I know, I know…it’s been at least a month since I’ve written a new column.  The combination of family and Christmas, as well as the end of our semester at school, has taken up just about all of my free time lately.  But the good news is that I’m not teaching Journalism this term, so I’ll have more time on my hands.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to get this out more regularly than in recent months.

Trade Happy

The reading I have been able to do—other than my weekly comics—has been mostly in trades.  Actually, I’ve been trade-happy the last month or so, sometimes even reading two in a weekend.  So for this installment of Life in the Gutter, I’m going to share some of my reading in trades.

Y: The Last Man (Volumes 6-10)

It’s sad that it took me over a year to read this whole series.  I usually would pick up a volume any time I was in a bookstore, provided they had the next one I needed.  The windfall on reading the rest of the series over break was thanks to a bookstore closing that had all their books 30 percent off; I picked up the last five volumes as soon as I saw them.

I admit to knowing about a character death toward the end of this series before I even started reading it.  I knew it was coming.  I anticipated it.  I started guessing when exactly it would happen.  But when it actually happened, I was shocked.  To me, that’s the mark of an excellent comic. 

This series had so many twists and turns.  I know it’s been over for a while, but I would still recommend it to anyone.  Seriously.  I would recommend it to anyone.  Not just comic fans, either.  This book had some amazing plot points in it, and really made me think about some of the concepts that were being put forth. 

And really, it all came down to two words: monkey poop.

Gotham Central Deluxe Edition Volume Two: Jokers and Madmen

I read this volume a couple weekends ago in one sitting.  I woke up on a Saturday, grabbed a cup of coffee, and got comfortable for the duration.  Three cups of coffee later, I closed the volume and started wondering to myself when the smart Hollywood people would decide to make this into a television series.

Come on, it’s Batman without Batman.  It’s the Bat-signal and Gotham City and a couple recognizable villains and maybe even an uncredited guy in the shadows who just happens to be wearing a cowl.  In the morning that I read this volume, I started genuinely caring for these characters.  They were cops and they had real problems related to their jobs, but they also had some serious issues outside of work that were dealt with in a very real way.  This is television drama at its best, and it hasn’t even been on television yet.  And the best part of it is that it wouldn’t mess up the Batman franchise of movies.

Teen Titans: Year One

I read this one in one sitting as well, but it didn’t leave as much of an impression as Gotham Central.  The whole story felt very punchy to me.  Sure, it was all connected in the end (sort of), but I felt like I was trudging through it.  And considering how short it really was, that’s saying something.

Justice League of America: The Unjustice League

This was one of those “fill in the blank” books for me.  I had what happened previously and I knew what happened after, but I hadn’t read this particular story arc yet. 

I loved the parallel at the beginning of this story with the relaunch of the new Justice League book.  Lex, Joker, and Cheetah playing the roles of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as they decide who to invite to their little party was entertaining, to say the least.

The book went by fast.  I might have zoned out on most of the action in the book, which means that I either was really tired when I read it or it just wasn’t that good.  Hmm…I don’t know.  Maybe I’ll have to go back and re-read it sometime soon.

Christmas presents!

I just started Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes last night.  I read the first issue and I’ll probably have it finished in the next day or so.  I like it so far, but my knowledge of the Legion is very limited.  Wikipedia might be my new best friend soon.

What I’m most excited about is the Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, and The Return of Superman that is next on my list.  It amazes me that I haven’t read this yet, even being as big of a Superman geek as I am.  But now I have it, and I’m getting myself geared up to read all three volumes. 

Quick Monthly Shout-outs

I don’t have time to go in-depth on these books, but I at least want to give a shout-out to some of the books that really have me hooked right now.  They are in no particular order.

• Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2
• Booster Gold
• Adventure Comics
• Action Comics
• Red Robin
• Batgirl
• Blackest Night: The Power of Shazam
• Blackest Night #6

That’s it for this week, folks.  Remember that you can e-mail me with questions, comments, etc. at gutterlife@gmail.com . 

By Mandy Stegall

Okay, so I know it’s been a few weeks since my last column, but life is still kicking my butt.  The good news is that as of the 18^th, I’m on vacation for two weeks.  Therefore, look for me to be a little more visible as far as this column goes.  I feel like I have quite a bit to make up for.

DCU in 2010

The big news this week comes from DC’s Source blog.  They decided to be in the holiday spirit and give us some big announcements this week, so I’m going to take the time to talk about some of my favorites from this last week.

Earth One OGNs

I was sold on these just from the art that was released.  I made the image of Superman by Shane Davis the wallpaper on my computer at school.  And I’ve never read anything by JMS, but his take on the character of Superman sounds interesting and unique, so I’m definitely going to be buying this immediately.

The Batman OGN with Geoff Johns and Gary Frank also looks like a winner.  I was completely blown away by the image of Alfred that was released.  Now that’s a guy I believe could kick some ass. 

But as excited as I am for each of these separate projects, I’m even more excited that we seem to be getting another line of “Elseworlds” tales that stand on their own.  My understanding at this point is that these will be ongoing.  Love it.  We have tales of the Multiverse again.  And really, what’s not to love about original stories that aren’t tied down by continuity?

War of the Supermen

We knew this was coming.  And now, we know when.  Free Comic Book Day brings the #0 issue, much like last year’s FCBD brought Blackest Night #0.

The super-books have really been heating up lately, especially with the events of this week’s Action Comics #884.  I honestly never thought I would see the day where Lois Lane would quit the Daily Planet and Perry would let her leave.  This situation with her father and his little division of Kryptonian haters is escalating quickly, and I can only imagine what is going to be done to amp it up in preparation for this event.

Wonder Woman renumbering to #600

I’m sure many of us have been following this to some degree, whether we’ve been advocates of it or not.  Personally, it doesn’t matter to me because I didn’t even start reading this volume until issue #17 (or so).  Sure, I have the trades since the re-launch, but I don’t have the history that some people have with the character.

 Still, I love that Dan DiDio recognized how passionate some fans were about it and came up with a plan that he followed through with when the fans came out in mass.

Return of Bruce Wayne

Okay, I know I said this was full of my favorite pieces of news the Source put out last week, but I have to mention this even though I don’t really like that it’s happening so soon.  Sure, the art from Andy Kubert of a pirate Bruce Wayne is crazy good, but it’s just too soon. 

