Dec. 20 Comic RoundUp + Special Bonus DVD Edition

posted by JediSheltie @ 11:38 PM

Couple of Simone selections, plus an ultra special non-comic review in a comic column. Just taste the editorial goodness.

Birds of Prey #101

Not entirely certain why I started picking up Birds of Prey, but I started in the mid-#90's somewhere and kept going. I think it may have been because Simone was doing a run on a Superman title pre Infinite Crisis and I liked that, so I thought I'd give BoP a whirl. Glad I did, actually. Though I've never been a huge Black Canary fan (remember Morrison's league is my favorite), or really a huge fan of any of the individual team characters, the combination has been highly entertaining.

With issue 100, I didn't have to worry about Canary anymore, anyway, as it ushered her out and ushered in the new, rotating roster Birds of Prey. I'll say I'm for the idea, but I'm aware I had just started, and wasn't particularly married to the current team. I suppose there are some long time fans out there screaming bloody murder. Change, after all, is not received well in comics. By way of analogy that few will understand, when I say I'm a “Mike” fan, not a “Joel” fan, that's mostly because I started watching when Mike was hosting.

The first “flavor of the arc” guest stars include Big Barda, Judomaster, and Manhunter. Joining them are series mainstays Huntress and Lady Blackhawk. Their mission is ostensibly to secure the release of the daughter of a drug kingpin from a south-of-the-border prison. Towards the end of this issue we learn that was primarily a distraction, but one that catches the notice of more than just the local guards. A new Spy Smasher is on duty, and she's here to protect us from terrorist threats, foreign and domestic. Oracle and the Birds have just made the list. Oracle and Spy Smasher are shown to have some history, making her determination to take the Birds down just as personal as is it professional.

Nicola Scott's pencils are good with figures, though they're not exactly crackerjack with F-16's. That's a highly personal nitpick on my part, so you may feel free to completely disregard it. Overall the art is good, though I kind of liked seeing Barda in “civvies” last issue. She apparently packed that chainmail suit in her luggage this issue. Simon's script is entertaining, and at one point clearly spells out the absurdity of Barda's weapon naming choices.

With the rotating roster and arc based story telling, it's a good time to get on board. Simone has claimed she intends to work all the individuals on the cover of #100 into future arcs. Supergirl may be on the way then, sooner or later. The change up should keep things fresh, and allow some lesser used characters to get some exposure.

Secret Six #6

You know, when I was looking at the stack for the 20th, I picked these two and didn't realize until just now they were both Gail Simone books. So be it, I like the work.

I'll be the first to admit, I came to the Infinite Crisis party a little late, and, while scrambling to catch up, I decided to skip a lot of the lead-ups, including Villains United. Basically ended up trying to scrape together the OMAC lead-in, since that tied into the Sacrifice storyline most directly. That not withstanding, I decided to pick up that which seemed most interesting in terms of the mini's leading out of Infinite Crisis.

Of them all, only Secret Six seemed of passing interest. Sure, I was liking Simone's work, of course, but, yeah, I'll cop to the fact that it was Knockout and the revelation she had, to be really oblique about it... switched teams. This is primarily because I was reading Superboy back when she was introduced, so many years before, shortly after the Reign of the Supermen arc that created the spin-off.

If you told me, almost 15 years later, that Superboy would be dead and Knockout would still have “relevance” in the DCU, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Yes, I can still remember enjoying that first Superboy arc, and kind of rooting for Knockout to follow in Barda's footsteps and become a heroine. This Female Fury didn't fall quite so far from the tree, though.

So, having her turn up in a “neutral,” “guns for hire” kind of organization is the best we can do, apparently. The Secret Six aren't good guys, and claim not to be bad guys, merely “self interested guys.” Sure, if you're keeping score, I'd have to say most of the ledger for this arc falls on the “bad” side, but, when you're in a “villain vs villain” scenario, the calculus gets a little thrown off. Over the course of this arc they've had to deal with the grudge borne against them by Luthor's Society for their betrayal, as well as their ultimate threat, Vandal Savage. Vandal wants his daughter, team member Scandal, to give him an heir. Which is a bit of a problem for Scandal.

See... Knockout and Scandal are... on the same team. Got it?

What should be a kind of “Yeah, dad, about that...” moment in most families ends up being a rather bloody affair when immortal supervillains are involved. Scandal manages to “kill” her father with the help of the Six and ride off into the sunset, one member short. Granted, though it's arguable most deaths in comics isn't all that “permanent,” that must certainly be the case when the guy you killed was supposed to be immortal. No doubt, should the Six get their own monthly, he will probably return to plague them.

Perhaps, like Birds of Prey, Simone will have a revolving slot for the sixth team member. That being said, haven't seen anything to indicate that will happen. I'd keep going if it was. Having a good “villain” book helps clear the palate after spending most of the month keeping up with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman (certain months, at least), and Green Lantern. Remember, they're not “technically” bad guys... right?

Special Bonus DVD Section: Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Well, it's based on a comic, and I didn't care to feel the pressure of a full on “review.” So I'll toss out my thoughts on this here. First off, thanks to our host for the gift of the DVD, which I will gratefully repay in the form of content generation.

I have problems with this movie, and they grow as I get older and a bit more set in my ways. My problems with this movie aren't really Donner's fault, it's more an issue with the scripting and characterization of Superman. The more I dissect it, the less I like it. Donner's cut didn't really do anything to change any of this. Though there is less dumbassery with Kryptonian powers, that's always a plus.

My main issue with his directorial choices in this cut is the removal of the “good part” of the theme when Superman returns to the Daily Planet after regaining his powers. That was one of my favorite parts of the film, primarily due to the use of the theme, and he took it away.

As for some of the other changes, Tygrrius's preference for the new “revelation” sequence baffles me. Neither are very good, but there's so many glaring holes in the scenario Donner used that it literally made my jaw drop. It also makes this Superman look like a complete idiot.

Also, the addition of the Jor-El sequence to explain how Superman got his powers back didn't move me much. This comes down to my issues with how the character is presented in the film, though, nothing more. The whole “you have to be human to boink a human” device just doesn't work for me anymore. The slavish devotion to what is essentially a holographic simulation of his father seems completely irrational. “Touching?” Perhaps, but I much prefer the more “well adjusted” Clark Kent of the of the comics.

Fortunately Johns addressed the “simulated” nature of Jor-El in one of his interviews, regarding their decision to bring back the giant floating head for the Action comic's run. Clark will take his advice with that in mind.

Not even going to bother complaining about the ending.