The New 52 got me to start reading a WHOLE lot more comics. I have an ideological objection to the business model, but I buy them anyway. I'm kind of confused why they did it though. The teams have all been reset -- Teen Titans #1 was spent establishing who these characters were, and didn't even get to all of them -- but it seems little has changed in terms of individual characters. Nightwing exists, Red Arrow exists, Kid Flash exists and isn't Wally West; nothing seems to have changed besides the team reset. That sort of irritates me. My favorite Titan was Ravager, but they threw her aside when recasting the Titans. To try to fill this void I have begun reading the Deathstroke comic... *gets in fetal position and cries*. Writers think that Deathstroke fights because he's an ultimate bad ass and bathes in the blood of his enemies, he fights because he needs to feed his family. He originally fought in the military, but they disbanded him for going on a rescue mission against orders. He signed the contract with HIVE because it would give him money for his family. In the reboot, he is portrayed as a harsh unmerciful killer without any redeeming qualities.
Besides that, I haven't had any troubles with the New 52. I really liked Supergirl #1. Batwoman had really good art. Nothing amazing, but still worth reading. I just still don't understand why.
Everyone has been angry about the way DC handled some of the female heroes, specifically Catwoman and Starfire. For those of you who read them, what are your thoughts on those issues?
Starfire wasn't twisted as much as some people claim, but they took what was honestly just like, a pre-existing personality quirk she had (being kinda promiscuous because of her alien ways) and turned it into straight up over-sexualization and turning her into the ultimate male fantasy of no-commitment sex. I totally understand female fans who are upset about that, but I don't think their upset-ness over this is any new. However, people who were fans of the Teen Titans cartoon do have a point in saying that DC is dumb for not pandering to us and giving us a Starfire like the one we got used to in the cartoon. This would draw in readers, and I see nothing about the new Starfire as being appealing to new readers. Comic book dorks who like Starfire's breasts are the same comic book dorks who liked her breasts in 1985.
Catwoman, however? That book was just dumb, and anyone should've expected a Catwoman book to be that retarded. Seriously. Catwoman is a villain, anti-heroine at best, and anyone expecting a comic book about her to not be overly sexualized is asking too much. Because Starfire is a more iconic character, I understand, but Catwoman is known almost COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVELY as a sex icon. That book was bound to be stupid, and anyone arguing that it could be handled better is missing the point. There really shouldn't be a Catwoman comic. We need comics focusing on female superheroes who aren't pinup girls.
From the article Adam posted, it's surprising they'd turn Starfire into such a bimbo considering they had a chance to attract more mainstream fans. Especially with the movies turning more people into UP Comics.
Just looked up Starfire and it seems that that's actually her traditional costume, though less 80s tastic.
We need comics focusing on female superheroes who aren't pinup girls.
Or at least, are interesting pin-up girls, like Empowered. Sure, the comic was literally created because of a bunch of BDSM superhero commissions, but it's actually really, really good plot-and-character wise despite being composed of roughly 50% cheesecake.
Cheesecakey but not sexy:
I think the difference there is that Starfire is outright Posing. I'm a beach-rat of some history, but I don't think I've ever seen someone posing about like that, unless they were being photographed for the purpose. The second one, that's just some woman shaking a bit of water out of her hair, contemplating the world and her place in it as she sits on the edge of the bath. Why she wore jewlery in the bath, I've no fucking idea, but I'm sure she thought it a good idea at the time.
Started a pull list at a local comic shop. Where I live, the local shop covers almost four counties, so I like to give it my business. My pull list is as follows: Captain Atom Mr. Terrific Men of War Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Blackhawks All-Star Western I'm giving each title three issues, and so far none have really disappointed me.
That's pretty amazing. I love the total reboot of the characters, particularly Superman's backstory and explanation of the source of his powers. His descriptions of why he did what he did were great too. I would totally read that comic/watch that show. Also, does the new Cyborg remind anyone of Moss from The IT Crowd?
Also, does the new Cyborg remind anyone of Moss from The IT Crowd?
It should - From the descriptions -
Here I’ve basically based Cyborg off of Richard Ayoade’s character Moss from The IT Crowd, making him much geekier and emphasizing his intelligence over brute strength.
Ravager is in Superboy and she is cute and sarcastic.
SNAP! GTG, guys, off to pick up Superboy. My entire logic behind getting Deathstroke -- which I knew going in would be awful -- was in hopes of one of the Wilson kids.
I'm not sure if Rogue teaching diction and linguistics or Gambit teaching Sex Ed is funnier. I hope we actually get to see the flag football game with the Avengers Academy - those kids are pretty awesome.
I like that the X-Men named the new school after Jean Grey. Its a shame she's coming back to life next year - that was actually a surprisingly dignified legacy for her character.