I think my hope with this mini-series is just to show that Bruce is still out there somewhere, but not necessarily ready to come back to the present just yet.  I’m really enjoying Dick and Damien as Batman and Robin right now.  It’s a change of pace that I think will really pay off once Bruce does come back.  But for it to pay off fully, I think he needs to be gone—really gone—more than a year.

 Legacies and History of the DC Universe

 As a fairly new reader, I’m not really familiar with some of the older characters.  So naturally, I’m all over this.  I’ve always tried to learn as much as possible about the legacy characters so that I can better understand the current ones, so this will be a treat for me.

And this week’s comics…

I have just one thing to say about this week’s comics.  Booster Gold. One panel.  Wow.

Okay, so maybe that’s three things.  But still, I stared for a good five minutes.

Oh, and I really enjoyed the Donna Troy story in Titans #20.  I was a little weirded out that the blond waiter’s name was Tom, though.   As much as I would like to see Donna happy, I don’t want her to have Diana’s sloppy seconds.

One more thing

I just have to say that I had a very engaging conversation with Mart on the forums about the direction of Renee Montoya’s character in the Question co-feature.  The last time I mentioned it on here, my comments were strictly based on the art.  Through our conversation though, I was able to figure out why I was bothered.  Part of Renee’s allure in the past has been how messed up her life was.  But now, she appears to have it all together, even though we haven’t had the luxury of seeing how she did it.  I don’t believe for a second that taking up the mantle of The Question automatically solves all her problems.  And that’s the main problem I have.

 Thanks, Mart, for breaking my mental block and for engaging in some interesting conversation.  It came at a time for me when I needed something to talk about other than teaching. 

gutterlife@gmail.com

By Mandy Stegall

And finally…the last of Origins and Omens!

One million plus apologies for the long absence, friends.  All I can say is that school has been royally kicking my fanny lately. 

But I still owe you all the last two of the Origins and Omens stories: Secret Six and Wonder Woman. 

When it comes to the Secret Six, I have to admit that I don’t know much about Mad Hatter, who narrates this particular tale about the Six.  He gives an origin of each of the members, complete with editorial comments.  Better yet, it rhymes!  Aren’t we so lucky? 

Now, at this point, just about all of the “visions” seen on the last page have come to pass.  We see Wonder Woman throwing down with Jeannette, Bane in full on venom mode, and Deadshot completely tied down.  And Ragdoll being…well, Ragdoll.  Most important through all of this though, is the realization that Hatter has it out for the Secret Six.  And while that particular plot point hasn’t really come to the forefront of the story-telling yet, it’s definitely something to think about as the months go by.

Wonder Woman

I’ve long contemplated the exact meaning of Hippolyta visiting Tom in the hospital and telling him the story of Diana’s birth for quite a few months.  And of course her statement when walking out of his hospital room, “Be wary of my daughter,” could have any number of meanings.  But since she was previously discussing love and Diana’s history of being loved by everyone on Themiscyra, I tend to believe that Hippolyta means that Diana has never had to work for love.  It’s always come to her, which could lead her to take it for granted.  And, as we have learned in the months since this story appeared, it can also lead her to jump to conclusions about those she chooses to spend her time with.

Even though we see in this story that Tom is walking away from her (and we know from a couple of months ago that he did exactly that), I don’t know that I buy that their relationship is over.  With Tom’s new position with the Global Peace Agency (as part of Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape, which I thought was amazing, by the way) I can see their paths crossing once again and causing them to work together at some point.  For that matter, is Tom even still with the DMA and are they still partners when Diana Prince decides to make an appearance?

Enough of that, though.  We also see in the O & O story that Amazons are pregnant!  With no congress, for that matter.  And then there’s those pesky Manazons.  Curse them, I hate them more and more by the issue, even if they are making for some interesting story-telling.

And then, Diana with blood on her hands.  Oh, that’s the big one, right?  Is Diana going to have to kill again?  My guess is that the difference between this and her killing of Max Lord is that she will have more remorse this time.  That is, of course, if she really does kill someone.  Huh, maybe she’ll just kill Achilles.  I’d be okay with that.  Or Alkyone, too.

What I’m Digging Right Now:

I can’t just limit this to books.  I just…can’t.  It amazes me that even though I’m almost three years into reading comics, a character comes along—one who’s been around for a good, long time—that renews my interest and keeps this hobby new and exciting for me.  To make it easier on myself, I’ve split this up into characters and books.  Consider it a kind of Speeding Bullets segment, only this is the print edition.

Characters (in no particular order):

 Alura Zor-El

I absolutely loved the flashback in the latest issue of Supergirl #47 where some past moments of Alura and Zor’s are shown.  The fact that they came from different guilds is apparent in the way they think, and although it seems as if Zor-El had a lasting impact on Alura’s way of thinking, she still is doing the kind of thing that someone from the science guild would do. 

But at the same time, I can also really see the pain she is going through when trying to deal with the loss of her husband.  This last issue really shows that he was her moral compass, and she is lost without him.  I love getting these insights into her character.  I can’t say that I like her exactly, but at least I feel like I understand her better now.

Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

 Honestly, I know more about her from the Justice League Unlimited cartoon than I do from the actual comics.  But her recent appearances in Streets of Gotham (a two-issue arc with Man-Bat that I loved) and Batman #693 (am I allowed to start ‘shipping Dick and Helena?) really make me want to know more about her. 

I get that she’s not exactly traditional in her methods.  Hey, someone has to fit the ambiguous hero quota, right?  I want to see more of her.  I guess I should go back and read some Birds of Prey, huh?  But still, I’m totally on a Huntress kick right now.

Batgirl (Stephanie Brown)

This girl can be so messed up sometimes that you can’t help but love her.  She wants to make all the right decisions, but she’s doesn’t exactly have the best track record.  But before all is said and done, I think she’s going to be a great Batgirl. 

 I really need to keep an eye on this friendship between her and Barbara.  It’s not quite there yet, but I know it’s coming.

 Steph is encountering some very unique on-the-job training, and that’s what makes her so appealing to me.  She knows she’s made mistakes in the past, but instead of wallowing in them, she’s setting out to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

 Booster Gold

 Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this guy.  That scene in the last issue where he goes back to Ted’s funeral?  I wanted to cry.  Really, I did. 

