Originally Published: May 3, 2011, on Momsbasement.org
I come to you once again with your weekly geek fix. This week’s episode sees me announce a partnership with Momsbasement.org and review Secret Avengers #12 from Marvel Comics and Portal 2 from Valve. My hot chick pick of the week is Desiree Elyda Villalobos and this week’s theme is the end credit theme to Portal 1, Still Alive.
Originally Published: May 2, 2011, on Comicvine.com
A lot happened in the final issue of Brightest Day. Characters died, characters came back, and the DC Universe has been shaken up in a lot of ways. So, this got me thinking as to what we can expect in the immediate future from some of these characters and specifically what we might be looking at in the three issue mini-series, Brightest Day: Aftermath, that will chronicle just how big the fallout is from this DC event.
I’m going to start with characters from Brightest Day that I think will play little to no part in Aftermath and then move up in importance of who will influence what I believe will be the DC Universe’s future as a whole. And be forewarned that if you have not ready Brightest Day #24 then, well, what’s wrong with you. Go! Now! Read it! What are you waiting for?! And then immediately come back here because there will be spoilers ahead. You have been warned.
Professor Zoom, Captain Boomerang, Osiris, Maxwell Lord, and Jade were part of the group that was resurrected by the White Lantern. Over the final 31 pages of the extra-sized final issue of Brightest Day, these characters were featured in a single panel (except for Zoom who wasn’t even featured at all after he freed Barry Allen from the Speed Force). One. That’s it. They’re jobs were done in other comics or in the case of Captain Boomerang; he threw his one boomerang in Brightest Day #24 and supposedly slinked back off to the Rogues.
It is safe to assume that because of this, it would be unlikely for these characters to have a major impact of any sort in Aftermath as they go back to their lives that will have their own respective ripples in the DCU. Jade is now a part of the JLA and dealing with Eclipso, Professor Zoom promised to cause trouble for Captain Boomerang in the future who will of course go back to the Rogues, Maxwell Lord will likely have his hands full being hunted by the former members of the JLI after killing Blue Beetle, and Osiris brought back Isis who will likely have more of an impact than her brother in the Aftermath if she is fated to help Swamp Thing as insinuated by the White Lantern.
The next characters that I doubt will have much influence in Aftermath will be Aquaman and Hawkman. Already confirmed to be having their own monthly comics to come out of Brightest Day, they’ll have their own problems to deal with. There is a traitor in Aquaman’s midst as revealed in the Brightest Day prologue pages as well as he’ll have the responsibility of having to train the new Aqualad. Hawkman also seems like he’ll need some time alone, as he’s not too thrilled over the fact that Hawkgirl was dust when Swamp Thing released him and the other element avatars. With these more pressing issues for these characters, I doubt they’ll be too worried about the rest of the DCU and Swamp Thing in particular for the time being.
Now there is no word of a monthly for Firestorm or Martian Manhunter, but I think these other two element avatars are characters who might have tougher times pulling off a monthly and could go right back to business as normal in the JLA. And considering the partial reveal we’ve seen of the first Aftermath cover featuring Batman and Superman, you can figure the heavy hitters of the JLA will be involved with this and they’ll need these two powerhouses who have also had experience with Swamp Thing and the White Lantern to help quell whatever conflict may be the spark for Aftermath. Not to mention Martian Manhunter had no problems in his prologue page of Brightest Day so it makes sense for him to go straight back to the JLA, who are also the most likely people to help Firestorm fix his matrix problems.
This leaves Deadman and Hawk of the 12 resurrected. I don’t see Hawk being of much use, but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Dove and Deadman considering their relationship and so Hank Hall will have to tag along just for fun. Deadman though will likely be critical in the Aftermath because of his previous working relationship with Swamp Thing and he was also the most crucial of the resurrected over the course of Brightest Day. Deadman is not happy being a ghost again, but he knows he might have to hold Swamp Thing’s hand for a while in Aftermath.
And this brings us to characters that weren’t really featured in Brightest Day but look to have a major role in Aftermath. Aftermath has been described on DC’s The Source blog as “the new protector of Earth has been chosen – but one reluctant hero makes a return to try and convince Batman, Superman, and the rest of the DC Universe’s heroes that this may not be a good thing at all.”
