Injustice 2 – The Lines Are Redrawn Trailer

Welp, Injustice 2 is four months away, and we’ve got a new story-based trailer up, so let’s take a look, shall we?

So, with this trailer, we have confirmation of Robin, Poison Ivy, Brainiac, Bane, and Darkseid all either being playable or playing a role in the story. If they are all playable, then they join Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Blue Beetle, Atrocitus, Aquaman, Deadshot, The Flash, Gorilla Grodd, and Harley Quinn. Also, as I understand it, at least A Green Lantern (probably Hal Jordan) will be in the game, there’ll be skin/voice patches to include Reverse-Flash, John Stewart, and Power Girl, and we’ve had hints that Doctor Fate and Captain Cold will be in the game. All in all, a rather impressive roster so far.

As for the trailer, I could do without the call back to Lois and little Jon’s murders, since, as you all should know, that’s kind of a hot button issue with me. Wasn’t fond of it when it was first revealed, still don’t like it now. But, I understand that it was the event that kicked Injustice off in the first place, so it would be impossible to continue this story without it. It sucks, but what can you do?

Anyway, still plenty of spots open on the roster, and more to come via DLC, so who would you like to see announced? Lemme know in the comments below, and we’ll see what happens between now and May 16th. Ja né!

Who Should Be On The JLA Rebirth Team?

So, of the books that were revealed for Rebirth, one of them hasn’t had anything in the way of details revealed, and that’s JLA. I’m pretty sure it’s because they haven’t chosen a creative team yet, or it could be because of major game-changing events that’ll happen in the book that they don’t want put out there yet. Regardless of why, though, there’s no info, not even if it will continue to be a book about the primary seven members set in a non-specific point in time during their existence, or a brand new team altogether. If it’s the latter, though, I’m sure there are several at DC who are adding their two cents as to who could be on the team. With that said, because I am an opinionated blogger with a big mouth, here’s a list of heroes that I think would make for good members of the Justice League of America, should it prove to be a completely separate team. Please note that these suggestions are based around the individuals, not how they would operate as a team, and they don’t ALL have to be part of it (duh).

John Stewart, AKA Green Lantern

Honestly, though, any of the Earth-born Green Lanterns that don’t have their own books could work here. I just picked John because he’s my favourite. The thing is, though, that I could always justify his non-presence on a Justice League team nowadays because he was one of the main characters of the Green Lantern Corps books. However, now that book is being taken over by Hal Jordan, while Hal’s position on Earth is being given to Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz. As such, it really doesn’t feel like there’s a heck of a lot for John to do, which is a real shame. So, I would personally advise putting him on the JLA, possibly even as the leader.

Ronnie Raymond, AKA Firestorm

Well, you’re not doing anything else with him once the Legends of Tomorrow book ends, so why not? Especially now that casual viewers of the Flash TV show have been exposed to the character. It’d be a nice way to get more people to read. That said, I’m not sure exactly what’s going on with Jason in the LoT book, but I hope he isn’t being tossed aside completely.

John Henry Irons, AKA Steel

I would imagine Steel will likely be part of Superman’s Super League, but no reason he can’t pull double duty, especially since that team isn’t getting its own book, at least not yet. Plus, since Superman is gonna be busy elsewhere, and Supergirl already has her own book, it’d be good to give the inheritor to the title of Man of Steel some more exposure by having him be the member of the Superman Family to represent them on this team.

Ted Kord, AKA Blue Beetle

Again, I suppose either Ted or Jaime could work in this situation. Really, the reason I went with Ted is because I figured, since we’re getting him back anyway, might as well make the most of him, right? Plus, since I think this team could stand to NOT have Batman on it, you need someone who is smart, adaptable, strategic, and tenacious, and Ted fills that role well while also being more light-hearted than the Dark Knight. That said, much as I like the two working together, might be a good idea to not pair him with Booster Gold and have him slacking off and making get-rich-quick plans.