 I think what gets me so much about Booster is knowing the kind of “hero” he started out being.  I remember reading 52 (in trade, and one of my first that wasn’t Superman) and thinking this guy was a huge tool.  I was relieved when I thought he was dead, because he annoyed me that much.  So when he redeemed himself and I saw how he changed, I was grateful.  I like him much better as Rip’s partner.  The story line that just completed about the death of the Teen Titans was great, and I’m glad that I decided to jump on board with this character.  He’s definitely worth it.

 Books

 Justice Society of America

Why am I just now starting to read this book?  Oh yeah, because I had to get over my “these are Golden Age heroes I know nothing about” complex.  I have to admit that the upcoming JSA-based Smallville movie played a big part in making me want to get familiar with the characters.  The fact that Freddie Williams II is drawing the new JSA All-Stars book didn’t hurt matters much, either.

But yeah, I started reading with this last arc that started.  And? Loving. It.  I now feel like an idiot for taking so long to start reading such a cool book. 

 Action Comics

 I really am on a Nightwing and Flamebird high right now.  I love the sleeper storyline and how it ties in to everything else that is going on in the Super-books right now.  Chris might not really be an adolescent anymore, but he still has this youthful exuberance about him that is very infectious, even if he currently looks like he’s 90 years old and circling the drain right about now. 

 I can’t say that I’m really in love with their new uniforms, but I do love that they have S-shield belts that they wear.  I bet Zod would be really pissed off if he saw Chris wearing that.  Wow, there’s just so many story possibilities with Chris and Thara that I don’t want to see them leave Action.  Hopefully they’ll stick around for a while.  I’m really growing attached to them. 

Detective Comics

 Uh…that first issue of Batwoman’s origin story?  I might have fainted with the realization of who Alice really is.  That issue was just so…gut wrenching.  But of course, I would expect nothing less from Greg Rucka.  He has this ability to always surprise me.

 I will admit that the first story arc had some confusing moments for me, but that first issue of the “Go!” arc cleared up everything.  And now, I find myself waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for the day the new issue comes out.  Kate and Renee’s first meeting.  I’m there.

As for the Question’s co-feature, I still don’t know that I’m sold on the new look for Renee that goes with Cully Hamner’s artwork.  I know that it’s just a personal preference, so I don’t judge the whole story on just the art.  The story is good, but I sometimes feel like it’s being glossed over for space’s sake.  If anything has become apparent with these co-features, I think it’s that they have to be written in a different way than a regular 22-page book.  I’ll hold out final judgment for when I see it in trade.  Maybe then the story will read better.

But I’m still in love with Detective Comics. 

Okay, so I hope this huge column (by my standards) makes up for being absent the last couple weeks.  Trust me, I wasn’t just being lazy or decide that I just didn’t have anything worthy of words. 

gutterlife@gmail.com

By Mandy Stegall

We have a guest writer this week!

I’m in the middle of finals this week, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to post the Origins and Omens recaps that Lantern Savage sent me. He wrote something up for all six of the books I wasn’t familiar with, so he wins the Rock Star Award. And consequently, he gets to claim the “prize money.”

Without further ado, on with the show…

Green Lantern #38:

While a few of the Origins and Omenseseses have already taken place in recent issues, the Green Lantern’s Omens have yet to actually take place.

First of all, we see what I can only assume is Katma Tui cuddling her zombie self up to John Stewart. We’ve seen Katma rise with the rest of the Black Lantern Corps, but we haven’t actually seen her meet up with Stewart just yet. Will John Stewart get to see his wife “die” for the third time? I’m figuring yes.

Hal Jordan and Sinestro back-to-back against a bunch of shadowy figures? How could this be!? Well, we saw the beginnings of an uneasy alliance between Hal and Sinestro in this War Of Light in the latest issue of Green Lantern (#45), and one can only assume they’ll be continuing their team-up as they battle the Black Lanterns.

Black Hand kneeling! OMG! He also has his palm on the ground, which could mean… just about anything. Maybe he’s catching his breath. Maybe he’s looking for a lost contact lens. Maybe he’s heralding the arrival of an undead army to destroy the universe. Take your pick.

The last image of interest is something I can’t explain at all. Alan Scott, a man in a Spectre-like green cloak with a Green Lantern symbol, and a dude with a goatee and cool blue threads are in magical-light handcuffs, with a few Guardians pointing at them. “It was you, Alan Scott! You ate all the cookies!” I’m fairly sure we haven’t seen this scene as of yet, and these Guardians are looking very much alive. It’s possible that two of them are Ganthet and Sayd, but who is the third? They appear to be bald. Could it be Scar? Surely not.

Green Lantern Corps #33:

Again, we have a mix of events passed and events yet to come.

At the top-left we have an image of the two Green Lanterns (whose names escape me right now) who went searching for the pieces of Anti-Monitor, and ended up sucking on the wrong end of a Black Lantern battery. Got a funny feeling we won’t be seeing those two guys alive any time soon.

Ka-boom! An unknown Lantern is knocked off his feet as a Green Lantern symbol explodes in front of him. Could that be the Green Lantern battery?

Next up is Kyle Rayner getting all kissy-faced with Soranik Natu, which we’ve seen already. But wait– that’s Jade in the background! She’s looking very much alive and in her normal costume, but I’m assuming this is a reference to the events we just saw in Green Lantern Corps #40… unless we’re yet to see Jade’s resurrection…

A smaller pic of Sodam Yat and Arisia seems to have them pitted against a bunch of Red Lanterns, or a bunch of Daxamites. Hard to tell, though Scar’s narration indicates “rage”.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the page, a war-damaged Kilowog meets with a Guardian. Possibly Ganthet?

Lastly, the creepiest part of this page is a horde of children wearing Sinestro Corps uniforms (but no visible rings), stepping over the bodies of what appear to be Green Lanterns Isamot and Iolande. That could also be Vath Sarn amongst the bodies, but they’re a few shades too purple. Are these Yellow Lanterns Kryb’s “children”?

The Outsiders #15:

I don’t think we’ve seen any of these take place yet, though some of them are generic enough that I may have just forgotten them.

