So That's Where They've Come From

As regular readers know, I've annotated a bunch of DC's past events - my sites are in the sidebar over on the left as well as in the Links page on the menu bar up top. I run Google Analytics on them just out of curiosity and, over the last couple of years, the numbers of visitors has ticked over nicely.

Checking my monthly stats a couple of hours ago, however, I noticed that all of them had a real big spike around the 31st August / 1st September - the Annotated DC Project (which I really should update soon) jumped by 60% over those two days.

So I did some digging and guess who linked to my sites?

The New York fricking Times! Specifically this article by Dave Itzkoff where he talks (no surprise) about the DC reboot and says:

"The process of restarting a long-running narrative at Page 1 — known in industry parlance, and with growing derision, as a reboot — is nothing new to comics: in the 1980s DC dismantled its narrative architecture in the venerated mini-series “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” and has sought to recapture its anything-could-happen spirit in story lines with titles like “Infinite Crisis” and “Final Crisis.”"

and each of those links go to my sites of annotations!

How cool is that?

Friday Night Fights - Of Cats And Crocs

It's Friday so, as usual, Spacebooger demands carnage!

Having just completed the annotations for Armageddon 2001 over at the Annotated DC Project (yes, that's a blatant plug) I thought I'd stick with the subject for tonight's brawl so come with me to the future, to the strange world of . . . er . . . 2001 . . .

Anyway, in 2001 (you know, the future) Gotham City's a slightly different place. The Joker has been declared sane and has his own talk show, most of Batman's villains are dead and the main man himself is in jail having been convicted of murdering the Penguin. Catwoman doesn't believe the charge and sets out to find evidence of his innocence, coming up against Killer Croc . . . who's a TV wrestling star. I tell you, 2001 was weird . . .

Not surprisingly, Killer Croc isn't interested in talking:

I love the idea that Croc has to do his own accounts!

Still, Catwoman's not taking no for an answer:

Doesn't she realise he's going to need to file those papers?!

Man, Catwoman kicks Croc's scaly hide all over the shop!

And just like that, she's won!

And Croc expresses his indignity as only he can!

But don't you be indignant - head over to Spacebooger by clicking on the picture below, check out the other fights and then vote for me your favourite!

This cat versus croc throwdown first appeared in Batman Annual #15, cover dated 1991, written by Alan Grant with art by Jim Fern and Steve Leialoha.

Armageddon Is Here

It's done - the notes for Armageddon 2001, the tie-in annuals, and the sequel Armageddon: The Alien Agenda are all now available at the Annotated DC Project.

There are a couple of unknowns in the first issue which I'll be collating (hopefully) later today and putting in a single post here on the blog but for now, it's all up and running.

Enjoy!

Armageddon Almost Here

The annotations for Armageddon 2001 are pretty much all done over at the Annotated DC Project site and I was planning to say they'd be published within a week . . . but I've hit a bit of a snag.

As you probably know, the story jumped from Armageddon 2001 #1 into a bunch of that summer's annuals; as I only had those for Justice League America and Justice League Europe I did some hunting round on the net hoping to find enough information to write my own synopses of the other annuals I didn't have. Thing is, there wasn't that much out there.

Instead, I jumped over to mycomicshop.com and checked the prices of those annuals I was missing. For under $10 I could buy all of the missing annuals and be able to write up my own summaries direct from the source material which, if I'm honest, I'd like to do anyhow.

I've bought back issues from mycomicshop before and their service is great; trouble is this time they missed one of the annuals out and sent me something else instead. Mistakes happen, you know, and I'm certainly not bad mouthing them, but it does mean that the notes are going to be delayed until I reorder the missing annual . . . unless someone out there wants to lend me a copy of Flash Annual #4 from 1991 to speed the process up . . . ?

What Are You Suggesting?

So work's begun on Armageddon 2001 over at The Annotated DC Project. It may take a little while before it's up and running mainly because I've recently order all the summer annual tie-ins that I don't already have! I was originally planning to put together some synopses of them from stuff on the net but thought, if I'm going to do it, I may as well do it right. I will, of course, let you know as and when it's done.

In the meantime, this is a request for ideas/suggestions - it can be kinda tough getting feedback from readers, whether those of this blog or the annotated sites I've done. I think the most successful way of hearing from you guys so far was the Comments/Guestbook I put in place at The Annotated Blackest Night. The only problem with that was the large amount of spam that I had to deal with - I still get the occasional entry even now.

For the ADCP I've used something else from those lovely people at Google called Moderator. It's in place at the site here and, I'm hoping, will work as a sort of message board. The bonus for me is that people need to sign in to a Google account to post anything - that means no spam. The drawback is that people need to sign in to a Google account to post anything - some people won't have one and the immediacy of their comments may be lost.

Hopefully it won't put too many people off.

Please pop over, sign in and leave some thoughts, suggestions or just say hi - I get a respectable amount of visitors each month both to the sites and the blog and it'd be nice to hear from you!

And The Winner Is . . .

Armageddon 2001 is the next DC event that I'll be annotating over at The Annotated DC Project!

Thanks to everyone who voted!

The Annotated What?

So here we go, folks - time for you to give me something to do over the summer.