Mera, AKA DO NOT CALL HER AQUAWOMAN, YOU MOTHER FUCKERS

Can someone please tell me why Mera is not an official member of the Justice League? How many times does she have to stand beside them and bail them out of trouble before she gets her own official membership? And that’s just in the New 52 alone. And to anyone who thinks her powers are lame, lemme spell this out for you: How much of the world is made up of water? Better yet, how much of the HUMAN BODY is made up of water? If you don’t know why that’s terrifying, watch the episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender that deals with Bloodbending. lol

Cisco Ramon, AKA Vibe

Like Ronnie, this would be a good character to add to the book for the sake of getting the attention of those who were introduced to him via the Flash show. And frankly, I don’t understand why this character was benched after Forever Evil. I really liked the New 52 interpretation of Vibe. I actually held it up as an example of the reboot changing a hero up and doing it right. Vibe went from arguably the worst member of the Justice League to someone I would honestly want on my team at all times.

J’onn J’onzz, AKA Martian Manhunter

Seriously, after this whole thing with Mars invading Earth is over and J’onn can be free of whatever nonsense was keeping him away from the other heroes of the DCU, he needs to rejoin the League. He needs to reconnect with his fellow heroes. I’m honestly a little worried about him from a psychological standpoint of being away from them for so long. Also, what is up with DC wanting to give people arm blades nowadays? It’s just so odd an aesthetic alteration to make for both J’onn and Wonder Woman.

Luke Fox, AKA Batwing

…Let’s be honest, there’ll be a Bat on this team. And do we REALLY want Batman on EVERY team? Meanwhile, we’ve got Luke Cage, who isn’t doing anything outside of being an ally/love interest of Batgirl’s, and I don’t even know that he’ll be keeping that position in Rebirth. So why not include him here? Plus, he was one of the best parts of the newest Batman animated movie, so it would make for a nice cross-promotional move to add him to the team. Lastly, though, if he gets on the team, we totally gotta see him working with Steel. Just sayin’. 😛

Anyway, those are a few suggestions DC could go with. Got any I didn’t mention? Leave them in the comments below, and we’ll see what happens with the book in the future. Ja né!

Taking Requests For DC Team-Up Fics + Last Chance To Vote on Fanfic Universe Name (FEEDBACK REQUESTED)

So, remember a while back when I talked about What I’d Do Instead of Superman/Wonder Woman? Y’know, the random crossover book? Well, having FINALLY written Will & Hope, I’ve decided that I’m going to start taking requests from people to do crossover team-up fics of various DC superheroes. Basically, you post a request on here or in the comments for my fanfics, listing 2-3 heroes and 2-3 of their villains, and provided I like the idea of the team-up and it works within the canon of my fics, I will give it an honest shot.

Just as examples, you could ask for something like Wonder Woman and Batman taking on Cheetah and Bane, Robin and Raven battling Harley Quinn and one of the Sons of Trigon, Superman and John Stewart fighting Atomic Skull and Atrocitus, whatever. You don’t HAVE to post a plot idea if you don’t want to, but I suppose it could help. One thing I do ask, or rather recommend if you want better odds of me agreeing to do it, is that you list characters that have appeared in my fics thus far, the heroes at least. I’ll probably post a list of characters that have appeared thus far in my Fanfiction.net profile, (which is J.A.Phillips, btw), but for now, here’s a list of heroes and villains that have appeared or been referenced to thus far, more or less in order of appearance.

Heroes: Batman (Bruce Wayne), Robin, Martian Manhunter, Batman (Thomas Wayne), Superman, Supergirl/Power Girl, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance), Raven, Huntress, Batwoman, Batgirl/Oracle, Green Arrow, Black Canary (Dinah Drake-Lance), The Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (John Stewart), The Flash (Jay Garrick), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

Villains: Tony Zucco, Copperhead (female version from Arkham Origins), Rupert Thorne, Lew Moxon, Carmine Falcone, Gillian Loeb, Victor Zsasz, Manchester Black, Lex Luthor, Plasmus, Atomic Skull, Magpie, Baud, Dyna-mind, Parasite, Solomon Grundy, Toyman, The Joker, Firebug, The Riddler, The Jokerz, John Corben/Metallo, Nasthalthia Luthor, Bizarro, Jared, Trigon, Omerta the Silencer, Aquarius, Bleez, Atrocitus, Sinestro, Weather Wizard, Volcana, Dex-Starr

All of that aside, I’ve decided that, starting with my upcoming Justice League fanfic, I will be listing all of my fanfiction under a name for my fan-made universe. So, with that said, this is the last opportunity to vote on the name: Either Earth 52, so named for being the reality that doesn’t exist in the comics, or Infinite DC, named after Ultimate Marvel and for being influenced by the events of an infinite number of other comics, TV shows, movies, and so on.

