Away To The Hills

Myself and Mrs Earth-Prime are away this week, taking a few days to celebrate our wedding anniversary (which was actually yesterday)

While I'm away, why not have a look at these lovely blogs:

Who Was Who Is Who #44

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got a Syonide's chance.

STRONG BOW - another Old West character that may benefit from All Star Western so will go into the possible column.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #201

You'd think the daughter of an archaeologist would read something better, wouldn't you?

Kneel Before Me, My Minions

So anyway, DC Comics have a personality test on their website . . . a Super-Villain personality test.

And I had to take it, didn't I?

Me? Evil genius?

It must be true - it's an on-line personality test and they never lie, do they?

Now, faithful lackeys, about my secret lair . . .

Iron Man 3 Trailer

Wow.

I haven't been so excited by a trailer since Prometheus. Let's hope this turns out waaaaaaaaaaay better than that did.

New Direction For Firestorm

There's a good (if short) interview with Dan Jurgens over at CBR where he talks about his plans for Firestorm which he takes over as writer/penciller from #13. Of the few things that caught my eye, this one made me happiest:

"There was a time when Firestorm was one of the strongest characters and strongest sellers in the DCU. He represented a certain youthful breath of fresh air in the DCU and I want to bring that back. He's a fun character who tends to have fun, wild stories. That feeling has to be on the page and get across to the reader."

Thank you, Mr Jurgens - I've said time and again that I like my comics to have some fun in them and it's nice to hear someone else thinks so too.

Who Was Who Is Who #43

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got a Stiletta's chance.

STARFIRE - no, not the one you're immediately thinking of but the swords and sorcery heroine on the left there who surprised us all by showing up in the pages of Time Masters: Vanishing Point just before the whole Flashpoint thing. Don't think she'll be making an appearance again, though.

STARFIRE - okay, so this is the one you're thinking of with the metal bikini and all the controversy following her first appearance post-Flashpoint. For better or worse (I've not read them) Starfire's in Red Hood and The Outlaws so gets in the in place column.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #200

Barry Allen proves he's incapable of reading the situation between two people

Swan Songs

Amongst DC's solicitations were a handful of series that had reached their final issue and thus cancellation. Aside from Grifter and Legion Lost, Blue Beetle is to bite the dust with #16 - a shame as, on the whole, it's been okay to my mind. A little hit and miss, sometimes funny (Jaime throwing up on La Dama's shoes) sometimes horrible (Jaime slapping Brenda) there was enough in there for me to keep coming back.

The good news is that Jaime will be continuing in Keith Giffen's Threshold series which I will definitely be picking up.

The other title to kick the bucket is Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and I have to wonder - though not wishing to sound uncharitable - how much of that decision follows from Jeff Lemire leaving after #9? Matt Kindt's writing has been fun from a story point of view but, as I've said in several Cocktail posts, the pacing's completely shot to hell. Another shame as I really liked this series when it started.

Wonder what we'll get in place of them?

Threshold #1

The solicitation:

Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by TOM RANEY
Backup story art by SCOTT KOLINS
Introducing THE HUNTED, spinning directly out of this month’s GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS ANNUAL #1!
Featuring the New 52 gallery of space heroes: The Star Rovers, Star Hawkins, Space Cabbie, Tom Tomorrow, Captain K’Rot, and Star Ranger!
Also introducing Jediah Caul, a disgraced Green Lantern stripped of his power ring, who is hunted for sport on a televised reality show!
LARFLEEZE steals the spotlight in his first ongoing series of backup stories! What happens when Larfleeze, the ultimate hoarder, is robbed...of everything!

Come on - it's Giffen writing a bunch of old space heroes and Larfleeze! What's not to love?

Who Was Who Is Who #42

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got a Spook's chance.

SONAR - is there anything more terrifying than a villain armed with a gun shaped like a tuning fork? Hmmm, now that I put it like that . . . I don't think Geoff Johns will be revitalising Sonar any time soon.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #199

He doesn't, you know. It's down to all the preservatives. He's like a hot dog sausage; he'll last forever.

Keith Giffen Writing New DC Space Series

And I for one couldn't be happier with this news: Keith Giffen is writing a new ongoing series called Threshold for DC, set in space and which "will star DC's sci-fi heroes and villains" as well as having a back-up featuring Larfleeze, the Orange Lantern.