The obvious choice for someone having a problem with this is John Constantine since he was revealed on the last page of Brightest Day after Swamp Thing causes some carnage in a big business meeting room and says “Bollocks.” Either he’s not happy or he doesn’t believe it. Constantine and Swamp Thing have a long and storied history with one another, and this could also serve as a gateway to work in Tefe, Swamp Thing’s daughter, who was created when Swamp Thing possessed Constantine briefly. Of course, Deadman could also logically have the biggest problem with this because he was forced to sacrifice his life in order to bring back Swamp Thing and wants some kind of retribution.
So those are my thoughts on what we can immediately expect in Brightest Day: Aftermath. Aquaman is going to be busy with a war beneath the waves. Hawkman has to deal with his girlfriend being dust. And the rest of the DCU is going to have to deal with Swamp Thing trying to re-acclimate himself to the world. What will Batman, Superman, and the rest of the JLA think of this? What kind of damage can Swamp Thing do and how will our heroes find him considering he can be anywhere in the world there is plant life? Let us know what you think with comments below!
Originally Published: April 27, 2011, on Comicvine.com
Batman and Gaucho pair up with Batwoman and The Hood in order to stop an insane scheme by Dr. Dedalus that threatens to bring the civilized world to its knees.
The Good
Grant Morrison continues to weave a complicated and thrilling web over Batman lore as he introduces new villains and schemes while continuing to expand the Batman, Incorporated franchise. Dr. Dedalus is proving to be another major threat for Batman as it is revealed that he is a character who will play both sides of the fence in order to achieve his end goals.
In this one issue, we also saw several new candidates for the Batman, Inc. franchise with Gaucho all but being initiated for Argentina, The Hood possibly for England, and a new unknown Batman in Africa who will likely be expanded upon in future issues.
Couple all this with some great action highlighted with an awesome fight scene with Scorpiana against The Hood, Gaucho, and Batwoman and this book entertains from beginning to end.
The Bad
With all this world traveling and new characters being constantly introduced or re-introduced after long hiatuses, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of just which way the comic is going. Combine that with a lot of flashbacks to help flesh out the character of Dr. Dedalus and long speeches between characters we haven’t seen in a while to get us up to speed on who they are, and this Batman, Inc. arc is a little tough to follow at times.
Also, even though Dr. Dedalus has a lot of ties to Batman’s past according to his story, he feels a bit like a Ra’s al Ghul clone and hasn’t done anything to prove to be very memorable as of yet. He comes off as just another megalomaniac who wants to destroy the world.
The Verdict
Batman, Inc. is something you have to keep following because it is surely building up to something beyond huge for the Dark Knight. Although I prefer to see Batman work alone most times or just within the Bat Family, this comic does a good job of making sure that Batman doesn’t lose sight of his goal and see this devolve into a less campy Brave and the Bold series of team-ups every issue.
A little difficult to follow at times, the elaborate plot and great action are more than enough to keep your attention for the long haul as we’ll hopefully start to see just what Batman, Inc. can really evolve into in the coming issues.
4/5 Stars
Originally Published: April 27, 2011, on Comicvine.com
The X-Men and Spider-Man wrap up their expedition in the sewers of New York City as they try to stop Dark Beast and his mad experiments on Dr. Curt Connors and the unsuspecting citizens of Manhattan.
The Good
Any story arc with Dark Beast in it is a win for me because he poses a threat on so many levels to the current X-Men. This is also an ideal time to have him re-emerge in the X-Men’s lives since we know he will be a major player in future X-Force issues, even though we don’t know the details on that as of yet.
The banter back and forth between Emma Frost and Spider-Man was also very well written as they are burdened with the task of rescuing the rest of the X-Men after they fall under the spell of Dark Beast’s lizard transformation device.
The Bad
This arc started off so strongly, with a brief spike at the Dark Beast reveal, but has been on a downward slide ever since with this final issue hitting rock bottom. Most of the issue is Emma and Spidey crawling through the sewers trying to regroup and escape from the barely coherent Lizard X-Men. Although the banter was entertaining, it just felt like filler before we got to what was a short and quick resolution with Emma freeing the original Lizard, Curt Connors.
