This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

GeekNights 20111012 - The New 52: Week One

edited October 2011 in GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, we begin reviewing the New 52 from DC Comics. We begin with Justice League, Action Comics, Animal Man, Batgirl, Batwing, Detective Comics, Green Arrow, Hawk and Dove, Justice League International, Men of War, O.M.A.C., Static Shock, Stormwatch, and Swamp Thing! Some of them are pretty good. Some of them are, well... In the news, the New York Comic Con (and what's left of the vestigal New York Anime Festival is this weekend, and alcohol's effects are possibly largely based on cultural perception.

Download MP3
«1

Comments

  • I'm sure there are cooking geeks here...
  • I am with Scrym. The Superman from Action Comics #1 is way better than the lame one from Superman #1. I was so impressed that I went ahead and got Action
    Comics #2, it was as awesome as the first one. It also had an interview with the writer and it basically explained many things regarding the new Superman. Here are some of my thoughts:
    It looks like Superman can't fly on his own, he needs his cape in order to fly. Ma and Pa Kent are dead (he revealed this on the interview and not in the comic), so Superman does not have a moral compass he just does what he thinks is right which is kind of awesome and scary. Finally I think Scott is right, it looks like each comic exist on its own universe in the multiverse. I for one hope the the Superman from Action Comics does not become the Superman from Superman, that Superman was lame.
  • I cared about your cooking. =(

    Although, I'm confused why you don't have a food processor. The hell do you do when you want some hummus?
  • edited October 2011
    Although, I'm confused why you don't have a food processor. The hell do you do when you want some hummus?
    I have never made hummus. I'm pretty sure it's possible without a food processor. I don't have a garlic press either. I smash the garlic myself. Some kitchen tools you need, and some are just extra things to wash.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • Y'know Rym, as much as you say that you hate underwear pervert comics, you seemed to be pretty positive on these. Also, you said that you only like Action Comics Superman and Dark Knight Returns Superman, have you read "Superman Red Sun"?
  • Superman Red Sun
    Good concept, started strong, went way boring and predictable.
  • Y'know Rym, as much as you say that you hate underwear pervert comics, you seemed to be pretty positive on these.
    Wait'll week two. ;^)
  • Y'know Rym, as much as you say that you hate underwear pervert comics, you seemed to be pretty positive on these.
    Wait'll week two. ;^)
    Let me guess, you liked Batwoman's art, Superboy's story, and hated everything else. Week 2 was the week of "dark" and "edgy" stuff that comes of as violence for the sake of violence. I will say that you shouldn't judge Slade Wilson on the Deathstroke comic. With a good writer, he is actually a compelling character, fighting as a mercenary not because he's a consummate bad ass, but because he needs to feed his family. Under whoever wrote that, he's an unlikable prick (though occasionally funny when he wasn't fighting if you know his character.)
    I'm not saying that you love anything with a vigilante in spandex, it just seems to me that you actually do enjoy run of the mill super hero comics, but won't give them a chance. Maybe if you were more open to trying some, you would find that there are good super hero comics in addition to DKR and Watchmen.
  • I look forward to what you guys have to say about Catwoman and the Red Hood book.
  • edited October 2011
    I look forward to what you guys have to say about Catwoman and the Red Hood book.
    They could probably make an entire episode on just these two.
    Post edited by Li_Akahi on
  • edited October 2011
    I'm pretty sure it's possible without a food processor.
    It is - fun fact, hummus is one of the oldest foods in the world - but it's much more work. If you can't make good mashed potatos, then I wouldn't be trying to make hummus too soon. If you can, though, by all means, give it a try.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • I'm pretty sure it's possible without a food processor.
    It is - fun fact, hummus is one of the oldest foods in the world - but it's much more work. If you can't make good mashed potatos, then I wouldn't be trying to make hummus too soon. If you can, though, by all means, give it a try.
    There are people who can't make good mashed potatoes?
  • Booster Gold was Samuel Beckett except he always showed up as himself and he had problems because people remembered him as a media whore. No idea what they are doing with him now, they seem to have dumped this whole thing for the reboot.
  • All of the characters in JLI existed before. A lot of them have been on the regular justice league or some other team at some point.
  • a1sa1s
    edited October 2011
    Superman Red Sun
    Good concept, started strong, went way boring and predictable.
    I found it interesting and original... until I later discovered that everything I liked about it was stolen from somewhere else (even the index was copied form an old Vladivostok telephone directory!) It was the first (and only, come to think of it) Superman comic I read from beginning to end.
    Speaking of things that were done before, Mega Mash was just ROM Check Fail done well. Still a good game/TotD though.
    Post edited by a1s on
  • Rym said about how one of the batman comics was closest to the continuity he liked, so I'll link it again - Here's the Batman comic which is absolutely literally the Continuity you like. To the point where some of the episodes became issues, and some of the issues became episodes.

    Trade, Amazon, you know the drill.
  • Rym said about how one of the batman comics was closest to the continuity he liked, so I'll link it again - Here's the Batman comic which is absolutely literally the Continuity you like. To the point where some of the episodes became issues, and some of the issues became episodes.

    Trade, Amazon, you know the drill.
    I once got a bunch issues of Batman comic from mid 90s and I'm pretty sure that most of the material in those were from that Batman Adventures comic.