Anyway, if you have a request for a team-up, post it below, and I shall see what I can do for you in the future. Ja né!

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What Should I Call My DC Fanfic Universe? (FEEDBACK REQUESTED)

So, as one can tell, I’ve written a number of DC Comics-related stories on FanFiction.net, all existing in the same alternate universe (AU) I’ve been crafting. They are as follows thus far (and you can click on the images to view them)…

“As Bruce Wayne contemplates if his father would be proud of the decisions he’s making, he learns that, for one night, Thomas Wayne was The Batman. But why, and how did Bruce never learn of this until now? Only one man can tell him the truth.”

“Superman must contend with a threat that is clearly out to get him, creating a liquidized Kryptonite meant to kill him. Can he learn who is responsible and stop them? Meanwhile, a young man who idolizes The Last Son of Krypton finds himself thrown into the mix and pays a terrible price. Is he a victim, or a hero?”

“Only four women can protect Platinum Flats from mobsters, supervillains, secret organizations, and paranormal/supernatural threats. They are Black Canary, Huntress, Batwoman, and Raven: the Birds of Prey!”

There’s also a one-shot quickly approaching release, even though I’ve been saying that for like a month now, called Will & Hope. It’ll focus on John Stewart, who is the only Green Lantern on Earth, Wally West, the new Flash who is armed with the blue light of hope, and Bleez, a Red Lantern coming to try to kill them both. Finally, after all that, I plan to eventually do a Justice League fanfic, which will involve heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Cyborg, and Martian Manhunter, as well as a classic JLA villain as the main antagonist.

So, as you can see, I’ve created quite the little universe out of these tales, and I haven’t finished yet. However, this has brought a dilemma to my attention: What do I call it? I mean, if it’s all gonna be part of the same AU, shouldn’t I give that universe a name or title of some sort? That way, when you see the title of the story, you know it’s part of this same storyline?

One idea I had was to call it Earth 52. The reasoning behind it was that, if my understanding of the current DC Multiverse is correct, there are only supposed to be 52 realities in the comics: Prime Earth (as of the New 52) being the central reality, and Earths 1 – 51 being showcased in other works, such as the Earth 2 series, the Earth One stories for Batman and Superman, and Earth 3 playing a huge role in Forever Evil. Hence, Earth 52 is the reality that doesn’t exist in the comics, and is therefore something I can use for myself.

Another idea I had for a name was Infinite DC. Basically, it takes its name both from Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, and Ultimate Marvel. Also, it exists as a reality that is, in many respects, influenced by the events of an infinite number of other realities, what with it being a fanfiction inspired by the comics, the tv shows, the movies, and so on. Thus, in that sense, it’s a clustering of all the various interpretations of the stories, which can further motivate and inspire events within it, kinda like Hypertime when it was still around.

What do you guys think? Vote below which of the two I came up with sounds better, and/or add your own suggestion in the comments section below. And hey, feel free to let me know what you think of my fanfics, be it good, bad, or indifferent. Ja né!

