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.

Why some Smallville fans want to see the show in line with DC Continuity (my opinion)

In response to the discussion that Jim and Sean had in Episode 148 during their “Legion” discussion, I wanted to give my opinion on why a fan might want to see Smallville fall in line with DC continuity. I’ve talked about this in reference to Chloe (in my October 12, 2008 blog post) and how she could possibly fit into the DC Universe without compromising the character that has been solidified on the show.

My solution was simple: make Smallville a part of the DC Multiverse, allowing the introduction of original characters and recognition of the events that have sometimes stumped long-time comic book fans that could not get past the changes made by the show’s creative team simply because “that wasn’t how it really happened.”

And Sean honestly asked a good question. Why does Smallville need to be part of continuity as opposed to being considered its own work?

Let me try to answer this question the best way I know how, as someone who has watched the show from the very beginning. One of the best proponents of the show has been the re-imagining of the Superman mythology for a new generation. They introduced Clark Kent and Lex Luthor as friends, created the characters of Chloe Sullivan and Lionel Luthor—two characters who were at times more popular than some of the more established and storied characters on the show—and asked quite a few of those “what if” questions. And isn’t that the basis for the Multiverse in the first place?

It seems to me that people either like Smallville or they don’t. Those who don’t most often cite reasons like “it’s not supposed to happen that way” and “the real Clark Kent would never do that.” Exactly. As part of the Multiverse, the changes in events and the changes in Clark Kent’s (and others’) characters can be justified. It’s not like there’s not any room at the Inn.

Trust me, I would still like to see Smallville used as a jumping off point for a new movie franchise, though the reasons are completely different (the thought of Tom Welling in tights is plenty reason for me). But at the same time, movies aren’t the same as having a connection with the source material and having a hand in creating that source material. In a way, including Smallville in the Multiverse creates a sense of justification for all the people who stuck with the show for however many seasons it ends up lasting. It says that we’re thinking outside the box and coming up with new possibilities for stories. And when it comes down to it, using the show as a jumping off point for the new movie franchise can only create so many stories. Including it in the Multiverse though, would open up a whole new realm of possibilities for stories, especially since the show’s producers have taken to introducing so many new characters from the DC universe in recent years. They might not be able to swing getting a young Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan, or Princess Diana on the show right now because of movie rights and other legal issues, but that wouldn’t be a problem if the Smallville universe was a bona fide part of the Multiverse.

Agree? Disagree? Have Comments or Questions?

By Mandy Stegall

Timestamp: Monday, January 12, 2009, 7:04 p.m.

I have a real purpose for making sure everyone knows when I’m writing this entry. A short time ago, I saw the preview on Newsarama.com for Final Crisis #6. And now all I can think is…wow, if that’s the first five pages, I’m genuinely stoked for what the rest of the issue holds. And even as I finished reading the preview, I tried in vain to click to the next page, knowing that I could click it all I wanted but would not get to see the next pages until the blessed comic book arrived in my mail box, hopefully by Friday. Let’s just hope that I have it by the time you read this, and that I haven’t lost hope and started searching around the Internet for spoilers on what happened. Yes, it has me that excited.

It’s all about the Legion right now, isn’t it?

That part about the stars aligning for Jimmy Olsen back in October was a coincidence, right? Well, it looks like it’s happened again. We just experienced the amazingness that is Geoff Johns’ “Legion” episode (no, it hasn’t actually aired at the time that I’m writing this, but come on…it’s Geoff Freaking Johns), the final issue of The Legion of Super-Heroes (issue #50) hits newsstands in a couple weeks, Adventure Comics, starring the Legion, will be dropping soon…I think you get the point.

It’s interesting to me that a team book is losing its title, but gets this kind of a push. The “Legion” episode, the re-booting of Adventure—we can even talk about Legion of 3 Worlds and all the recent appearances in Action Comics if we wanted.

Personally, I like all these pushes DC seems to be giving to its properties and how they’re stretching it beyond the comic books themselves. Even before the Smallville episode airs, there is talk about a possible Legion live-action spin-off series, which would fit in nicely should this truly be the last season of Smallville.

A Call for Suggestions

Anyone who has been reading this column from the beginning, or has at least read the introduction, knows that my love affair with comics is fairly new. Most of the trades I have are of fairly recent story arcs, with the exception of some Superman trades from around the time of Y2K.

So here’s my call: Suggest some reading to me. What are some of the definitive trades or collected editions in the DC Universe? Please, suggest anything and everything. I’m ready to broaden my horizons.

You can e-mail your suggestions, comments, or questions to me at gutterlife@gmail.com

Thanks again for reading.

If I could go on a Tangent for a moment…

More specifically, let’s talk about Tangent: Superman’s Reign. When this maxi-series started earlier this year, I picked it up on a whim. I had no prior knowledge of the Tangent Universe and what it was all about. I had just started reading monthlies, and frankly the reason I was drawn to it was because Superman’s name was on it.

But I picked it up, not sure what to expect. I was more than a little thrown to see the Tangent version of the Flash, wearing a pink suit with a yellow sunburst on the front, as well as names like Lori Lemaris and Harvey Dent.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this series has been seeing the back-up story, or the “History Lesson,” as it has been called, told by a seemingly unassuming techie by the name of Guy Gardner. Honestly, I don’t even want to call it a back-up story, because it’s been just as pleasurable as the main story. And for someone who began the series with absolutely no knowledge of the Tangent Universe, the second story in the book was vital to my understanding of the Universe as a whole.

The Tangent counterparts of the New Earth heroes (and, in some cases, villains) has been a great break for me from the DCU. Wait, I think Jim would call this book a “palate cleanser.” Sure, it’s serious and has some trans-universe implications, but it does take place outside the actual continuity of the DCU, and therefore is a nice book to read right after a heavy book such as Final Crisis.

I don’t know that I will actively search out past stories in the Tangent Universe, but this is definitely a case where I took a chance on a book that I had absolutely no prior knowledge about and it has paid off for me in the long run. I look forward to reading The Superman’s Reign every month, and from the way events are starting to fall into place, it appears as if I will be left very satisfied.

Inspired by comments in Episode 144

Sean and Jim had some interesting comments that caught my attention during their conversation about Renee’s part in Final Crisis: Revelations. I liked seeing her being brought in as possibly being involved with a team during issue #4. But instead of having her in the type of book you suggested (a spy, espionage-type book), I wonder how she might possibly fit in as a part of the new Justice League group being formed by James Robinson. My understanding of the book at this point is that this Justice League, headed by Hal Jordan, is intended to be more of a pro-active group. And now that we see that Renee has fully embraced her role as the Question and is working so hard in Revelations to help fix the situation, I can see her accepting a situation once again where she is dependent to certain degrees on a team once again. Doing so would mark a period of closure and healing for her character, since she has been burned so much in the past when she has put her trust in others.

And plus, any way we can see her character on a monthly basis would be a good thing. I’m still holding out for a solo series, but I would settle for Renee’s Question on a team.

New Format

One of the hardest parts of doing this blog once a week, (or so) is that I sometimes have a hard time picking just one topic to write about on here. And when I can’t narrow it down, I tend to put off writing anything at all. So to keep that from happening, I’m going to attempt writing about two or three topics a week. Sure, it might mean that you see me write about Smallville more often, but at least it will be shorter in length.

And if anyone ever has any questions, comments, or just wants to hear (or in this case, read) my opinions on a certain book, you can email me at gutterlife@gmail.com.

By Mandy Stegall