Geo-Force and Black Lightning are throttling each other in the top-left corner. I think Black Lightning is trying to get Geo-Force to give back Batman’s utility belt.

Deathstoke has his mask pulled up and he’s shooting the hell out of everything.

Alfred is punching some poor blond guy in a jewellery (jewelry, for the Americans out there 😉 ) shop.

A whole lot of tiny Metamorphos are trying to jump in a brunette woman’s mouth, Army Of Darkness style.

Owlman’s being blasted by a big pink beam of light.

Yellow light is blasting out of Halo’s eyes.

The Creeper is covered in blood (why wouldn’t he be!).

Interestingly, the same Scar narration appears in both Green Lantern Corps and The Outsiders: “Something wicked this way comes. And the only thing that these primitive creatures will do is exactly what they have always done when darkness engulfs them… their souls will be torn by hope and fear… love and hate… and rage and solace, as they cling uselessly to the belief that justice and redemption will rule the day. They will fight and die in this war… and as foretold by the black… they will be consumed.”

I can’t place any of these events specifically in recent issues of The Outsiders. Maybe they’re yet to come…

Booster Gold #17:

Booster’s is another of the Origins And Omenses (Omenii?) where some of the images shown relate to things we’ve seen, and some we haven’t.

We have Booster taking off Black Beetle’s helmet, revealing his true identity, assumably. I’m sure we’ll be seeing this in the near future. The silhouette of Black Beetle has a particularly prominent nose and chin, so I’m wondering if this all but squashes my “Black Beetle is probably Booster Gold” theories…

A dinosaur! Rarr!

Aaaand the Teen Titans, featuring the classic versions of Kid Flash, Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven and Donna Troy. We got to see all these guys killed (and saved again) recently in the latest issues of Booster Gold.

Justice Society Of America #24:

There’s a few scenes here that I recognize, and a few characters that I don’t!

At the top of the page, Jay Garrick reaches for the Obsidian egg while Magog beats the crap out of Wildcat Jr. and Damage. Maybe this is a reference to Magog’s throw-down with Wildcat Sr., or maybe this is a scrap we haven’t seen yet?

Further down the page, Cyclone, Stargirl and Jakeem Thunder have a conversation at the Justice table, while the silhouettes of the rest of the JSA stand in the doorway. Looks like the shadowy figures of Hourman, Liberty Belle, Wildcat, Alan Scott, Dr. Mid-Nite, Citizen Steel or possibly Dr. Fate, and perhaps Judomaster. This is probably referencing our upcoming splitting of the JSA team.

Alan Scott fights a beardy man with some kind of power over vines or plants. Anyone recognize him? (It’s Brackbriar Thorn, so I’m told.)

Mr. Terrific lies in a pool of blood, after being stabbed in the back by the All-American Kid a few issues ago.

Mr. America, Wildcat and Judomaster do battle with a huge, grey, scaly, reptillian-lookin dude with a crimson hood, a huge sword, and cloven feet. Who in the world is that??? Either way, we haven’t seen him turn up recently in the JSA.

Vigilante #3:

I’ve been trying to keep up with Vigilante, but it always seems to drop to the bottom of the reading pile when there’s about six thousand issues of Blackest Night to read. The Origins And Omens section from this issue seems pretty straightforward looking back at it now… all except one image.

The two biggest images on the page are of Cyborg standing on Vigilante’s hand, and Wonder Girl holding Vigilante tied up in her lasso. It’s a tough page for ol’ Dorian. These two images reference, of course, the Deathtrap crossover between Vigilante, the Titans and the Teen Titans.

We see Vigilante unmasked (or is that unhelmeted?) with a crop of blonde hair. Vigilante would change his hair color (along with his face!) several issues later.

Vigilante shooting his guns! We would later see that in… every single issue of Vigilante.

The only image I don’t recognize here is a picture of Wonder Woman tied up with her own lasso. Uh… hold on… that’s not Wonder Woman, is it? Kinda looks like a skinny dude wearing a classic Wonder Woman costume. Or maybe an old lady. I definitely don’t remember any crossdressing Wonder Woman cosplayers in any recent issues of Vigilante… but I could be wrong!

Until next time…

I only have two O&O stories left, which I believe are Wonder Woman and Secret Six. Coincidence? Probably not. Regardless, things should be getting back to normal by that time and I can start reviewing books again on a more regular basis.

Origins and Omens: Oracle

Choosing to recap Oracle and Nightwing this week is interesting, mostly because the Origins and Omens stories were immediate predecessors to Battle for the Cowl.  In fact, the end of the Oracle O&O says, “To be continued in Oracle: The Cure #1.”  That right there should be a good indication of the events that were foreshadowed in those pages.

The Oracle O&O doesn’t have much left to surprise us with, especially if you read Battle for the Cowl, Oracle: The Cure, and are currently reading the new Batgirl series.  Oh, and let us not forget the end of the Birds of Prey series.  In fact, that’s what I got from the image of Black Canary’s backside—an indication that they would no longer be working together on a regular basis.  Other images are almost straight from the pages of The Cure, like the one of the dead and bloodied person at the computer and the weird creature that seems to be coming out of the computer.  Is that what Oracle’s friends saw right before they went to that online community in the sky?

The image that sticks with me the most though is the one of the Batgirl uniform on the bed with Barbara giving it a good long look.  Without spoiling too much of what is happening with our new Batgirl, Stephanie Brown, let’s just say that Barbara isn’t all that happy with Steph taking up the cowl.  I actually like the presence of Babs in this book, and I hope in the coming issues we see her take on the role of mentor like the Bryan Q. Miller has been showing up to this point.  It’s still very obvious that Babs misses those days, even though she was constantly in danger.  Her biggest beef with Steph is that she (Steph) is not trained up like she should be, and is therefore a danger to herself more than anything.  And no one is more qualified to train a Batgirl than the original Batgirl herself.

Origins and Omens: Nightwing

As I mentioned above, these O&O stories immediately preceded Battle for the Cowl, so it should be no surprise that Dick is not once shown in any uniform other than the one he wears as Nightwing.  There are, however, many references to his life post-Battle for the Cowl.  More on those in a minute.