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Will & Hope – An Upcoming One-Shot Fanfic (WORK IN PROGRESS)

So in addition to my current fanfic, Tales of the Caped Crusader, I’ve decided to do a one-shot called Will & Hope. As you’ve likely guessed, it’s about a Green Lantern and a Blue Lantern teaming up to take on a foe on Earth. It’ll probably be a little on the lengthy side for a one-shot, but that’s only because I’ll be putting so much into a single chapter. Also, while it will exist in the same continuity as Tales of the Caped Crusader, it doesn’t necessarily take place directly after. Anyway, here’s the cast I have planned for now, but remember this is a work-in-progress, and can change plenty by the time it’s ready to be typed up…

The Blue Lantern in this fic is actually Wally West, AKA The Flash. If you’ve read How Would I Rebuild The DC Universe From Scratch, you should already know the story here. Basically, the Blue Lantern Corps don’t really exist yet, but Ganthet did create a few Blue Power Rings and sent them to various sectors to locate those with great hope in their hearts. Well, one came to Earth, but on its way to find someone with great hope, it was struck by lightning, which sent it crashing into Wally and the chemicals in his CSI lab. Thus, he’s granted his powers as The Flash, but he also gains several of the abilities of a Blue Lantern. Plus, his overall speed is determined by the amount of hope in his heart.

The Green Lantern is John Stewart. At this point, John is still relatively new to being a Green Lantern, having first been chosen as Hal Jordan‘s back-up. However, when a war against both the Sinestro Corps and the Red Lantern Corps calls the attention of nearly every Green Lantern, John is now the sole Green Lantern in Sector 2814. As such, he’s under a lot of pressure, and as a former US Marine, he’s used to working with a squad of professionals…Yeah, you can see where this is going. lol

Bleez would be the main antagonist. Her overall back-story would be mostly the same, except that she was only tortured and perhaps used for labour, not that she was raped. It’s my general opinion that rape in stories should be reserved for situations where NOTHING else fits into the story in place of it. In other words, there really was no need for her to be raped to justify her turn to murderous rage. Also, she would have two wings from the beginning, both bony, and her intelligence is intact from the start, as opposed to Atrocitus restoring it later on.

Anyway, that’s all I wanna tell for now. Lemme know what you think in the comment section below, and hopefully it won’t take me too long to get it out. Ja né!

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Favourite DC Superheroes – The Honourable Mentions

So, I took a look back at my favourite DC and Marvel superheroes from my birthday last month. While I still agree with those lists, I do feel as though there were a number of characters that deserved to be honourable mentions for DC. So, that’s what I’m gonna do now. Here are 10 heroes I think deserve to be mentioned with honours. lol

Kara Zor-L, AKA Power Girl

I believe I already covered what it is I like most about this character (no not THOSE…though they ARE nice, lol). For those who didn’t see, I particularly like how Power Girl not only has the abilities of Superman, she also is the head of her own business. Combine that with a never-say-die attitude and…well, THOSE, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula in Power Girl, who I DEFINITELY wouldn’t mind seeing in the Man of Steel movies someday. Kara’s also one-half of the Worlds’ Finest with Huntress, though sadly that book doesn’t present the best depiction of the character. Still, we do occasionally see them as a powerful duo.

John Stewart. AKA Green Lantern

And…

Alan Scott, AKA Green Lantern

I mentioned these two before as being tied as the unofficial #11 in my 10 Favourite DC Superheroes, and I still stand behind that. Though personalities and the manner in which they gained their powers couldn’t be more different, both bring honour to the name Green Lantern, and they are my personal favourites to hold that title. Also, VERY glad to see that John Stewart is now a DLC skin/voice swap for Hal Jordan, though I’d kind of like an Alan Scott one too.

Dick Grayson, AKA Nightwing

The original Robin all grown up. Be he in blue or red, be he in Blüdhaven or Chicago, Dick Grayson will always be a special kind of hero to people. He’s been through having his parents killed before his eyes, leaving his mentor to become leader of his own team, having his wedding broken up, having the love of his life leave him (and the planet for that matter), having to become Batman after Bruce was thought dead for a time, having his old circus troop destroyed, and now having helplessly watched his partner murdered. And yet, in all of this and more, he continues to try to have a positive attitude on the job…Still though, he REALLY needs to go back to blue. lol

Mera

Okay, while I don’t read a lot of the books she appears in, Mera gets on this list for a few reasons. First off, that she neither has nor requires an alias. Second, she’s Queen of Atlantis, which takes up most of the known ocean. Third, much like her husband Aquaman, she has the same natural advantages that he does having operated out of the bottom of the ocean (advanced strength, speed, durability, and sight). Fourth, as I’ve mentioned before, while the power to control water might not seem threatening at first, considering how much water makes up the average human body, that actually conjures up some rather frightening visuals of what she could do if she lost her cool. Speaking of which, while she’s usually a kind-hearted woman, the kind that you could easily get along with, she DOES have an on-again off-again struggle with her sanity. In other words, be as nice as humanly possible to Mera when you see her.

