Spongemen Squarewatch

Quite possibly the best Watchmen parody I've seen:

Watch till the end for Alan Moore's reaction.

DC's May Solicitations

FUTURES END #1

Five years from now, the DC Universe is reeling from a war with another Earth, leaving the world unprepared for an approaching evil that threatens to destroy the future. Can a time-traveling Batman Beyond help a massive cast of the DCU’s finest avert the impending apocalypse? Find out in this new weekly series that will forever alter the direction of The New 52! In this debut issue of The New 52’s weekly series, Batman Beyond arrives five years later! Grifter turns against humanity! And a Justice League member DIES!

Okay, a new weekly series sounds fun - you got me, DC. I just wish we were past then whole idea of the death of a character being a story hook.

Lack Of Movement

The Movement's due to finish with issue 12 it appears.

I wish I could say I was surprised but, for me, it took far, far too long to find its feet - I haven't enjoyed it that much until the last two issues or so, sticking with it mainly because it's written by Gail Simone whose work I've thoroughly enjoyed in the past. Sadly, it wasn't until issue 7 or 8 that it began to feel like it was written by Simone so I can only assume others didn't stick around that long.

Still, three more to go which should give Simone plenty of time to wrap things up.

I Predict A Lawsuit

Over on Earth-2, the bad Superman - brainwashed or possessed into believing he's the herald of Darkseid - orders his Parademons to destroy all the houses of worship to reinforce his belief that the only god is Darkseid.

I've condensed the captions from the first few panels on to the top of one that made me raise an eyebrow:

Scientology is one of the "fictions they have invented"?

I don't disagree but I'm surprised, knowing how litigious Scientologists can be, that DC let this through. Maybe their defence will be that on Earth-2, it's acknowledged as fiction?

Robin's Double Standards

The recent Worlds' Finest Annual featured the young Helena Wayne as Robin battling some crooks and taking one out in a particularly nasty manner:

That's an iron poker right through the chest and stomach, killing the guy. Self defence could be argued, sure, but she still kills him.

Later on she, Supergirl and Wonder Woman battle Fury who had previously killed someone that Supergirl was sweet on. Fury gets away through a Boom Tube, leaving Robin to report back:

"She's a killer."

Yes, Robin, she is. Just like you.

Martha Wayne's Marvellous Moving Neckline

When the young Thomas Wayne meets Martha for the first time on Earth-2, he probably thinks one thing: CLEAVAGE!

Thankfully, Martha's wearing the latest in mind-reading dresses and quickly sorts out the problem as, in the very next panels . . .

I'm not adverse to a bit of flesh being exposed in the right context but a little consistency would be good.

Reasons Why George Lucas Should Never Write Dialogue

Much as I love Star Wars, the excellent Dark Horse adaptation of George Lucas's rough draft illustrates wonderfully just how terrible he was at dialogue. You know that scene in Attack of the Clones just as Anakin and Padme are being led out to the arena where Padme professes her love:

Anakin: Don't be afraid.
Padme: I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.
Anakin: What are you talking about?
Padme: I love you.
Anakin: You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love. That we'd be forced to live a lie and that it would destroy our lives.
Padme: I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. I truly... deeply... love you and before we die I want you to know.

There's a precursor to that:

And then, just a little later:

Dear lord that's clunky dialogue.