Bought/Thought September 30th, 2009

[CaptainCanada]

And another month has come and gone.

Green Lantern #46 - "Blackest Night" continues, as Hal and Indigo-1 go about gathering representatives of the various light groups, picking up Carol and Sinestro in this issue. Based on the tag for next issue, they're going after Atrocitus next (love to see how that works). The issue of Monguls' rivalry with Sinestro over the Corps is finally settled here, though I can't imagine how this plot would play to someone who wasn't reading Green Lantern Corps or hadn't kept track of developments there online, because Johns only made the briefest of mentions of this previously. So far he's done a good job of tying this book together with the main title without making it seem like too much has been lost, but I'll be interested to see how the next BN issue picks up on this one. Doug Mahnke continues to be a great fit for this title.

Thor #603 - wow, this book was verging on itself becoming a myth. Anyway, JMS's story closes in on its climax, as perhaps, finally, the plot requirements will permit Balder to not be a moron (if Bill ends up dying, Asgardians should erect a statue of him with the motto "I died for your stupidity"). There's very little Thor in this one; a single page, plus another of Donald, in a bit of the 'ol secret ID wacky hijinxs that I normally find annoying but JMS manages to make them palatable (Sif looks cute in her disguise, anyway). Doom and Loki are up to their usual eeevil shenanigans, and Bill stumbles across the truth (for whatever reason, Kelda feels compelled to stay behind looking wistful rather than actually accompany him). Fantastic art from Marko Djurdjevic.

Wonder Woman #36 - also feels like a while since we had one of these, but then, this is a five-week month. After the detour to Japan with Black Canary, we return to the series' ongoing plot arc, as Achilles sets up a state-marriage with Alkyone and goes about his job of ending war. Diana spends most of the issue talking with Giganta, of all people, and then getting sent by her new boss, Pele, to intercept Achilles. Based on Pele's behaviour here, I'm assuming she made Diana promise to kill Achilles and retrieve her father's heart, or else procure Zeus's (I can't see how she'd manage that, but then, she apparently thinks she killed Ares with an axe to the head). I'll be glad to see the back of the whole Diana/Tom thing, if this really is the end; for all Simone's work, she could never make me forget how this whole thing began (and it's terrible nadir).

X-Force #19 - in which the real spotlight is unexpectedly ceded to Agent Morales, the SHIELD/now-HAMMER agent who's been following the X-23 case since, like, the first issue of this series. Now that X-23 has finally been caught, only to be delivered to the Facility, her old bosses, by moles inside HAMMER, Morales turns down their offer-you-can't-refuse and helps X-23 escape her tormentor, Kimura. Kimura cut off Laura's arm last issue, and so Laura spends the whole issue carrying it around; if this was a different kind of series, I could see a lot more black comedy being milked from this. Elsewhere, Selene's plot continues, and damn I wish Choi and Oback were handling the art on "Necrosha", because they are so much better than Crain it's not even funny. On another note, this whole Rahne/Hrimhari thing really, really needs to start going somewhere.

[hippie_hunter]

After reading Gotham City Sirens, I've come to the conclusion that Paul Dini does not read any other Batman books than his own. The writing is good and all, I love his characterizations of Harley Quinn, Hush, and Catwoman, but seriously this man needs to get on board with the other Batman books and learn some consistency.

1. The Joker is the most blatant example of Dini's separation from the other Bat-titles. When reading this, I felt like reading the DCAU Joker, a character that I love, but is entirely inappropriate in the comics. The DCU Joker is no longer the Clown Prince of Crime that the DCAU Joker is, a sick ****er in his own right, but the DCU Joker is the Morrison/Nolan styled Avatar of Chaos. Not only that but THE JOKER KNOWS THAT BRUCE WAYNE IS BATMAN!!!! why does he not know here? I also feel that with the way Morrison wrote the Joker in Batman R.I.P., that he should not make another appearance in the DC Universe until Bruce Wayne returns.

2. This is something that all Bat-writers have been ignoring lately but Dick is not Bruce Wayne's ward anymore. Bruce Wayne legally adopted Dick Grayson in Batman: Gotham Knights #21 in 2001. Bruce also formally adopted Cassandra Cain in Batgirl #6 last freaking year! And lets not forget that Jason Todd was formally adopted when Bruce took him in and that Damien was essentially revealed not even a month ago. Hey Paul, Bruce has five kids, not one plus a ward and a secret love child.

[kguillou]

Oh wow, Joker's back already? Ever since R.I.P. I kinda thought Morrison was the only one allowed to use the character, but hey its Paul Dini i'm not complaining.

[hippie_hunter]

I hate Dini's comic book Joker. He just writes the DCAU Joker instead of the actual Joker.

[kguillou]

Was he at least consistent with Joker's new look? You know with the bullet hole in his forehead and all?

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by kguillou

Was he at least consistent with Joker's new look? You know with the bullet hole in his forehead and all?

Nope. Not at all. Dini is completely ignoring Morrison's take on the Joker.

[Upset Spideyfan]

Marvel Zombies Return #5

Wow, so I guess this is the end of the Marvel Zombies?

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

The Zombies are all finally defeated and the spread of the virus seems to have been contained within a time loop thanks to The Watcher.

A fun issue and it was nice that

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Spider-Man finally got the redemption he was hoping for.

[Keyser Soze]

In Dini's defense, I don't think it's so much a case of Dini ignoring the interpretation of Joker in the rest of the DCU, as it is that Morrison has a radically different interpretation of The Joker that's all his own.

[Upset Spideyfan]

Yeah, seriously.

I don't want that thing to be the Joker.

[fifthfiend]

All characterizations of the Joker are consistent because the Joker is CRAZY.