I've been so out of touch with the X-Men. I have no idea what's been happening with them. Ever since I converted to a trade-only reader, and that I basically follow authors, not titles, the only X-Men comics I've read were Grant Morrison's New X-Men run, and Joss Wheedon's Astonishing X-Men run.
I heard various rumblings about the Scarlet Witch and some kind of deleting mutants from the world and some kind of savior with Cable, but I have no idea what's been going on.
I heard various rumblings about the Scarlet Witch and some kind of deleting mutants from the world and some kind of savior with Cable, but I have no idea what's been going on.
I haven't read the X-Men either, but I'm pretty sure those events occurred in "House of M" which was years ago already. I think the most recent thing to happen in X-Men was "Schism" which split the X-Men in two. They restarted Uncanny X-Men at #1. I can't tell you more, but I preordered a couple of the issues to see what happens.
X-Men: 2005 - 2011 In House of M, the Scarlet Witch created an alternate reality where Magneto won his war against humanity a long time ago and the world was relatively safe and stable under his rule. The transition isn't perfect, and a few X-Men realize that its all a lie. They spread the knowledge and eventually force the Scarlet Witch to change the world back. Afterwards, seemingly out of spite, she alters reality again and removes the powers/mutations from most mutants in the world. They go from a population of millions to hundreds.
For a few years all the remaining mutants bad together for mutual protection while extremist anti-Mutants step up their attacks, seeing this as the best opportunity to completely wipe them out. All attempts to reverse the Scarlet Witche's spell - she appears to be depowered herself now.
In Messiah Complex, for the first time in years the X-Men detect the first new mutant activation in Alaska. The source is an orphaned newborn baby and the X-Men race to protect it against Anti-Mutant extremists, Sinister's goons, and folks from the future who claim the baby will be some kind of mutant messiah. Eventually, Cyclops determines that the best chance for the kid is be sent into the future with Cable to be raised away from all the factions wanting to co-opt or kill her. Afterwards the X-Men are temporarily disbanded. After a brief holiday, the X-Men come back together and relocate to San Francisco where the local government welcomes them with open arms.
In a crossover event with Dark Reign, in which Norman Osborn (The Green Goblin) is appointed the director of SHIELD, anti-mutant riots sweep San Francisco. Osborn uses the riots as a justification to attack the X-Men with his own "Dark X-Men" team. Cyclops has the X-Men retreat to a boat in the bay, which then rises up out of the water and is revealed to be an island built onto the remains of Asteroid M. Cyclops declares that the island is now a sovereign nation, where Mutants can live free of persecution. He unironically names his new Genosha "Utopia". Former mutant villains Magneto and Namor join Utopia.
In Second Coming, Cable returns from the future with the messiah baby, now a teenage girl named Hope. The X-Men fight more anti-mutant extremists who attack Hope and Cable and then Utopia itself. In the end Cable dies, Hope is reviled to be a power mimic, and a few new mutant activations are detected by Cerebra. These new mutants are undergoing unstable, often violent mutations that can only be stabilized by touching Hope. Afterwards she seems to have a subtle psychological control over them.
In Schsim, which just wrapped up, the new Hellfire Club releases a pro-mutant radical from Utopia's prison. He creates an international incident at the UN before the X-Men can stop him. As a result a new wave of anti-mutant paranoia sweeps the globe and the various governments of the world begin reactivating old Sentinel robots. Many of these robots malfunction and start causing disasters, and Cyclops dispatches most the X-Men to deal with them. The Hellfire Club incapacitates the remaining X-Men at the opening of San Francisco's new Mutant Rights Museum and unleashed a new prototype sentinel on Utopia. The only mutants left to defend the island are Cyclops, Wolverine, and a bunch of students. Cyclops enlists the kids to help him defend the island and Wolverine wants to leave rather than forcing children to be soldiers. Their argument escalates violently, and although the sentinel is defeated, Wolverine decides that he no longer shares Cyclops's vision. He and the half of the X-Men who have grown uncomfortable with Utopia's increasingly militaristic and isolationist direction leave to rebuild the school in New York.
Some of the details might be incorrect, but thats the jist of where the X-Men are now.
Comments
Besides that, I haven't had any troubles with the New 52. I really liked Supergirl #1. Batwoman had really good art. Nothing amazing, but still worth reading. I just still don't understand why.
However, people who were fans of the Teen Titans cartoon do have a point in saying that DC is dumb for not pandering to us and giving us a Starfire like the one we got used to in the cartoon. This would draw in readers, and I see nothing about the new Starfire as being appealing to new readers. Comic book dorks who like Starfire's breasts are the same comic book dorks who liked her breasts in 1985.