The Annotated DC Project site has been glaring at me from my screen for a couple of months now since I finished the notes for Underworld Unleashed and it's time to feed the monster.

Up the top there you'll see poll that runs from now for two weeks. Put your votes (you can vote for more than one) in between now and the 17th August to decide which of the series shown above gets the Annotated treatment next.

I'll be adding in the votes from the last round as well.

Over to you!

Annotated Underworld Unleashed

Well, it's done.

I've just posted the annotations for Underworld Unleashed over at the Annotated DC Project.

Enjoy!

Underworld Unleashed Unknowns

Months later than planned, I've just about finished annotating Underworld Unleashed over at the Annotated DC Project and will be publishing the notes in a few days or so.

Before I do, I wonder if anyone can help identify the following characters, most of whom appear in the first issue when Neron's attempting to buy their souls.

#1 - guy with a bandana and a mask. - SOLVED! It's Gunhawk (thanks to Billy K)

#2 - the bare chested guy being hit by the Flash. SOLVED! maverick_slayer and brik-el on the DC message boards name him as Purgatory, a low level Green Lantern villain.

#3 - the guy in black on the left (it's not Merlyn as he appears elsewhere on the same page)

#4 - the one with the white eye patch on the left - Billy K thinks this might be Sonar II, a Kyle Rayner villain; possible but I'm going to hold off and see if anyone else offers anything

#5 - female cyborg (though not Cyborgirl) SOLVED! Anonymous identified her as Hi-Tech, a Superman villain.

#6 - guy in blue and white with a moustache who might, as Kara O'Conner suggests, be the Russian Stalnoivolk, or Wintergreen, Deathstroke's ally as suggested by angelicknight on the DC Message Boards.

#7 - guy with his lower face covered by a mask. Anonymous in the comments (and brik-el on the DC message board) suggested it might be Shadow Thief - possible, I suppose, but I can't find any images of Shadow Thief looking like this even after his Neron-induced upgrade. SOLVED! It's confirmed, this is indeed Shadow Thief; thanks to angelicknight for providing the scan.

#8 - the blue guy behind Cheetah.

#9 - guy with a pony tail (not much to go on there I know!) though Kara O'Conner wonders if it might be Kirk Langstrom, aka Man-Bat.

If you can identify any of these, please leave a comment and you'll get your name on the site's Acknowledgements page!

Blackest Night #8 Annotations Done!

I've just published the notes for the final issue of Blackest Night over at (where else?) the Annotated Blackest Night.

There's a handful of unknowns that I need to collate on to the Help Needed page at the site; I need to update the Character Map but other than that, it's pretty much done and dusted.

Hope you like it!

Maybe now I can get round to finishing the annotations for Underworld Unleashed over at the Annotated DC Project . . .

Green Lantern #52 Notes Done

A little later than expected (due to my doing a parachute jump last Saturday which was just superb, and then driving to and from London yesterday to see - among others - the great Alan Moore himself performing stand-up comedy!) but the notes are up for Green Lantern #52 over at the Annotated Blackest Night.

Typically, the last issue of Blackest Night is out tomorrow and I'm away for the weekend coming so who knows when I'll have chance to get the notes done.

Notes On Green Lantern Corps #46 Published

Just updated the Annotated Blackest Night with notes for Green Lantern Corps #46

as well as updating the Character Map.

Enjoy!

Annotations For Blackest Night #7 Done

I've just published the annotations for Blackest Night #7 over at (where else?) the Annotated Blackest Night.

Enjoy!

More Blackest Night Annotations Done

Just published the notes for Green Lantern #51, Green Lantern Corps #45 and Blackest Night: JSA #3 over at the Annotated Blackest Night.

I'll be starting on the detailed notes for Blackest Night #7 today.

Enjoy!

Blackest Night: The Flash #3 Notes Published

Just published the brief synopsis of Blackest Night: The Flash #3 over at the Annotated Blackest Night. Green Lantern #51 and Green Lantern Corps #45 coming soon.

Enjoy!

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3 Notes Done

Just published the (admittedly) brief notes for Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3 over at the Annotated Blackest Night.

Was it just me or does anyone actually get the whole thing about why Mera's so angry in this issue?  Wonder Woman talks about understanding her rage and years of hiding behind lies, but . . . nothing seems to make sense.

Anyone?

Green Lantern #50 And Blackest Night: JSA #2 Notes Done

Just published the notes for Green Lantern #50 and Blackest Night: JSA #2 over at the Annotated Blackest Night.

  

Enjoy!

All Caught Up

I've just spend the last hour or so catching up with some notes and things over at the Annotated Blackest Night.

Notes are now up for Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2, Blackest Night: The Flash #2 and Green Lantern Corps #44 and I've also updated the Character Map.

  

Sorry for the delay - just been busy as hell in work over the last couple of weeks.

Blackest Night: JSA #1 Notes Done

Just published the notes for Blackest Night: JSA #1 over at the Annotated Blackest Night.

This brings me up to date with the Blackest Night annotations.

Enjoy!

Blackest Night #6 Annotations Done

They're up! Annotations for Blackest Night #6 are up over at (where else?) the Annotated Blackest Night.

Only Blackest Night: JSA #1 to do now and I'm bang up to date!