Due to the cramped quarters, you also never really see Wolverine, Spidey, or anyone else with any speed or agility really ramp up and let go in the limited fight scenes. If anything, Spider-Man felt like an unnecessary addition to this entire adventure and was there simply because it is his turf and he’s had experience with the Lizard before and reminded me why I don’t particularly read most Spider-Man comics anymore.
The Verdict
Although the banter was well written, there was far too much of it and made this comic feel like it was dragging two pages in. To sort through all that filler and end on such an anti-climatic resolution on top of it just left me shaking my head.
Spider-Man was nothing but useless aside from acting as foil to Emma and this entire story arc felt like a cheap way of bringing Dark Beast into everyone’s mind before he makes his impact on the Age of Apocalypse storyline with X-Force coming in June. Even if you’ve been reading this arc, I’m tempted to tell you to steer clear and hope for better things next month.
Originally Published: April 27, 2011, on Comicvine.com
The White Lantern has resurrected Alec Holland in an attempt to quell the Black Lantern animated husk of Swamp Thing and save the Earth as the White Lantern has finally revealed the mystery it has been weaving over the course of Brightest Day.
The Good
Most things fit together nicely in this extra-sized final issue of Brightest Day as it ties everything neatly into a pretty little bow with just enough loose ends to allow the DC Universe to continue to change and grow, while leaving many of its characters changed forever, in this event’s aftermath.
This event has also successfully re-imagined and then thrust a lot fan favorite DC Vertigo characters like Swamp Thing, and others with its final reveal, into the limelight and give them a chance to flourish in the mainstream DC Universe now. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens to these characters and see how they are developed by DC and how or if they’ll interact with other mainstream heroes and villains.
The Bad
Even with this final issue being an extra-sized one, the pace seemed frantic, like too much needed to be explained and tied up before Johns and Tomasi ran out of pages to do it in. This made the final confrontation between Alec Holland and the Dark Avatar feel much too short and simple for deciding the fate of the planet. Plus, this left only a few panels to explain what happens to each resurrected character now and you could clearly see that the extra pages were simply a prologue without actually calling it one.
On top of this, I really wasn’t happy with what happened to a lot of the characters in the end. I understand that Deadman had to return to his ghostly form otherwise he’d really have no place amongst the super-powered beings of the DC Universe, but I think it would have been better if the visions of Captain Boomerang slaying Dove came true instead. Or Hawk, who was scolded by the White Lantern for being the only resurrected member of the 12 to have failed in his mission, was sacrificed anyway instead of either Deadman or Dove for not finding his purpose like the others had. The fact that some characters did not come back upon Swamp Thing’s victory in order to allow other characters to grow left a bad taste in my mouth.
The Verdict
A brilliant way to re-introduce and redefine a classic DC Vertigo character and find a way for him to fit into the mainstream universe, Brightest Day will pave the way for characters like Swamp Thing, Aquaman, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, and Firestorm to maybe see a bit of a renaissance within the DCU and helps to reset the universe back to simpler and maybe better times. Unfortunately, this all came at the cost of several other characters that I personally preferred over some that were brought back and felt that this final issue felt like it was trying to hammer home themes of personal growth and overcoming loss way too much for my liking.
Overall, this issue is something you need to pick up, whether you like what happens in it or not, as it will reshape many characters in the DCU from here on out and serves as a perfect place to get back into the DCU if you haven’t been following it for a while as many characters have had the chance to have their reset button pressed for new fans to become acclimated to them.
Originally Published: April 26, 2011, on Youtube.com/Rcars4885
I come to you once again with your weekly geek fix. This week’s episode sees me give my take on the PSN crash, review Batman #709 from DC Comics and the new Mortal Kombat from Netherrealm Studios and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment. My hot chick pick of the week is UFC Ring Girl Brittany Palmer and this week’s theme is the Mortal Kombat movie theme by The Immortals.
Originally Published: April 20, 2011, on Comicvine.com
While continuing to have her group of Five Lights trained and tested by Doctor Nemesis, Wolverine, and others on Utopia, a new light has been detected by Cerebra in Germany and it is up to Hope and her lights to bring the situation under control.
