Monday Memories #27 - Flash: Terminal Velocity

Each Monday this year I'll be taking a look back at a random comic, prestige format issue, graphic novel or collection of reprints from amongst my 3,000 or so comics that date from 1962 to 2003 - I figured anything in the last ten years would be too recent to hark back to.

The comics are chosen completely at random and apart from a four week lead-in period, even I don't know what I'll be looking at in the weeks to come!

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #233

That's right, Flash - piss off the 40 foot giant...

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #225

Let's keep it simple, folks.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #221

God demonstrating the argumentative capacity of a five year old

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #217

He's not wrong.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #214

Admitting it is the first step.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #190

Flash and Hawkgirl get off to a flying start.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #186

Please pardon my French

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #182

Boxing gloves are so 1960's

Who Was Who Is Who #16

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 Galactic Golem's chance.

THE FLASH - well here we have one who's definitely already in place: the Barry Allen Flash. But we also have one who I'm betting we'll definitely see with the launch of Earth-2: the Jay Garrick Flash. Can't wait to see the guy with the tin hat again.

THE FLORONIC MAN - Jason Woodrue went through a few transformations before his stint in Swamp Thing turned him into something more than a simple villain. Will we see him again? It's possible he might return to Swamp Thing, but I don't think it'll happen before the end of the year.

More Earth-2 Info

James Robinson finally gets to talk about Earth-2 in a little (emphasis on little, there) detail over at Newsarama a day or two back.

From the interview, we get confirmation that this Earth-2 is, not surprisingly, a brand new version of the concept. After all, DC aren't going to reboot / relaunch their main universe and then allow an old version to keep on running in the background, are they? As much as some of us might have wanted / expected that very thing to happen just because they're using the term "Earth-2".

Anyhow, Robinson is asked fairly early on about what sort of world we can expect, the interviewer saying that based on the previews we've had - where Batman's willing to kill, Wonder Woman's the last Amazon, Superman's mourning Lois Lane's death and ready to kill - it seems Earth-2's going to be darker than expected. He replies:

"It isn't darker. It's just taken a different turn based on key events unfolding differently than on [the main DCU Earth]. And as the series progresses, you're going to see that, while it isn't a completely different world that's so alien to us that we can't recognize it, or even a world with a gimmick, kind of like the old Earth X where it hadn't won the war. Those kinds of things, which are very easy and pat to put down. 

This is an earth that in some ways is very like [the main DCU Earth], but in very key important ways, it's also very different. And obviously, I can't reveal too much now, but by the end of the first issue, I guarantee you you'll get a sense of how this world is different and then how it's familiar at the same time."

I'm more inclined to believe Robinson's take on this rather than DC editorial and am figuring that all the stabby, grim and gritty talk is DC shouting "Look how menacing this all is!" just to get people talking. I'm not saying that's a good tactic (I really don't think it is) but Robinson's reply gives a little more hope, I think.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #136

Something tells me the Challengers of the Unknown aren't taking things seriously any more

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #131

Oooh, she's feisty!

Retroactive - The 70's Part 3

As DC Comics are celebrating the creators that made an impact in the 70's, 80's and 90's, I thought I'd wander through the same decades and pull out my favourite comic of each year.

Any excuse to look at old comics, eh? 

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #127

Power Girl describes Zatanna's magic household goods

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #119

Ravager encapsulates my feelings about those bloody things

Friday Night Fights - Big Blue Scout vs Big Red Cheese

It's Friday and, as is tradition, Spacebooger hosts the Friday Night Fight from 11PM EST.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #108

This is the grim and gritty future; Power Girl doesn't do hugs

Delayed Cocktail this week as I was away for the weekend with a bunch of writer friends.

• GREEN ARROW #6 - Ollie goes up against the Queen and hears some unconfortable truths about his dad. Maybe now we can move on to finding out more about that forest?
• JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #14 - Captain Atom gets bumped into the future and meets various future versions of current heroes, including a grim and gritty Power Girl (you can tell she's like that as she's dressed in black.) By the end of the issue, Atom's back in the present with the knowledge that Max Lord is planning to kill Wonder Woman which in turn will send the world on the road to the terrible future he's seen.
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #45 - anyone remember when this title used to be fun? Flash turns out to be sorta/kinda responsible for the villain du jour and Green Lantern Alan Scott remains paralysed. Wasn't Alan discovered to be composed entirely of the Starheart at some point and thus pretty much non-human/able to survive anything? Ah, it's all gone a bit miserable round here.
• TEEN TITANS #89 - the introduction of the annoying Damian Wayne as the Teen Titans' new Robin seems to be a great idea; he and Ravager are quickly at each others' throats. He's brash and not used to being a team player and messes up his first time out. This should be good.