I actually want to take a minute to talk about the Origins section of the story, which shows Dick taking Barbara skydiving for her birthday.  As a fairly new comics reader, I know they were once involved, but I’ve only ever seen allusions to it.  I have yet to read a book where they were still a couple (suggestions, anyone?) so seeing their easiness with each other was new to me.  I love that even though they aren’t together anymore, they’re still friends and don’t appear to harbor any ill will toward the other. 

I also loved that Barbara was still being the detective and trying to figure out where Dick was taking her.  Also loved that Dick wasn’t saying she was right, but instead tried to distract her and make comments about loving her sarcastic wit.  These are the types of characteristics that make me want to read them together more.

And if that last Omens page is any indication, they might be getting back together soon.  Maybe? Please.  I don’t know much about them as a couple, but maybe what broke them apart can be the same thing that brings them back together?  Again, please.

Dick training with someone younger than himself in the Batcave while a vile-looking woman watches…it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he’s with Damian and that Talia is the one watching.  Keeping tabs on Junior, is she?  Upset that he’s trouncing around as Robin?  Who knows.

Oh, and someone wearing a very Batman-like glove is holding a gun to Dick’s head.  I’ll take “Crazy Former Robins” for $500, Alex.

Scar has some very interesting commentary on those involved in Dick’s life in reference to Blackest Night as well.  “Something wicked this way comes.  And the only thing these primitive creatures will do is exactly what they have always done when darkness engulfs them.  Their souls will be torn by hope and fear, love and hate, and rage and solace.  As they cling uselessly to the belief that justice and redemption will rule the day.  They will fight and die in this war, and as foretold by the Black, they will be consumed.  By the light.” 

My translation of that, knowing what we know from Blackest Night so far, is that parts of them will die during the war (having to face down their dead loved ones has to leave a scar in some way), but they will ultimately be saved by the presence of light, as opposed to darkness.  They will overcome and survive to fight another day.  That’s what I think, at least.

Why am I only starting to read this book now?

So I managed to pick up the last few issues of Justice Society of America this weekend, starting with the arc started by the new creative team of Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges.  I ate up these issues.  Seriously.  I had been very reluctant to pick up this series for a couple reasons (that I’ll have to go into another time), but the announcement of a second book because of the dynamic of the characters was intriguing to me, especially since I did know that there was a mix of older and younger heroes within the team.  What would make the team split?  I was curious, so I decided to give it a shot.

I love Stargirl.  She could easily become one of my favorite characters, I think.  Geoff Johns just recently announced that Stargirl would be one of the JSA members in his Smallville episode, “Society.”  I immediately went to Wikipedia and read up on her, which in turn led me to read more about Atom Smasher, and so on and so on.

I now consider myself hooked on Justice Society of America.

Help, please?!?

Some of these Origins and Omens stories are from titles that I either aren’t currently reading or only recently started reading.  In these cases, I don’t feel completely comfortable dissecting these since I’m not entirely familiar with the storyline and the characters.  If you would like to help me make sure that this re-examination of Origins and Omens is complete, please e-mail me at gutterlife@gmail.com or leave a comment in the forums.

Here are the O & O stories I need help completing:

Booster Gold                                                  Justice Society of America

Green Lantern                                                 The Outsiders

Green Lantern Corps                                      Vigilante

Origins and Omens: Justice League of America

Oh, the Justice League.  So much drama.  While re-reading this Origins and Omens story on the DC website, it occurred to me that so much has happened with this franchise since these were originally published.  Dwayne McDuffie was ousted as the writer, and with it went the inclusion of the Milestone characters.  Funny how Icon was featured on the last page of this Omens story, making it look like he would play a major role in the direction of the League in the future.  Well, here it is six (now seven) months later, and we’ve seen him how many times?  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

I find it hard to put too much credence on this story simply because of the new direction the League is apparently going to be taking now that James Robinson and Mark Bagley are taking over the book.  The League that might have originally had Icon among its members is now going to have…wait for it, wait for it…Congorilla.

I do have to mention the bit regarding Red Arrow and Hawk-Girl.  Now that we all know what happens to Hawk-Man and Hawk-Girl, those couple pages have more weight.  Roy basically giving Kendra the shove off only pushed her toward Carter.  Way to go, Roy.  Kendra surely isn’t going to call now.  And if she does, she’ll just rip your heart out…literally.

 Supergirl

Once upon a time, I remember hearing about how horrible this book was, and how DC should just put the character out of her misery by canceling the book.  Now, it’s honestly one of my favorite books to read every month. 

 This Origins and Omens story doesn’t really offer any new insights months later, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Kara is still torn between two planets, and I don’t think that situation is going to be remedied any time soon, especially considering the big plans DC has for Superman in 2010.  I have no doubt that it’s not just Superman who is going to have a big year, but his whole family of characters. 
Seeing the Silver Banshee in that Omens page obviously alludes to something that’s coming down the pipes in the near future, as she is on the cover of December’s issue #48.  It’s hard to believe that Kara would have something going on outside the hunt for her father’s killer (with the exception of Superwoman, but that’s the next paragraph), but it looks like she’s not going to get much of a chance to rest.

 And as we learned during the Supergirl Annual, Lucy, a.k.a. Superwoman, isn’t quite dead.  In fact, it appears that she might have had a type of resurrection.  What intrigues me about the whole situation is that when she was discovered, some of General Lane’s men said that Gen. Lane would not be happy that she’s still alive.  What could that mean?  Could there be a rift between Lucy and her father, causing Lucy to change her allegiances?  Oh, that would be interesting.  I might even be able to get behind a story like that, simply because it’s just wrong for a bad guy (or gal) to be wearing the symbol of the House of El.  It’s just fundamentally wrong and it makes me cringe just thinking about it.

Lana’s sick.  We know this.  We might also be getting closer to knowing what exactly is wrong with her, but since her sickness isn’t a primary storyline, my guess is that we’ll have to wait for a couple more months.

 Oh, and it looks like Kara is kissing someone over on the right side of the page.  My only question:  Human or Kryptonian?

Wonder Woman #36

I just can’t go without mentioning this issue.  I honestly can’t think of another writer who would put Giganta and Diana sitting on the beach talking about their guy problems.  Okay, so maybe it was just Diana venting, but I still found it humorous. 

In fact, this issue was full of quotable quotes.  Alkyone stating, “This is a marriage of state only.  There will be NO physical congress.”  That one alone is great. 