The Good
The adventures and action derived from discovering new mutants is exciting as each situation is so different from the last one. Now, with a psychic on their hands, Hope and the Lights (they sound like a cheesy 80s band) must put their limited training and teamwork to the test like never before.
Include a whole new team dynamic as Kitty Pryde has taken over as the team liaison for Rogue and not only does Hope have one less ally, she has one less person to rely on incase things awry as Kitty is still stuck in her bubble boy outfit since she can’t unphase yet.
The Bad
The new mutant is an unborn baby. WHAT?! I understand that things are different now and Hope proved this by having her powers manifest as an infant, but for an unborn baby to have the kind of psychic potential it is showing at this stage is unbelievable (even for X-Men standards). And if Hope does bring it under control, will it be left in a weird mental or physical state like Teon’s feral mentality or Kenji’s odd-shape shifting form? Although interesting to consider, with all the threats the X-Men face on a daily basis, having a baby taken to Utopia is the last thing needed right now and could provide for a very weird dynamic in future issues.
The Verdict
Although a weird situation, it is just weird enough to have piqued my curiosity and not turned me off. An unborn psychic mutant is definitely the off the wall kind of adventure we should probably get used to with Generation Hope. This is another well-written comic by Kieron Gillen as you clearly see the dynamic personalities of all the individual members of the team whenever they speak, and it has now been mixed up even more with the straight-laced Kitty Pryde as liaison. This is a comic I look forward to every month and can’t wait for the next issue just to see how Hope will work her way out of every crazy situation thrown into the path of her and her lights.
Originally Published: April 20, 2011, on Comicvine.com
With new team member Solstice in tow, the Teen Titans look to familiarize themselves with a whole new set of demonic forces that for once have nothing to do with Raven and her daddy Trigon. Can they brush up on their Indian mythology enough in time to rescue Wonder Girl and Solstice’s parents though?
The Good
A lot of fast paced action throughout the comic helps set up some ominous undertones revolving around these new foes of the Teen Titans. Couple this with some good internal monologues from Raven and Red Robin and you can get a good feel of what the team’s overall psyche is right now. In flux, uncertain, and uncomfortable for a variety of reasons with one another, the Teen Titans are fighting inner demons as much as those from Indian mythology.
The Bad
It’s another magic based storyline for the Teen Titans. I understand that with Wonder Girl, Raven, and now Solstice on the team with such little being known about her, that magical and mythological creatures make for the most logical and frequent of foes, but it gets tiresome. I don’t want or need a mythology lesson every time I crack open a Teen Titans comic. Maybe instead of trying to introduce a horde of new villains into the Bat-Family comics, DC should look to flesh out and diversify other rogue galleries instead, like those of the Teen Titans.
The Verdict
This issue of Teen Titans gives you exactly what you would expect from the comic if you’ve been reading it to this point or even if you’re just roughly familiar with the series because it’s the same almost all the time. A good balance of character and plot development tempered with some action due to an unknown demonic force rearing its head and requiring the strength of everyone involved to overcome. Therefore, they must put aside the hints of internal team strife that are constantly simmering just below the surface due to a bevy of conflicting personalities. Everyone comes together in the end to save the day. Mix well with new characters occasionally and serve for $2.99.
For the most part, Teen Titans has become predictable and formulaic, aside from the one arc involving the Clock King a while back, which I particularly enjoyed because it broke so far away from the norm. Not to say it doesn’t deliver well on this formula it has come up with, but it would be nice to see something different from them once in a while. Of course, this also makes it easy to jump into if you know anything about the characters involved, but fans that have been reading this consistently deserve something new and exciting from this comic and they’re definitely not getting it this issue.
Originally Published: April 18, 2011, on Comicvine.com
I normally would have a “Comics to Video Games” article ready for you folks right about now (and don’t worry I’m working on the next one), but I was reading an interview the other day with Ian Flynn, a writer best known for his current run on the Sonic the Hedgehog series published by Archie Comics, and found out he’s going to be the main writer behind a new monthly Mega Man comic book series.
