has lost a LOT since even before the reboot. While I don’t necessarily mind the current version too much, minus that stupid fucking hat he wears, I feel that he has a lot more uniqueness as a character when he was someone who had conquered drug addictions and was caring for a child he’d fathered with a villainess, all the while being one of the Titans and later even the Justice League’s best. Cry For Justice and then Rise of Arsenal took that away from him, and now the reboot has made it so they never happened at all. Nowadays, he’s more the comic relief guy on the Outlaws that never shuts up, and while I don’t necessarily mind him all that much, it’s possible that’s just because Jason Todd and Kori being present make him seem not quite as bad as he should.

Solution: Obviously, because Roy apparently never had sex with Cheshire (in fact, I’m uncertain as to whether she even exists in the New 52), bringing back Lian would be problematic at best. However, I did think of a way to have the character appear for a short time: The Multiverse. Basically, do a storyline where Roy encounters a version of himself that’s loosely based on pre-Cry For Justice Red Arrow and have him interacting with him and Lian and change into a more positive character as a result, maybe even becoming Red Arrow. Also, lose the fucking hat, Roy. You look like a twit.

And those are my thoughts on the characters currently in the New 52, which I’m pretty sure covers all I had in mind for what I’d do so far, but if I come up with anything more, I’ll blog about it. Ja né!

What I Bought Today – Earth-2 #7, World’s Finest #7, Detective Comics #15 + Info Regarding Batman #18

Ah, the beginning of the month comic-wise, always so awesome for me. Why? Because I get to take another trip to Earth-2! 😀

This one seemed sort of the odd one out, but I think I know why: It doesn’t really focus much on the JSA. There’s a few pages dedicated to GL and Hawkgirl, explaining more of her backstory and showing that she’s trying to encourage Alan to join their group, but the rest seems more focused on showing that Terrance Sloan is the bad guy…even though I kinda figured that when he tried to nuke Washington D.C. Also, Mister Terrific appears again, and we get a glimpse of this world’s Red Tornado, who appears to be in the form of a woman.

“Yesterday it was zombies, today it’s Wolfman, tomorrow killer clowns! This place is CRAZY!” XD

World’s Finest…Okay, lemme just get what I liked a lot better than last time out of the way first. I like that Power Girl managed to go an issue without losing her costume or being sexy and/or provocative in any way, I like that we see her being awesome with her powers, I like that the dynamic between Huntress and Robin seems to working REALLY well, and I like that it’s clear that this story is building to something big. What I did NOT like was that a bunch of child soldiers wielding what appeared to be weapons from Apokolips got dragged into a Boom Tube and Power Girl was completely indifferent to it. And I’d make a joke about how this comic must not be very “PG”, but I’ve looked online and people have already beaten me to it. lol So yeah, once again Power Girl represents what’s wrong with this comic. She’s gotta be fixed and fixed soon, and we gotta see more about why these two are best friends, because otherwise I can totally see the book dropping the Power Girl and Huntress subtitle and just becoming a Huntress book.

Detective Comics, we find out just what in the fuckingest of fucks was going on with Clayface being married to Poison Ivy, and how they could’ve possibly gotten married in Vegas and pulled a bunch of crimes around the States when Ivy’s been lying low lately. I’ll give you the short answer: They couldn’t, and when Clayface finds out, he is NOT happy. We also see more of Penguin and Joker and their apparent deal from the end of Batman #14, and that his head goon seems to be looking to take over his organization in his absence.

Okay, this cover just SCREAMS the Bale voice. XD

Speaking of the Joker, some info has been released regarding Batman #18. For one thing, Greg Capullo is taking the issue off so Andy Kubert can fill in for him. Second, the description suggests that Death of the Family will not end well…

And I quote…

“In the wake of unspeakable tragedy, Batman is in danger of losing his humanity!
Fan-favorite character Harper Row returns — will she be able to pull Batman back from the brink?” So yeah, definitely keeping an eye out for more info on this. Until then, this is what I bought today. Ja né!