And here’s the thing: Unlike some people, I don’t think this is the end for Diana and Nemesis.  Sure, it appears that their relationship is over.  And Tom certainly was not fond of Diana making assumptions about their future, but I think that by saying that they are done and will never revisit the possibility is doing these characters a disservice.  Tom’s last lines, after the end of “Lasso Vision,” have a bit of a double meaning.  “Everything will be fine.  Now that we are what we are.”  He made it very clear that he doesn’t feel like he belongs, but considering what being in “Lasso Vision” is like (Diana called it “the greatest intimacy two beings can ever know,” which likens it to Amazon sex), I can imagine that in time he might feel differently about Diana’s aspirations.  I mean, really, Polly is just too adorable for her not to show up again sometime in the future.  OH! I see a Booster Gold storyline lurking…

Help, please?!?

Some of these Origins and Omens stories are from titles that I either aren’t currently reading or only recently started reading.  In these cases, I don’t feel completely comfortable dissecting these since I’m not entirely familiar with the storyline and the characters.  If you would like to help me make sure that this re-examination of Origins and Omens is complete, please e-mail me at gutterlife@gmail.com or leave a comment in the forums.

Here are the O & O stories I need help completing:

Booster Gold                                                  Justice Society of America

Green Lantern                                                 The Outsiders

Green Lantern Corps                                      Vigilante

Superman: Secret Origin #1

I’ve been looking forward to this day ever since they announced this book.  Was it last summer in San Diego?  I can’t remember.

Regardless, it was worth the wait.  I’ve never seen pictures of Christopher Reeve as a child, but I’m pretty sure it looked a hell of a lot like Clark Kent.  The art of Gary Frank is amazing and is perfectly placed to tell this story.

One of the main criticisms I’ve heard about this miniseries (before it even hit the stands) is that Superman’s origins have been told numerous times and that doing it again would only muddy the waters even more.  After the first issue, I don’t think that is the case.  Geoff Johns smartly decided to pass on the parts of the story that have never been changed.  We all know that the ship landed in the path of Jonathan and Martha Kent as tiny Kal-El arrived as the sole survivor of a doomed planet.  We get it; it doesn’t need to be rehashed once again. 

I must say that I had a little chuckle when the name “Chloe S” showed up on Pete’s cast.  And as much as Smallville is chalked up to being something of an alternate universe when it comes to Superman’s origins, the presence of Chloe Sullivan—however tangential—proves just how much the show has affected Clark Kent’s childhood.  The scene where a young Clark Kent saves Lana from a tornado, the appearance of his heat vision and the reason it first appears, and even the appearance of the Kent barn and house are all very reminiscent of a certain origin show now entering its ninth season.

The final page, with Clark vowing never to wear the Superboy suit again, is of course a perfect place to end the first issue and lead into his adventures with the Legion of Super-Heroes.  I don’t know about anyone else, but this title is going to be at the top of my pile for the next five months.

Smallville Season Nine Premiere: “Savior”

So many things excite me about Smallville right now that I don’t even know where to start.  First of all, don’t think it should be overlooked that Tom Welling is now a co-executive producer on the show.  It might seem like a minor detail, but I think that he probably is—more than any other actor to play the Last Son of Krypton—very in tune with the character.  His new role has brought him out of his media-shy shell a little.  He made his Comic-Con debut this summer to a room full of screaming and extremely enthusiastic fans, and also gave a very interesting and engaging interview for TV Guide about his new role and the upcoming season.  This guy knows the character and will make sure that the origin is done right.

After seeing the premiere tonight, I am confident that this has the chance to be one of, if not the best, seasons ever.  Clark has started his training, he’s wearing the “S” on his chest (and let’s not worry about the fact that he’s not wearing the red and blue right now because we all have moments of rebellion), and it looks like he’s finally going to be getting together with Lois. 

How far in the future did Lois go?  Not as far as I thought, that’s for sure.  In fact, I was sure that they (the writers and producers) wouldn’t give us a specific time frame but instead divulge information like “this happened right after …” as opposed to saying she went one year in the future.  It was a very smart move on their part now that I think about it, though.  If in fact this is the last year of the show, they have a very nice way to wrap things up and send them out in style.  I won’t go in to too much detail right now, but those flashes of Lois’s future at the end of the show alone are enough to make me very happy.

And this new Clark?  Oh, wow.  He’s so determined.  He’s so confidant.  And he’s so…smitten and obsessed with Lois, which brings up another point.  Clark isn’t the only one who was questioning why he isn’t flying yet.  I’m pretty sure millions of fans have thought the same thing over the last eight seasons.  But we finally have an explanation, and it’s one that I buy 100 percent.  Why can’t he fly?  Because he still sees himself as a human, and humans can’t fly.  I buy that.  I really do. 

Callum Blue IS Zod.  End of story.  I can’t wait to see how his story plays out this season.

We have so much to look forward to this season.  I am, in particular, looking forward to Speedy showing up in the sixth episode this season, “Crossfire.”  Let’s also not forget the Wonder Twins, Roulette, Toyman, and I’m sure many others along the way.  Life is good for Smallville fans.

Next week…

More Origins and Omens.  And I still need some of those covered, so be sure to e-mail me at gutterlife@gmail.com or post a comment on the forums if you’d like to give a helping hand.

More Origins and Omens!

Sorry about skipping a week, but school work waits for no one.  Anyway, here’s the next installment of “Revisiting Origins and Omens,” in conjunction with the six-month anniversary of the stories appearing in DC titles as well as the upcoming one-year anniversary of this column.  This week: Teen Titans and Mon-El.

Teen Titans

At the time, the Teen Titans were trying to figure out the whole business with the Dark Side Club and bring it down.  Many of the heroes they might have looked to in order to fill some roster spots had since been subjected to the Arena and were found within the pages of the Terror Titans miniseries.

Regular readers of Teen Titans also knew that a great number of changes were going on with its membership, as was recapped in the Origins and Omens story.  Ravager went bye-bye.  Miss Martian went on sabbatical (which was later revealed to be an undercover infiltration of the Dark Side Club), and Robin flew the coop to take care of business back in Gotham.  Oh, and Red Devil wasn’t Red Devil anymore.  He was just Eddie.  And let’s not forget about Wendy and Marvin, especially since we’re still seeing the effects of that particular storyline.