This latest video game series from Archie Comics comes out in the beginning of May and it will chronicle the Blue Bomber’s run through his nearly dozen games, starting with Mega Man 1 playing out across the first four issues, and will answer the big questions, like how no one was able to figure out when Dr. Wily was up to no good. It’s not like he had ten giant skull shaped fortresses built. Oh, wait. Hmmm. Also, I wonder if there will be any mention of Mega Man Soccer in an annual or something.
Anyway, this got me thinking about the flood of both monthly and limited series comic books we’ve seen in recent years based on video games. City of Heroes, Halo, inFamous, Gears of War, Prototype, and even DCU Online, which of course is a comic based off a video game based off of comics. So what’s with this sudden influx of video game based comics at our local retailers?
Now, comics based off of video games are nothing new. After all, Sonic, has had his own ongoing series for nearly twenty years now. But to see so many new comics based on games is a little off putting. An idealist might say comics are simply being used as tools to help flesh out stories that can’t be fully told in a 15-hour game. But what if they are really being used just as promotional items to bolster game sales instead? Or are comic companies trying to jump on the bandwagon of a popular game franchise in the hopes of making a profit, knowing that the key comic book and video game demographics are one in the same? Or maybe it is a little of all of the above?
Can ongoing video game comics also hurt the base franchise as there could be unintentional limits placed on the game developers? There would have to be constant communication between both the game developers and the comic book writing and editorial teams in order to ensure that what is being done in the comics isn’t radically different from what is happening or going to happen in sequel video games upon their release.
If Josh Ortega kills off someone in the Gears of War comic, he had better let Cliff Bleszinski and Karen Traviss know so that person doesn’t show up in Gears of War 3, otherwise there are going to be some mighty ticked off Gearheads out there. And what if Cliff had planned on making that character a major player in the Gears universe? How much say does the original game creators have when it comes to forwarding the plot of a comic that is being looked at as canon? It just seems that adding more moving parts to such a complex and detailed story might come off as limiting from a creative standpoint, especially while the main series is still really ongoing and even while just trying to flesh out previously mentioned references from the original property (like the Pendulum Wars for Gears).
And this brings us back to my inspiration. Mega Man. Does doing a comic that follows, for the most part, a story we already know lessen the mass appeal of a comic? Why should I read something I’ve already played through several hundred times? Can you really flesh out a character that much with a few thought bubbles while it’s blasting another foe into oblivion? If anything, it might take away from those original gaming experiences, especially from the old NES days, where the player was left to their own devices to fill in gaps in a protagonist’s personality and whatnot. So are original stories that add to and build on top of already existing canon the only real option in that case to ensure a profit will be made and to protect a property?
Despite this, does every new video game need a comic book? I read the six-issue limited series for Prototype and I felt what I got from that comic was not worth the price I paid as a lead in to the actual game. In fact, the comic ruined the game experience some as it spoiled a lot of the game’s surprises. The same goes for the Gears of War comic. Some issues have been great, but I didn’t need a one-issue back-story on Tai. I don’t need a character that is dead to be fleshed out. It just reeks of trying to turn a quick buck if you ask me. It dilutes the potential of building the franchise naturally and feels very forced in some cases.
But I really don’t mind franchises diversifying, and actually enjoy seeing new adventures with my favorite characters that continue the story beyond the original product (you should see my Star Wars expanded universe novel collection). I do feel that there should be some sort of criteria before a franchise is expanded though like with a game based comic. Wait until the main story, in most cases nowadays the story being a trilogy, is complete before you start filling in the gaps. Imagine if a comic or novel like Shadows of the Empire in Star Wars, which takes places between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, had been released in 1981, right between Empire and Jedi. I think that it coming after the fact made it much more powerful and interesting. Similar to the games Halo: Reach and Halo 3: ODST. They were better stories because the universe had already been fully established and then writers went back to fill in the blanks.
So what do you guys think? Are you fans of video game based comics? Are there too many out there flooding the market? What should be the criteria for a game based comic to be published? And how much creative freedom should the writing and editorial teams have with long established characters like Mega Man? Will you buy the Mega Man monthly upon its release? Let us know with comments below!
RayCarsilloWrites.com 