Damian Wayne, AKA Robin

The latest Robin to appear, Damian brought something new to the role. Having the genetics of Bruce Wayne, the skills passed down through the League of Assassins, and many skills and personality traits seen in Dick, Jason, Tim, and Stephanie, Damian could be considered the perfect Robin in a lot of respects…except that he kept killing people. I mean, he meant well, you could tell he cared, but he kept killing bad guys. That just bothered me to no end, though it almost became a running gag wherein if he said “I will kill no more”, he was usually five minutes away from killing someone. Alternately, if he said he WAS going to kill someone, they usually had a good chance of escaping with their lives for some reason. Apparently, he’ll be returning soon for a mini-series that looks at the alternate future where he becomes Batman, and it’ll be awesome to see him again…but dammit Damian, stop killing people. lol

Victor Stone, AKA Cyborg

BOOYAH!…Yeah, I know. lol Anyway, as of the New 52, Cyborg is now a founding member of the Justice League. While this robs him of his history with the Titans, it IS nice to see Vic standing among the big seven that make up Earth’s greatest heroes. Cyborg’s only real flaw is his personal issues, trying to find the balancing point between the machine and the man. Otherwise, you better be packing some serious power when going up against him, or he will flatten you.

J’onn J’onzz, AKA The Martian Manhunter

This one’s mostly based on his DCAU appearances, though I have checked him out elsewhere and been left confused by something: Martian Manhunter has heat vision in the comics, they’re missing from the cartoon. I’m not really sure why, other than so that two members of the Justice League didn’t have heat vision. However, this brings up something even more confusing: J’onn is vulnerable to fire. Shouldn’t using heat vision hurt him? Well, whatever, he’s still an awesome hero, though he REALLY needs to chill out in the New 52.

Khalid Ben-Hassin, AKA Doctor Fate

Okay, other than a couple of cool moments in Justice League Unlimited, I wasn’t really all that sold on Doctor Fate. Then Earth 2 happened. Now I know better. lol The second most badass individual to have the word “Doctor” in their name, Doctor Fate has a mastery over magic beyond that of any of the other magic-based heroes of the DC Universe. In other words, if he really wanted to, he could kill Superman just by wiggling his toes. His only real weakness, at least for Khalid in Earth 2, is that wearing the Helmet of Nabu can have some negative psychological effects. Otherwise, he might just be the greatest of Earth 2’s heroes, and is all too deserving to be a founding member of the JSA when it eventually forms.

Helena Wayne, AKA Huntress

There have actually been two women to predominantly go by the name Huntress. Prior to the reboot, Huntress was a woman named Helena Bertinelli, the daughter of a mafia boss who became Huntress to fight the very same kind of crime her family once created, eventually becoming a member of the Birds of Prey and getting this weird belly window for her costume that carried over into Justice League Unlimited. In the New 52, much like the original pre-Crisis interpretation of the character, Huntress is one half of the Worlds’ Finest with Power Girl, and is Batman’s daughter from Earth 2, though thus far, he has yet to show that he has any knowledge of this. Personally, I think she should just talk to him, especially given recent events. It might get him to cool down a little to know he still has family. Both are hardcore asskickers armed with crossbows, and both are deserving to be on this list.

So there ya go, 10 (sort of 11) honourable mentions. Along with Batman, Superman, Stephanie Brown, Wonder Woman, Wally West, Raven, Red Robin, Supergirl, Barbara Gordon, and Hawkgirl, they are my favourite DC Superheroes. Who do YOU think should’ve made it to this list? Lemme know in the comments, and I will see y’all next time. Ja né!