I specifically passed on revisiting the Teen Titans Origins and Omens story last time because issue #74 hadn’t been released yet and there is a specific image I had a feeling was going to be brought to light.  And has fate would have it, our dear Eddie Bloomberg saved the world despite having no powers, thus proving that powers doth not the hero make.  Anyway, we knew this was coming, thanks to Scar.

Let’s see, what else did Scar see happening?  Um, a Kid Flash uniform?  I think we can all safely assume that Bart is on his way back to the Teen Titans very shortly.  Ravager beating down Wonder Girl? It’s no surprise that they don’t like each other.  I have no doubt that this will happen many times before they ever become BFFs.

So here’s what is still bothering me.  First of all, there’s an image of Wonder Girl kissing a Beetle.  But here’s the thing: I don’t see any Blue in that Beetle, which leads me to believe that she somehow becomes involved with the Black Beetle (and aren’t we supposed to find out who that is pretty soon in Booster Gold?).  And we also have a silhouette of a pregnant woman.  Somehow, I just don’t see it being Bombshell.

Mon-El

The month of Origins and Omens brought to the Superman title a monumental change.  For once, Superman wasn’t going to be appearing in his own title.  Instead, the character Mon-El would be taking the lead, along with the Guardian.  So once he was mysteriously cured of his lead poisoning, this brief back-up was important because it set up who Mon-El would be on Earth and what direction his life would take for the time Superman was gone.  And wouldn’t you know it, he went back to Smallville and talked to Ma Kent for advice.

They set up a nice identity for Mon here, having him go by the name Jonathan Kent and being from London.  Really, Jonathan Kent sounds British.  I never thought so when it belonged to the original JK, but when it comes to Mon and his identity, the name just seems to fit.   

As for the Omens page, we once again have some images that have already come to fruition and others that have yet to play out completely.  We know that Jonathan joins the Science Police, and that the Guardian is a…uh, guardian of his real identity.  The smack down between Atlas and Mon-El just recently happened, though I’m sure it’s not over.  I wonder about the bald man in the upper right corner.  Is that supposed to be John Henry Irons?

So far Mon-El and Sodom Yat have yet to meet, though Mon has been given some crystals by the Green Lantern that filled in some of the blanks about Daxam.  But the image given here is that there is going to be more than a little bit of a misunderstanding of some kind, so much so that they fight.  Hmm…I wonder. 

And of course, the one that finally seems to be starting is what I imagine is a relationship between Jonathan and Jamie Harper, formerly of Gotham City and niece to the original Jim Harper.  Jonathan and Jamie recently became partners in a plain clothes Science Police unit in the Superman Annual and the sparks were there.  Yeah, they are sooo going to get together.  Too bad that lead poisoning is going to come back and either kill him or force some kind of recreation of the Phantom Zone.  Or, could he just decide to go home to Daxam?

Help, please?!?

Some of these Origins and Omens stories are from titles that I either aren’t currently reading or only recently started reading.  In these cases, I don’t feel completely comfortable dissecting these since I’m not entirely familiar with the storyline and the characters.  If you would like to help me make sure that this re-examination of Origins and Omens is complete, please e-mail me at gutterlife@gmail.com or leave a comment in the forums.

Here are the O & O stories I need help completing:

Booster Gold                                                  Justice Society of America

Green Lantern                                                 The Outsiders

Green Lantern Corps                                      Vigilante

Thanks again for reading.  Don’t forget to ask questions or add anything I might have missed on the forum.

Revisiting Origins and Omens

Two things.  First, it’s been six months since DC went and gave us all these mysterious Origins and Omens stories with our good friend Scar as the narrator.  So, I thought it would be interesting to revisit a couple of them for the upcoming weeks and see how those images and stories that were foreshadowed have come to light, and which ones have yet to have meaning to us.  Second, we’re creeping up on the one year anniversary of Life in the Gutter and I figured I should do something special to commemorate the occasion.

This week, we look at the Origins and Omens stories of Black Canary and Brainiac.  (Note: Some of these stories are from books that I either don’t read or have only recently started reading.  I will list these at the end of this column, and if anyone would like to volunteer to write something up about the Origins and Omens found in that particular title I would love to feature it here so we can have a complete look at these stories.)

Black Canary

“A poet of the planet Gaia once wrote, ‘Love lift us up where we belong.’  The archer and the siren believe their love has lifted them up where they belong.  They are mistaken.”  Actually, three poets share the credit for the line.  Buffy Sainte Marie, Will Jennings, and Jack Nitzsche wrote the song “Up Where We Belong,” and it was sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.  Movie buffs will remember that it was the love theme from An Officer and a Gentleman.  But, that’s neither here nor there. 

The origins portion of the story takes us back to Dinah’s high school days, complete with black hair and absolutely no hints of the kick-ass kind of woman she’s going to turn out to be.  Personally, I think it’s a nice touch to show just how unsure she is of herself as a student in high school.  She doesn’t go out of the house when she has a zit, and she obsesses over being popular and whether or not a boy likes her.  And she talks.  A lot.  I mean, really.  If she kept her mouth shut for a minute, she probably would have noticed how much it was bothering her (presumably best) friend Sam that she was constantly obsessing over this one particular guy. 

Sam suggests that Dinah scream to get rid of her frustrations; his mom is a shrink and has her patients do it often to help them cope.  So Dinah screams, and what appears to be the first occurrence of Dinah’s sonic scream knocks Sam across the football field with its force.

The next visual we see is Dinah (with blond hair as Black Canary) knocking out a window with her sonic scream and an innocent bystander coming in contact with the sound.  The doctors tell the patient’s relative that he is deaf for the rest of his life, since the noise—whatever it was—damaged the hairs inside his ear to the point that implants are not even possible.  The patient, whose name is revealed to be Sean, is unable to hear what his brother and the doctor are talking about, as well as what the anchor on the news is saying.  But he sees a picture of Black Canary, and—presumably, with the help of closed captioning—discerns that she is the cause of his deafness.  The determined and downright pissed look on his face says it all.

