Saturday, March 29, 2008

Things That Made Me Happy...

in my comics this week.

  • Miss Cosmos. I tell you, Palmiotti and Grey know how to make crazy fun comics, whether is the wackiness of Freedom Fighters or the gallows humor of Jonah Hex.
  • A happy ending for Buddy Baker.
  • The JLI reunion in Blue Beetle was a thing of beauty (particularly Guy's theory about it).
  • Kid Devil in bondage! Could have done without the blood, though.
  • Okay, so now that I've read that Eclipso story again, I'm positive: The Phantom Stranger totally did Madame Xanadu.
  • Young Jack Jordan made me laugh.
  • Happy Terrill became one of my favorite characters in the DCU in just one issue.
  • I swear to god I thought Hal was about to become a male prostitute... .
  • "Okay, lady, that kind of crazy talk automatically makes you the enemy."
  • Rampaging multi-headed monsters attacking the Pentagon.
  • So that's what Khaji Da means; simple, but clever.
  • Adam Strange finally told the Rannies that they stink.
  • Hal Jordan fighting John Stewart; nice one.
  • Paco's Heat of the Moment; zowie!
  • Jim Shooter is really good; read the Legion.
  • "Housekeeper!" B5 is a funny guy.
  • Well, I see the "Gothcorp" origin story is now cannon.
  • Hi, I'm Lightning Lad, for Maxwell House!
  • Jaime Reyes continued to be adorably awesome this month.
  • Okay, props to Grant Morrison for the purpose to which he put the "sickly infant universe of Qwewq". Yep; "this is going to change everything."
  • Lex Luthor's reading matter.
  • Wait; so, he just saved the Earth by ... mailing Batman a letter? Excellent.
  • "There's no blood on hands; I licked them clean." Eclipso is a funny guy.

17 comments:

SallyP said...

Between All-Star Superman, Blue Beetle and Green Lantern, this was an AMAZING week. And I think that you are right on the money about the Phantom Stranger.

Gus Casals said...

Blue Beetle was just perfect, mixing the new, the old, adventure, romance, humor. Paco and Brenda killed me, Jaime is hands down DC's current best heroic character.

And Legion... finally clicked for me. I've been reading on and off since forever, but nothing made me feel "legion-like" since before Zero Hour. This issue did.

And you already turned me into Beetle and Atom, and come back to Nightwing, but I will continue to refuse to pick up GL. ( Sorry Sally )

Jacob T. Levy said...

I don't get all the love for the Shooter Legion. It's got none of the fun of either the reboot years or the threeboot/ WKRP stuff that preceded it; it's kind of angry and unpleasant without the real darkness of either 5 years later or Legion Lost. It feels betwixt and between to me, and I don't much like any of the characters-- something that's *never* been true for me in a Legion book before. I'm close to dropping it-- and I've rarely been without a monthly Legion book in my adult life...

Rob Pugh said...

Really dug GL this week, but at what point will Johns [or any DC writer] understand that you can't enlist at 18 and fly jets. Pilots need that college degree... The recruiter would've sent him packing, or, more likely, got Hal Jordan riding a computer. Got to be chalked up to "Well, in the DCU it's different..." cause on our Earth...

Same with if Jordan got bounced from the USAF for striking a superior officer or joy-riding [logistically - "borrowing a plane" - not gonna happen], he would've pulled an OTH or General Discharge, and would've prob done brig time as well. So coming back years later to fly again, nope.

Ah well, the price of too much military knowledge. Still really dug the issue.

And hands down, Blue Beetle was book of the week. Just awesome.

Anonymous said...

Scipio,

I love your weekly "Things I loved," I actually look forward to it each Friday. So great job and somebody at DC should give you a job marketing their books.

Having said that would you mind putting the comic you are referencing beside each point? It makes my pull list easier, and might help other too!

But still great weekly post, please keep it up!

Anonymous said...

So I finally listened and picked up "Blue Beetle" for the first time -- a nice read, though probably next month would make for a better jumping-on point. But I've nonetheless jumped on so I'll have to deal with it.

The parts with the JLI didn't do much for me, but Jamie mailing a letter was a beautiful touch (even if I didn't get the full impact of it, since I haven't seen previous issues where BB's apparent inability to send a covert message was presumably driven home). But even adorablier awesomer was how Jamie set the password to things a teenager might think about: locker combination, SSN, and sister's birthday. I think I see the appeal.

Anyway, given that I'm not going to buy every back issue (at least not yet), where was the most recent good jumping-on point?

Anonymous said...

I swear to god I thought Hal was about to become a male prostitute...

I, uh, I think I missed that. ...Context? Please?

mando said...

between miss cosmos and the new neon, i think i've fallen madly in love with uncle sam and the freedom fighters. i just wish joan would mention lyta ...

i have to admit, i started reading blue beetle because of you, scip, and it's now one of my favorite books. sure, i fight about it with my brother-in-law, who grew up in el paso, but it's still a great book, and jaime is probably the best teen hero in the dcu right now.

um, yeah. i totally thought hal was becoming a male prostitute, as well.

Scipio said...

Ahayweh,

We're referring to the page in GL where a teenage Hal Jordan. having run away from home sits sniffling on a lonely street corner, and an older man offers to help him... .

SallyP said...

You have to admit that if Hal's career had taken...um...THAT turn, he'd have been sensational at it.

Heh.

Scipio said...

Calling himself not "Green Lantern" but "Red Light", no doubt.

Dave said...

Happy Terrill was awesome this month. Though what's up with the glowing Wonder Man costume and red gloves?

Teen Titans was good this week though noticeably bloody throughout.

Where did Wonder Girl get that secret -secret identity from? Drusilla? Reminds me of evil woman in 101 Dalmatians.

This story arc in JSA:C is great. Hasn't been this good since Johns's Power Girl story. Gorgeous artwork by Ramon Perez.

David page said...

I am liking this new Clock king hes like a funky mix of the btas clock king and the sewer king with a little of the mad mod from teen titans (cartoon)

Scipio said...

"Where did Wonder Girl get that secret -secret identity from? Drusilla? "

It's a reference to the tv show, where Wonder Girl's name was Drusilla.

Anonymous said...

David- I believe Drusilla was Wonder Girl's name on the Wonder Woman television series.

As for this week? Well, it didn't make me happy but all I can say is that Una is quite a dish ;)

-Citizen Scribbler

Dave said...

Well, you learn something new every day. Very interesting. Thanks guys.

Diabolu Frank said...

* If Hal Jordan fought John Stewart again, the latter damned well better have won. He is, was, and should ever be Hal's owner. If not, I'll have to track Geoff Johns down and force read him old Englehart and Gerard Jones issues.

* Jim Shooter really is good, and I'm ticked someone talked shade about his run to Dan DiDio's face at one of these recent cons. For once, the fan needed the slapping.