The Inevitable Mediocre Spin-off

I remember as a kid first discovering the internet I was in awe they sold actual wallpaper!!!!

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If you request sizes smaller I will crop

Back issue boxes are crap. Always have been always will be. There are only so many comics you can fit into those long boxes and finding a treasure once in a while does not make up for the search. I remember my friend Kerry and I in Travelling Man, sitting on the couch they provided trying to find the second part of the Supergirl/ Karate Kid issue I had missed. Ebay is a saviour as are online comic stores.


Here are a few of the gems I spotted at great prices





JLA 122 and 123. Look at that depiction of Kara! Nothing Skanky about this at all and this was in 2006! Jamal will be the first to say he's not the first to do that costume right and here is proof. That girl right there is fierce, I can't believe I missed these! (In the good old days of '06 I had no internet and just picked up my comics based on title rather than who would appear)





Remember the centrefolds and the posters they sent out to your comic store advertising New Krypton? Well I got one for the grand sum of 99p exc P&P. There are 4 more on Ebay UK and keep an eye out there were final crisis ones on there a few months back.

next up..






I got a pretty bashed up copy of Adventure Comics #397 from 1970 but I just had to have a dress up issue. Its a supergirl thing. If they do change her costume I hope they have a few extra pages of wacky designs.

and Finally


Copies of Supergirl 0 were going for the exact same price as my next deal. I got 4 issues of Superman/Batman which included the gender swap issue featuring Superlad and the Girls Night Out issue for the same price they wanted for the same reprinted story










Other issues I got include the 1997 pulp heroes Supergirl annual with the Legion. (there is still one left), Some Michael Turner variant covers (I just love sellers who don't know what they have is more expensive than what they are selling it for), and I've put in a bid for the famous Christmas with the Superheroes. All in all a good day and even with delivery none of these comics were as expensive as a modern comic. Considering most of us can only get to the limited back issue bins at the local store and not to conventions I think we can agree Ebay is a godsend.


(there are some Adventure Comics issues still going for 99p exc. P&P on Ebay Uk and remember to check if the seller will combine postage on mulitple items or do discounts.)

Yes, you heard right! My pull list is going to be including some of the sexiest women around.






















And this isn't even a comprehensive look at what DC has lined up for our female heroes. We have the perennial Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Wonder Girl leading the titans, Cassandra Cain in Streets of Gotham, Manhunter getting a back up story, Spoiler and the Birds of Prey in Battle for the Cowl, a yet to be announced Batgirl and The Question who will pop up in Gotham before long. Its no lie that female characters don't generate the sales the male ones do but instead of putting them back in the box like Marvel is doing DC is taking them out and playing with them. Keeping them sexy and powerful. I still could have done without looking down Oracle's shirt though.

I'm not going to get into the copyright stuff. That's neither here nor there for me. What I liked about scans daily was seeing something or getting a good description of comics on a wednesday so I, in the UK know what to pick up on the thursday. Scans_daily also helped me with back issues I need to get my grubby mits on like Solo which came out years ago and the Infinite holiday special from 2006 (and I completely forgot about this years holiday special. Ebay must help me!) I would never have read Booster Gold without seeing how fun it was but not just in scans but the pure enthusiasm of the Blue and Gold fans.But I'm not depressed. Scans_Daily will survive in some form but I hope all of the members get the message of it moving. On LJ there is a comm called noscans_daily where you can talk comics with no scans which is better than nothing.

And no I'm not mentioning where Scans_daily is now. Peter David might be watching!

not just clothes though...superhero clothes.
We don't get the great Junk Food T-Shirts in Britain but Play.com has started getting 'sugar daddy' T shirts and due in on Saturday is a DC direct T-Shirt both items feature 80's headbanded Supergirl. Now the headband usually gets a bad rep but it seems to be the costume the fashion designers love. (while the hotpants would be the one comic writers and artists favour)

So this is the Sugar Daddy T Shirt:


and this is the DC direct/Warner brothers T shirt:


To be honest I'm not sure what that one is going to look like. Who thought a DIAGRAM would be a good idea? I also have no idea what the white spots are. Maybe a lichtenstein effect. Well, we'll see when it comes. Which should be Monday, play usually send pre-ordered items out early rather than wait until the release date.