Those of you following along at home know that the creepy dude with the blaster in the upper right of the omens page is this same person, now calling himself Discord.  His coming out party in Star City included killing his brother and shutting off all the sound in the city, among other equally bad acts that didn’t even get mentioned.

Another person we see (in the upper left) is the unbelievably cooky and delusional Cupid.  We know she has a thing for the Emerald Archer, and she goes to great lengths to show him just how much she “loves him,” including killing most of his rogues gallery, minus Merlyn.  Yeah, she just turned him into a vegetable.  Lovely girl, isn’t she?  Has she held a gun to his head yet while she kisses him?  We might see a redefinition of the term “shotgun wedding.”

As for the rest, we haven’t seen Speedy in a while, but artist Mike Norton told me at Chicago Comic-Con that she’s in issue #24, so whatever is going on with her will be coming up soon.  The rest of what we see if various instances of Ollie and Dinah being at odds with each other, which is something that’s been happening with increasing frequency.  

Brainiac

Oh, Lex.  Ye be the sculptor and we are the clay.  At least, that’s what he thought until Brainiac told him otherwise.  The story is simple and to the point.  General Lane is in possession of Brainiac and Lex has been given the task of unlocking the alien technology, which is appears he has.  Lex also believes himself to be in control of Brainiac, but the Brain InterActive Construct soon informs him otherwise and reveals its plans to Lex.

Okay, so Lex isn’t in control of Brainiac, but Scar tells us the Book of Black says there is someone Lex will have control over, but he is dead.  For once, Scar says, he questions the Book of Black.  And with good reason.  If the  large image of our beloved Superboy wasn’t a hint six months ago, I’m sure anyone who read Legion of 3 Worlds #4 is now deeply concerned for Conner and what role Lex will play in the new Adventure Comics series.

Help, anyone?

Below is a list of the Origins and Omens stories that I could use help with, either because I don’t read that title or only recently jumped on.  If you’d like to recap one of these for me, type it up and send it to gutterlife@gmail.com and I’ll include it in the upcoming weeks.

Booster Gold                                                  Justice Society of America

Green Lantern                                                 The Outsiders

Green Lantern Corps                                      Vigilante

Thanks again for reading and we’ll keep following up on these stories in the upcoming weeks.

 Once again, I have to disagree…

with Jim’s assessment that Chris Kent isn’t long for this world.  In their discussion of Action Comics 879, Jim mentioned—and Sean somewhat agreed—that they believed that Chris wouldn’t live very much longer because of the legend of Flamebird and Nightwing; that is, that one always sacrifices themselves for the other.

But I will refer you all back to the last pages of Action Comics Annual #12.  In those pages, the history of Flamebird and Nightwing, and their self-sacrificing tendencies, are revealed.  However, Greg Rucka made it a point to say that while other incarnations of these two have gone down that path, that the history for this incarnation has yet to be written.  Sure, it could all be a ruse, a red herring, if you will, but writers love to leave clues in their work.  They love to allude to future events in such a manner that readers forget about small and seemingly inconsequential words that are thrown in so that they resemble an afterthought.  To me, the fact that Rucka said that their path has yet to be written says that we shouldn’t immediately assume that one of them is going to die.  Sure, that might be exactly what happens, but I don’t think we should look at these characters as being around for the short term.

I do think we should consider that Chris Kent has some hard days ahead of him.  This rapid aging thing that he’s experiencing is painful and seems to happen very randomly.  Funny, but I also think that a decision made at the end of Supergirl #43 could be vital in helping determine what exactly is wrong with Chris. 

As a side note, I should mention that during the Superman panel at San Diego Comic Con this last weekend, a fan asked Greg Rucka if Nightwing and Flamebird would “hook up.”  Rucka responded by saying something to the effect of, “It’s Nightwing and Flamebird.  It’s not an issue of if, but when.”

Blackest Night

I have to say that one of the titles I’ve resisted picking up, for one reason or another, is Green Lantern.  I have, however, been second-guessing myself in the last couple months.  Even though I don’t read it, I have been making every attempt to keep up on what’s happening.  And it’s been slowly gaining my interest.  Then, I read Blackest Night #1. 

Wow.  Just…wow.  This whole “War of Light” thing is very intriguing, and it’s totally convinced me that I need to get caught up with the Green Lantern universe.  So, as my budget allows, I’ll be picking up trades and getting caught up, as well as starting to read Green Lantern on a regular basis.

And I have to say, I honestly felt very bad for Sean when I read the last pages of the first issue of Blackest Night.  Let’s hope that the whole reincarnation bit will work in their favor in the very near future.  The thought of Black Lantern Hawkman terrorizing the Atom doesn’t make my stomach sit very well.

Smallville News from Comic Con

Anyone who’s read this column on a regular basis knows how deep my love for Smallville goes.  I was really rewarded this weekend when Tom Welling finally attended one.  I wasn’t there, of course, but I was able to follow the panel on Newsarama, where it was announced that he is now a co-executive producer for the show.

But what was the biggest news of the panel, even when a pseudo-Superman suit made an appearance on the Season 9 preview trailer?  Geoff Johns is coming back to write another episode, people!!!  We don’t know what episode number it is yet, but we do know that it will be called “Society” and feature the Justice Society of America.  Let the speculation regarding which characters will show up begin.  Personally, I think Jay Garrick and Alan Scott are right up there as being givens.  The only potential problem with Alan Scott is that pesky movie about the other Green Lantern being announced, especially since it now has a star in Ryan Reynolds.

So tell me, people.  What other characters would you like to see in that “Society” episode?

My Comic Souvenir from Italy

I went to Italy specifically looking for one thing: a comic book that was Italian and written in the language.  Very early on, I found a Spirit trade in German (we were in Switzerland at the time), but I wanted to hold out for something that was unavailable in the United States.

In the Rome Airport (Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport) I found what I was looking for in what appears to be a graphic novel.  It’s in Italian, I’ve never heard of it before, and it’s somewhat disturbing in what I can gather from the artwork alone.  Chances are I will never fully understand what is going on in this book, but at least I have what I was looking for, even if I found it in the very last place we went before coming home.

Don’t Forget!!  Send me your picks for Image of the Week.  If you have a single image that stands out to you in this past week of comics, you can e-mail me at gutterlife@gmail.com or post a comment on the forums. 

Thanks for reading.