[TheCorpulent1]

Thor #603: Hey, another issue of Thor that has almost nothing to do with Thor. Fun. Other than that and the fact that these issues are now coming so few and far between that it's literally impossible for any one of them to provide an even remotely satisfying read, this was a decent issue.

The Warriors Three are in fine form, as always. The fat jokes are getting a little tiresome through overuse at this point, but the Warriors Three and, unexpectedly, Don Blake provide a welcome bit of levity amidst the very dark and ominous dealings that take up the majority of the issue. Sif is also unusually chipper. I guess at some point she learned to leave her boundless contempt for humanity, as illustrated in stuff like Thor: I, Whom the Gods Would Destroy, behind. Or maybe she's just happy enough to be with Thor again that she's willing to put up with them as a necessary evil.

Bill does his hero thing and winds up getting screwed, which I am thankful for; as much as I enjoy Bill's human perspective on everything going on in Latveria, it really is pretty much a suicide mission for a non-superhero mortal to go up against Loki, Doom, and corrupt Asgardians. Doom's benefit from basically allowing the Asgardians to crash in his country is finally revealed, and it makes sense and is interesting. I am very much ready for JMS' Machiavellian intrigues to be over and for Thor to drift back to more of a traditional superhero comic, though. Or at least a comic where Thor actually gets to be the star rather than a minor supporting character.

The art's by Djurdjevic, so it's good. As CaptainCanada noted, Sif does look totally adorable in her disguise. Everyone else looks good as well, although the Warriors Three seem a little short in their encounter with the omelet-loving humans. I still get kind of a cramped feeling from a lot of Djurdjevic's panels, but maybe that's just in contrast to Coipel's very spacious and (for lack of a better term) "widescreen" style.

[Keyser Soze]

Originally Posted by TheCorpulent1

I am very much ready for JMS' Machiavellian intrigues to be over and for Thor to drift back to more of a traditional superhero comic, though. Or at least a comic where Thor actually gets to be the star rather than a minor supporting character.

I think the slowboil plotting for Thor has been great in theory, but it just doesn't work when it's on a book that only comes out like 4 times a year. If Captain America had been running on that kind of schedule since the relaunch, I doubt Ed Brubaker would have been getting as much praise for his longform plotting.

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

In Dini's defense, I don't think it's so much a case of Dini ignoring the interpretation of Joker in the rest of the DCU, as it is that Morrison has a radically different interpretation of The Joker that's all his own.

Dini is outright ignoring that the Joker cut a smile onto his face, got shot in the head, and knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

And considering that this is the Joker's most recent appearance in current continuity since Batman R.I.P., it makes no sense that these things are lacking. And considering that Morrison is in charge, DC would most likely consider the Joker to be the Morrison version for the time being until someone else takes over.

[Keyser Soze]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

Dini is outright ignoring that the Joker cut a smile onto his face, got shot in the head, and knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

And considering that this is the Joker's most recent appearance in current continuity since Batman R.I.P., it makes no sense that these things are lacking. And considering that Morrison is in charge, DC would most likely consider the Joker to be the Morrison version for the time being until someone else takes over.

Does The Joker definitively know Bruce Wayne is Batman? I can't recall that part, but maybe I just forgot it.

Besides, I don't think The Joker knowing Bruce Wayne is Batman is anything new. It's been hinted many a time that The Joker knows, but doesn't care. The most striking example to me was in A Death in the Family, where Joker and Bruce Wayne share this silent moment of mutual awareness.

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

Does The Joker definitively know Bruce Wayne is Batman? I can't recall that part, but maybe I just forgot it.

Besides, I don't think The Joker knowing Bruce Wayne is Batman is anything new. It's been hinted many a time that The Joker knows, but doesn't care. The most striking example to me was in A Death in the Family, where Joker and Bruce Wayne share this silent moment of mutual awareness.

In Batman R.I.P. he pulls his mask off right in front of the Joker.

[Keyser Soze]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

In Batman R.I.P. he pulls his mask off right in front of the Joker.

I can't remember that bit at all. I guess I'm due a reread.

[CaptainCanada]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

Dini is outright ignoring that the Joker cut a smile onto his face, got shot in the head, and knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

And considering that this is the Joker's most recent appearance in current continuity since Batman R.I.P., it makes no sense that these things are lacking. And considering that Morrison is in charge, DC would most likely consider the Joker to be the Morrison version for the time being until someone else takes over.

I recall a few years ago that this came up at a con, and one of the editors said basically that Morrison's Joker was a sort of experimental thing he was working with that they didn't expect anyone else to use.

[hippie_hunter]

Hell with that. At the very least Dini should have had the Joker know that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and the same. As a matter in fact, I really like the Morrison/Nolan style of Joker being some kind of avatar of chaos instead of the Clown Prince of Crime.

[Upset Spideyfan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCanada

I recall a few years ago that this came up at a con, and one of the editors said basically that Morrison's Joker was a sort of experimental thing he was working with that they didn't expect anyone else to use.

Thank God.

[hippie_hunter]

Morrison's Joker is freaking awesome.

[JustABill]

****. Forgot to pick up Green Lantern.

[Upset Spideyfan]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

Morrison's Joker is freaking awesome.

He was a bit too much for me.

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by Upset Spideyfan

He was a bit too much for me.

I like the Joker being some sick demented chaotic freak. He's a personification of evil unlike the other major adversaries in the DC universe like Lex Luthor, General Zod, Captain Cold, and Sinestro.

[Upset Spideyfan]

We'll have to agree to disagree, I guess...


So **** you.

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by Upset Spideyfan

We'll have to agree to disagree, I guess...


So **** you.

No **** you