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Jyger’s Rant – Justice League: Hereafter

…I cannot believe how long it has taken me to getting around to doing this, especially since this is a requested review from one of my closest friends, but here we go: As pretty much everyone who reads my blog knows, I love me some superheroes. Be it comic books, movies, tv shows, I love a good story that involves superheroes, and one of my favourites is the Justice League animated series. They just seemed to tell the stories of these heroes and their supporting casts a lot better than most any other series involving multiple heroes in a team. And it was a very diverse team, with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash (Wally West, THANK GOD), Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern (John Stewart). There are tons of great episodes to pick a favourite from, but in the case of PinkRangerWannabe, hers is the two-parter known as Hereafter.

So, as is my custom nowadays, let’s go through the actual plot first before making additional notes and whatnot. Part 1 opens with the forming of the Superman Revenge Squad, which consists of Metallo, Weather Wizard, Livewire, Toyman, and Kalibak. They decide to stage an attack on Metropolis to draw out Superman, but they bite off more than they can chew when the entire Justice League shows up. They do manage to hold their own well against the JLU, though, but are ultimately taken down one by one until only Toyman remains, piloting a giant robot with a cannon that seems to be utterly disintegrating anything it hits. Of course, it’s not like he could actually hit Superman with that…until he aims it at Wonder Woman and Batman, who are unable to get out of the way. With no other choice, Superman flies in its path, taking the hit and vanishing. Well, Diana kinda goes apeshit on Toyman, bringing down his robot and almost killing him before Flash can stop her, reasoning that Superman wouldn’t want revenge, to which she tearfully agrees to.

As can be expected, the world is left in a state of shock and grief: Superman, their greatest and most noble hero, is dead. Even Lex Luthor claims that he’ll miss him. The only one who refuses to take part in the funeral is Batman, who is in a state of denial since matter simply can’t disappear without a trace, though he does watch from the shadows, unseen by all except Wonder Woman. Later, at Superman’s wake in the Watchtower, the rest of the League (minus Batman) trade happy stories about the Man of Tomorrow, before they eventually realise that they should probably consider increasing their numbers with Superman’s death. Of all people who could possibly show up to interrupt, Lobo arrives on the Watchtower to cause havoc, crashing through the windows like Macho Man demanding kids snap into a Slim Jim…which is technically alright, since he only told Superman he’d leave Earth alone, and they’re well above orbit. lol Anyway, he insists that the League needs the Main Man, but they refuse, and a fight breaks out. The JLU eventually corner him, but they have bigger problems when they learn that Batman is in trouble.

Down on Earth, it seems that the Superman Revenge Squad have broken out of prison with a number of the JLU’s rogues gallery, going on a massive attack in celebration of their biggest adversary’s death. When Batman is clearly not enough to deal with them all, the League are forced to bring Lobo down with them (because they don’t trust him alone on the Watchtower) to deal with the situation. To his credit, Lobo does manage to stop Kalibak in a pretty badass fashion, albeit while doing far more property damage than necessary. Lobo insists that the League is far better off with him than they were with Superman, but unbeknownst to them, in a distant place lit by a red sun, Superman lives! (Yes, I went there. 😛 )

Part 2 opens with Superman getting to his feet and trying to contact the Justice League, but he can’t get through to them. What’s worse is that the red sun has robbed him of his powers, and while he can seem to pick up a JLU beacon, it’s clearly far off. Luckily, plenty of food and supplies got caught in Toyman’s blasts, as well as…

So Superman drives the car as far as he can, trying his best to avoid a group of wolf-like creatures along the way, but eventually he runs out of the gas he siphoned from the other cars and is attacked again. However, after the last attack, he went blacksmith and made a sword for himself. So he kills the pack leader, uses his fur to make new clothes for himself, and the rest of the wolves are made into sled-dogs for a sled he fashions out of the hood of the car…What?! They attacked him first! Besides, as he goes along, he makes sure to keep them well fed, and when he gets to where he’s going, they actually seem kinda sad to leave him.