The news does come with a side serving of sadness, however, as during the interview linked above, Giffen says that the story "spins out of the Annual and the last issue of Blue Beetle"

So while we're getting a new on-going, we're also losing Blue Beetle although - and this helps ease the pain - Jaime Reyes will appear in the pages of Threshold as the action takes place near the Reach homeworld.

And Jaime's not the only character Giffen will be playing with. Along with a new lead - an undercover Green Lantern called Jediah Caul, Giffen's obviously raided his old copies of Who's Who and come up with this lot:

"we're using the original Starfire, we're not using her name, and we're changing her look a bit. We're just using that basic back-story she had and the environment that she might have come from. 

Another example: We've got Star Hawkins and his "gal Friday" Ilda, except in our case, Star Hawkins is a little bit of a shadier kind of street informant, and Ilda has been programmed with his ex-wife's memories, and they hate one another. 

My favorite so far is Space Cabbie as Travis Bickle [from Taxi Driver]. He's a crazed, paranoid street source for helping Hunted contestants stay clear, but he's a maniacal conspiracy nut like Travis Bickle."

Space Cabbie?!

In Giffen we trust.

Wee Hughie's Secret Power Revealed

In amongst the stunning, funny, heart-breaking revelations contained in the penultimate issue of The Boys last week, there was something that caught my eye and didn't seem right. It took me a while to figure it out but once I saw it, right there on the front page, I couldn't un-see it.

For the pair of you not reading The Boys, #70 ended with Butcher and Wee Hughie falling from the top of the Empire State Building. #71 starts with the result of that fall like so:

As you can see, poor old Hughie's been impaled on the curved spikes of the perimeter fence that, presumably, act as a deterrent to those wishing to fling themselves off the landmark building.

Question: what's wrong with that picture?

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #198

You hear that, Justice League?

Bleurgh

Was hit by a bout of food poisoning last Saturday; normal service to be resumed in a day or two.

Bleurgh.

Who Was Who Is Who #41

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got a Slipknot's chance.

SHRINKING VIOLET - as far as I can see, thanks to the wonders of the internet, Shrinking Violet is appearing in the pages of Legion of Super Heroes so gets in the in place column.

Gaze!

Two of the best pages of comic art. Ever.

I remember reading this Judge Dredd story in 2000AD way back when and being blown away not only by Judge Death's return but by the appearance of his three deadly comrades, Judges Mortis, Fire and Fear.

Judge Fear had a great look, simple but really effective - big cloak, mantrap shoulder pads and that bat-winged, gated helmet.

Thankfully, Dredd wasn't as impressed as I was:

"Gaze into the fist of Dredd!"

It doesn't get better than that.

Bigger versions of these pages can be found at Brian Bolland's blog.

So True

From the always excellent Our Valued Customers

Multiversity Is Finally Coming

Well, if all goes according to plan, that is.

DC announced that Grant Morrison's much talked about but little seen series will be out late 2013. From the announcement:

MULTIVERSITY is an 8-issue series comprising 6 one-shots and a two-part conclusion with each issue featuring a 38-page lead story followed by an 8-page backup. Each issue takes place on a different parallel world from the main DC Earth and functions as a number one issue. Each world in the Multiverse publishes comic books about the heroes on the OTHER worlds. Once the characters realize this, they then unite to respond to the villains!

Additionally, each universe (which have been brewing in Morrison’s mind for years) will open up an endless series of worlds and realities for future writers and creators to use, expand upon and enjoy.

Badlands Bingo

Anyone who's read a copy of Crossed or Crossed: Badlands will know that there's a very high likelihood of most of the cast dying horribly by the time the story arc's finished. As a new story's just started in last week's Crossed: Badlands #14, I thought we'd play a game. Here are the main character's in this arc:

#1 - Clooney, our erstwhile protagonist and narrator, an emetophobe and reluctant cuckold who has no self-confidence or self-respect.

Who Was Who Is Who #40

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got a Shimmer's chance.

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS - there's been a couple of big gatherings of super-villains over the last few years, particularly in Infinite Crisis, Justice League of America and Final Crisis but I don't think they've ever reached the heights of the the late 70s grouping. Will they continue to band together in the New 52? Probably, but I doubt the somewhat cheesy name will be retained. Either way, I doubt it will be before year's end.