And what made me smile:

Robin's complete obliviousness!

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #95

Garth Ennis introduces us to the least feminine transvestite ever

• THE BOYS: HIGHLAND LADDIE #1 - so Wee Hughie's headed back to Scotland, to meet up with his old friends (one of whom has changed more than a little) and get away from the madness of The Boys back in New York. With smugglers peddling in super-drugs in the same town, it seems likely their paths will cross. May I predict a hugely oversized adversary for Hughie, employed by the drug smugglers, who will also be quite humourous either in name and/or appearance?
• BRIGHTEST DAY #8 - so there's another green Martian kicking around which stuns J'onn J'onzz; Hawkgirl gets a bit of a family surprise; and Hawkman begins raising an army. All told, this is rattling along at a good pace.
• THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER - THE JOURNEY BEGINS #4 - for the very first time in all the Dark Tower books I've bought since the series began, I found myself thinking this is awful. Not the art, which is as gorgeous as ever, but the dreadful, stilted dialogue. Hopefully just a one-off glitch as I've been enjoying these books til now.
• DCU LEGACIES #4 - ah, the rise of the kid sidekick and the Royal Flush Gang! It truly is the Silver Age again! One query, though, from a continuity frame of mind: the meeting of the two Flashes - isn't this contradicting the whole Central City being asleep thing from a few years back?
• GREEN LANTERN CORPS #51 - Ganthet learns what it means to have emotions as he and the other Lanterns try to fight back against the Cyborg-Superman. And is there hope for the Alpha-Lanterns after all?
• JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #42 - still a little hit and miss with Robinson at the helm but better than the recent Justice League issues. Still, Mark Bagley's art is lovely!
• POWER GIRL #15 - my god, am I enjoying a Judd Winick written comic? Still not a patch on Palmiotti / Gray / Conner, this books is actually holding its own with me. Winick, despite my many and public reservations, actually seems to not be ruining Power Girl, either the book or the character. Of course, it's still early days and there's plenty of time for unsubtle, ham-fisted crowbarring of relevant social issues into the pages but for now let's hope he keeps it on this tack.

And what made me smile:

"My shiny platinum tush!" Lois Lane gets put in her place by Platinum of the Metal Men.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #69

• Black Terror #7 - this series kinda seems to be stumbling from one big fight to another but does so with such abandon that I'm still enjoying it - plus it gave me this week's quote for the banner.
• Blackest Night: JSA #2 - oh, those sneaky, tricksy Black Lanterns! Who'd'a thought so many heroes could be so easily duped?
• Green Lantern #50 - Hal Jordan appears as Green Lantern and Parallax in the same issue and has the Spectre along as well. Jeez, it's like all his ex's turned up at once!
• Justice League: Cry For Justice #6 - was it just me or was this issue actually not that bad? Of course, we can all guess how it's going to turn out because of . . .
• Justice League of America #41 - . . . which takes place after the events of Justice League: Cry For Justice #7 which isn't out yet, but even this issue wasn't too bad. Poor old Reddy's been dismantled again but the time-travel aspect with Tomahawk and Miss Liberty looks like a nice set-up; even Green Arrow's grim hunt for Prometheus didn't impair it too much. For the first time in several months, this series seems to be picking up.
• Justice Society of America #35 - this was a really good issue; Mr Terrific's refusal to play by Mordru's rules; Wildcat's prison; even Dr Fate's drooling on the floor all worked superbly. Only one complaint: Flash's dialogue just didn't sound like Jay to me.
• Teen Titans #79 - have to admit this didn't work for me at all; it didn't flow at all, just jumped about everywhere: page 3, the Titans are all working out together and Static says he has to head home; page 4, Static's at his sister's apartment having travelled all the way to Dakota; page 5 and the Titans have just finished their workout. The rest of the issue's just as clumsy, really.
• Ravager co-feature - Ravager manages to break free of the bad guys but doesn't get the answers or closure she needs. Still better than the main story, though.

And what made me smile:

Never a truer word said.