Anyway, Superman arrives at his destination, but finds that what he’s been tracking isn’t just a beacon: It’s the Watchtower, crashed in the middle of a jungle filled with giant cockroaches. What’s more, he finds there’s no record of what happened to the rest of the League, only to be told they died thousands of years ago by the only human on the planet: the immortal Vandal Savage. Yep, it’s a post apocalyptic future!…And Superman has a beard…and yet, he’s not Bearded Idiot…WHY IS THIS SO HARD FOR COMIC BOOKS TO GET RIGHT?!

Anyway, Vandal Savage very calmly lets Superman know exactly what happened: He killed the entire Justice League with a gravity machine and then accidentally disrupted the gravitational balance of the solar system, thus killing every human being on Earth. Superman now is in a post-apocalyptic world 30,000 years in the future, the red sun is keeping him weak, and the only company he has on the world are the creatures that have evolved on it and Vandal Savage, humanity’s murderer. However, it seems that doing so came as a VERY heavy blow to Savage, who now understands how meaningless his pursuit of power was, although he admits he should’ve learned it FAR longer ago. His guilt over destroying humanity is eating him alive, too. He HAD built a ship to find and colonize other worlds, but decided he deserved to be punished and left alone. He constantly gathers what self-help books he can find in the ruins of cities to deal with his issues. He even built a time machine to go back and stop himself, but he can’t use it since he can’t travel to any point he already exists in…although, Superman ISN’T there, meaning they have a chance to undo all this.

Unfortunately, the only power source in the world that can open a stable time hole isn’t currently in Savage’s ownership: It’s an energy generator that, for all intents and purposes, is basically a miniature sun. Unfortunately, the roaches stole it and built a colony around it. He can build another one, but it’ll take fifty years, and without his enhanced physiology granted by a yellow sun, there’s no guarantee Superman will be in any position to stop him in the past at that age, so they have to try to get the generator back. They make it to the central chamber of the colony, but Superman falls into the pit where the generator is held. However, since the generator gives off energy exactly like a yellow sun, his powers are restored just enough to fly out and take down the roaches. Savage gets everything ready, and tells Superman that, to complete his gravity machine, he’s going to steal a piece of dwarf-star matter from a scientist named Ray Palmer, who we know as The Atom. The JLU HAS to stop him, by any means necessary. Superman understands and leaves through the time hole, Savage ensuring him that, if he’s lucky, this will mean redemption for him.

It turns out Superman actually arrives back in the past just at the right time, as Deadshot fires a rocket at Batman right after the battle at the end of Part 1. Superman manages to save the Dark Knight, who in turn takes down Deadshot. Everyone is happy to see Superman alive, and Superman promptly fires Lobo and tells to go frak himself. He then tells the rest of the League they have work to do and fly off, the story coming to a close back in the future as Vandal Savage sees humanity starting to fade back into existence as he fades away…though I’m pretty sure he’s not dead, since he’s kinda/sorta immortal, so that DOES leave me kinda curious how the Justice League stopped him.

So, my final thoughts? This two-parter is definitely a must-watch for anyone who loves these characters…BUT, I do need to critique it in places. There’s a couple of animation inconsistencies, like where an ATM reads MTA instead, which are admittedly small and don’t really detract at all. The only problem I have with Part 1, and if you’ve been to the DCAU Wiki then you probably already know this, the episode raises more than a couple of questions regarding knowledge of Superman’s secret identity. His parents are near the front row, and nobody questions why? Clark Kent is missing from the biggest story IN THE WORLD, and no one notices? If Lois Lane still could not piece together that Clark Kent was Superman by this point, there’s something SERIOUSLY wrong there. As for Part 2, the pacing at certain points feels kinda off. It just feels like there wasn’t enough time devoted to Superman and Vandal Savage going on the operation to find the generator. Also, how DID the Justice League stop Vandal Savage? I mean, we could assume he was locked away, but we never get an answer. Hell, Vandal Savage never shows up again in the entire DCAU.

But, with all that in mind, this is still a good story. And considering that the second episode was a post-apocalyptic Superman story, it could’ve been a lot worse.

………A LOT worse. I’m Jyger85, and this has been Jyger’s Rant. Ja né!

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!