Catwoman, however? That book was just dumb, and anyone should've expected a Catwoman book to be that retarded. Seriously. Catwoman is a villain, anti-heroine at best, and anyone expecting a comic book about her to not be overly sexualized is asking too much. Because Starfire is a more iconic character, I understand, but Catwoman is known almost COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVELY as a sex icon. That book was bound to be stupid, and anyone arguing that it could be handled better is missing the point. There really shouldn't be a Catwoman comic. We need comics focusing on female superheroes who aren't pinup girls.
Just looked up Starfire and it seems that that's actually her traditional costume, though less 80s tastic.
Warning: TITS AHOY.
Cheesecakey but not sexy:
Sexy, but not cheesecakey:
Captain Atom
Mr. Terrific
Men of War
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Blackhawks
All-Star Western
I'm giving each title three issues, and so far none have really disappointed me.
Also, does the new Cyborg remind anyone of Moss from The IT Crowd?
After seeing both of these I kind of want to write a story/comic using his Green Lateran in his DC universe.
Also, Ultimate Spiderman #2 FTW!
I like that the X-Men named the new school after Jean Grey. Its a shame she's coming back to life next year - that was actually a surprisingly dignified legacy for her character.
I heard various rumblings about the Scarlet Witch and some kind of deleting mutants from the world and some kind of savior with Cable, but I have no idea what's been going on.
Can anyone provide a primer?
X-Men: 2005 - 2011
In House of M, the Scarlet Witch created an alternate reality where Magneto won his war against humanity a long time ago and the world was relatively safe and stable under his rule. The transition isn't perfect, and a few X-Men realize that its all a lie. They spread the knowledge and eventually force the Scarlet Witch to change the world back. Afterwards, seemingly out of spite, she alters reality again and removes the powers/mutations from most mutants in the world. They go from a population of millions to hundreds.
For a few years all the remaining mutants bad together for mutual protection while extremist anti-Mutants step up their attacks, seeing this as the best opportunity to completely wipe them out. All attempts to reverse the Scarlet Witche's spell - she appears to be depowered herself now.
In Messiah Complex, for the first time in years the X-Men detect the first new mutant activation in Alaska. The source is an orphaned newborn baby and the X-Men race to protect it against Anti-Mutant extremists, Sinister's goons, and folks from the future who claim the baby will be some kind of mutant messiah. Eventually, Cyclops determines that the best chance for the kid is be sent into the future with Cable to be raised away from all the factions wanting to co-opt or kill her. Afterwards the X-Men are temporarily disbanded. After a brief holiday, the X-Men come back together and relocate to San Francisco where the local government welcomes them with open arms.
In a crossover event with Dark Reign, in which Norman Osborn (The Green Goblin) is appointed the director of SHIELD, anti-mutant riots sweep San Francisco. Osborn uses the riots as a justification to attack the X-Men with his own "Dark X-Men" team. Cyclops has the X-Men retreat to a boat in the bay, which then rises up out of the water and is revealed to be an island built onto the remains of Asteroid M. Cyclops declares that the island is now a sovereign nation, where Mutants can live free of persecution. He unironically names his new Genosha "Utopia". Former mutant villains Magneto and Namor join Utopia.
In Second Coming, Cable returns from the future with the messiah baby, now a teenage girl named Hope. The X-Men fight more anti-mutant extremists who attack Hope and Cable and then Utopia itself. In the end Cable dies, Hope is reviled to be a power mimic, and a few new mutant activations are detected by Cerebra. These new mutants are undergoing unstable, often violent mutations that can only be stabilized by touching Hope. Afterwards she seems to have a subtle psychological control over them.
In Schsim, which just wrapped up, the new Hellfire Club releases a pro-mutant radical from Utopia's prison. He creates an international incident at the UN before the X-Men can stop him. As a result a new wave of anti-mutant paranoia sweeps the globe and the various governments of the world begin reactivating old Sentinel robots. Many of these robots malfunction and start causing disasters, and Cyclops dispatches most the X-Men to deal with them. The Hellfire Club incapacitates the remaining X-Men at the opening of San Francisco's new Mutant Rights Museum and unleashed a new prototype sentinel on Utopia. The only mutants left to defend the island are Cyclops, Wolverine, and a bunch of students. Cyclops enlists the kids to help him defend the island and Wolverine wants to leave rather than forcing children to be soldiers. Their argument escalates violently, and although the sentinel is defeated, Wolverine decides that he no longer shares Cyclops's vision. He and the half of the X-Men who have grown uncomfortable with Utopia's increasingly militaristic and isolationist direction leave to rebuild the school in New York.
Some of the details might be incorrect, but thats the jist of where the X-Men are now.