    They are not always comic gold, but it's mostly short enjoyable stories.
  • I once got a bunch issues of Batman comic from mid 90s and I'm pretty sure that most of the material in those were from that Batman Adventures comic.

    They are not always comic gold, but it's mostly short enjoyable stories.
    I'd say that was mostly just different comics taking from the BA line, which isn't unusual(For example, harley quinn is straight up an invention of B:TAS, and her origin is the invention of the comics, IIRC) - the BA line was determined to be entirely separate from regular DCU, the proper books are 100% BTAS.
  • Rym, I think it was this episode you said you got the new cheapest kindle. Thoughts on it?
  • Batman: The Animated Series is probably my favourite Batman continuity, too. Helps that it's actually consistent.

    image
    I and a bunch of friends all pitched in to buy all 52 issues and had a big ol' DC Reboot reading party at the end of the month. We had tropes bingo (with prizes) and alcohol, made the whole thing much more bearable. After a while they all blurred together though. I don't think that was the alcohol.

    I hated Batgirl 100% because of the cop on the last couple pages. I just. Worst writing. Characters being stupid solely to drive the plot in some way. Worst. I was doubly disappointed because the writer's the sole woman on DC's reboot staff and I won't be following anything she's writing.
  • edited October 2011
    (For example, harley quinn is straight up an invention of B:TAS, and her origin is the invention of the comics, IIRC)
    Correct. She was introduced in "Mad Love" by Paul Dini. It's mediocre to be from my hero Paul Dini by the way.
    EDIT: Paul Dini, writer of much BTAS that is.
    Post edited by maddmaxx on
  • Correct. She was introduced in "Mad Love" by Paul Dini. It's mediocre to be from my hero Paul Dini by the way.
    No, I'm quite sure she's one of the things that went from the series to the books, rather than vice versa - she first came up in "Joker's Favor", in the animated series, and then about two years later, we got the Origin story first being told in the form of the book Mad Love.

    I dunno about you, but I thought Mad Love was a pretty damned good book.
  • Correct. She was introduced in "Mad Love" by Paul Dini. It's mediocre to be from my hero Paul Dini by the way.
    No, I'm quite sure she's one of the things that went from the series to the books, rather than vice versa - she first came up in "Joker's Favor", in the animated series, and then about two years later, we got the Origin story first being told in the form of the book Mad Love.

    I dunno about you, but I thought Mad Love was a pretty damned good book.
    Churba is correct. Harley was first seen in the animated series. Mad Love just gave her the "backstory". Also Mad Love was a two-parter in those Batman comics I mentioned earlier and I liked it.
  • edited October 2011
    No, I was saying "correct" to the notion that she was introduced in BTAS and her origin was fully revealed in Mad Love (By Paul Dini). Coincidentally, he also wrote Harley's origin episode on The Batman.
    EDIT: and I just feel that Mad Love was mediocre when compared to his BTAS work and his later work on Detective Comics.
    EDIT: Some of the confusion may be in that Mad Love was adapted for TNAB and then later adapted again for Batman: Harley Quinn
    Post edited by maddmaxx on
  • edited October 2011
    No, I was saying "correct" to the notion that she was introduced in BTAS and her origin was fully revealed in Mad Love (By Paul Dini).
    OH! Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant. I thought you meant she was introduced - in the sense of first appeared - in Mad love, when you meant introduced in the same way you'd be introduced to someone at a party, you know, the usual "Hi, hello, what's your name, what do you do for a living, where are you from" sort of nonsense. My mistake, carry on.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • Alright. Action Comics takes place before Justice League. Batwing exists because of Batman Inc., a series written by Grant Morrison, that is staying in continuity and continuing again in 2012. Justice League International was good, in my opinion, which I am ready to defend. I disagree with Rym and Scott entirely on Detective Comics. It is, by far the weakest and most insipid of all the Batman comics in the New 52. It is so ridiculously "badass". I've read Frank Miller Batman. Frank Miller Batman would not wonder why The Joker is naked. Frank Miller Batman would not say "The Joker's motives change like the wind, and it's windy in Gotham." It sucks so much. The shock ending clubs you over the face with how "shocking" it is. I put the book down, and said "-the fuck?" at that point. Stormwatch and Batgirl are probably going to get better, as there writers are generally good at what they do, and I have enjoyed works by both of them. I also think a burgeoning gay romance whilst fighting the lunar surface is a fun idea for a story. Swamp Thing had awesome art, and I was happy to see Aquaman was included. Because I have a soft spot for Aquaman. The plot wasn't there yet, though. Action Comics, Justice League, and Animal Man were good. Hawk and Dove was hilariously awful. Hawk had like, a meat blob for a fist.
  • So apparently Men of War, Hawk and Dove, OMAC, Mr. Terrific, Static Shock, and Blackhawks are getting cancelled after issue 8, and replaced with 6 new runs.

    One of which is G.I. Combat, and this is reportedly the cover of issue 1.

    image

    I'm sold.
  • I'm glad those ones are getting cancelled because those were my least favorites of the New 52.
  • No hate for Deathstroke? :(
Sign In or Register to comment.