Other T shirts available are joker T-Shirts(one of which is £5), a superman shirt saying I love goodies, a wonder woman shirt which is basically the name in different colours


Batgirl in the wrong colours.

Catwoman

Wonder Woman
and the trinity: Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl. That colour scheme though...no no no

The supergirl T-Shirt is the first DC direct/WB T-Shirt available and that fit's their fashion line plans outlined last year for the character's trademark. The fashion rights were given to a store not available in the UK so maybe play snapped them up instead? Other than that T-shirt which is pre-ordered the rest are selling out fast! Expect some to be only available in medium(12/14) and Extra Large (18/20)- and they were only released in January! That is good news though, it means more to come!

I got 2 Brave and the Bold issues through the post today, both featuring Batman and Supergirl. Issue 147 from Feb 1979 and issue 160 from March 1980. Back when comics were 15p rather than £2.15. I honestly can't wait to read them. The art looks great and the texture of the paper makes it feel comic-booky. They came bagged and boarded. Its strange, I believe comics are for reading and just keeping them in their plastic is an insult to the people that worked on them but when I get 20th century comic books I feel compelled to treat them with more respect than I usually would. I like to think I keep all my comics in good condition but mostly so that they don't fall apart but there is something about old, out of print comics that makes me treat the pages with more care.

This week I'm picking up Action Comics, Batman #686, R.E.B.E.L.S and Superman #685.

I'm on the fence about getting Booster Gold. I want to start reading it because I've heard so many good things. I love fun comics. I expect a payment at the end of the month and may set some aside for some trades of the early stuff. Then again, Booster could really do with the monthly sales. Perhaps I should start with 52? Decisions, decisions

Action boasts the return of Mon-El and the propect of a legionnaire appearing regularly in a monthly is exciting in these uncertain times. Batman begins 'Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?' by Neil Gaiman. The preview was beutiful. I'm not really a Batman fan but feel this may be a must read. (I'll always prefer his supporting cast. Even Alfred is more entertainment value than Bruce) Next up is R.E.B.E.L.S, its Vril Dox and Supergirl was I ever not going to buy this. This was my most anticipated comic this month. Finally Superman, where he finally gets to mourn his father. I'm only buying it for the probable Supergirl appearance.

And finally I bought Jamal Igle's sketchbook from his site. It will take a while to get here and was probably a bit expensive (in delivery, I live a long way away) but I'm determined not to beat myself up about it. I probably would feel better if I hadn't bought two Doctor Who annuals and the Star Wars vault this week. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the awesomeness being in my hands.

Its 1.42 in the morning and I have a uni presentation I haven't written due this morning...oh and I've had a bit too much wine. With that in mind I've decided to write my review of Final Crisis 7!


A general disclaimer before I start. I like Final Crisis...sorry. I may be called elitest or whatever but I don't think it takes a Brainiac to understand what is going on. This comic is as much part 3 of superman beyond as it is Final Crisis 7. It begins with the extension of Zillo valla's quest to find the Supermen of the multiverse carried out by the Billy Batson of Earth 5. Firstly I love that Billy got such a pivotal role in this book. I prefer Billy to Superman so much. There is an innocence that comes from his youth rather than an artificial innocence they give to Superman. So the book opens with our first superman AKA Super-Barack. Its easy to call him super-barack now that he's won and I have no doubt the use of such a character was inspired by the election but we must keep in mind people in comics/tv have been using people of colour in presidential positions for years. He's joined by Nubia who could be considered a reaction to this article from November- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7718580.stm even though she outdates the article. They meet Marvel's ship, the ultima thule as it breaks through the bleed.

I have to echo Renee here 'A whole ... multiverse and they all look like you guys'. Which is part of my problem with the 'Superman' idea. They are gathering the supermen and its intertextuual based on Superman being the 'real' start of the DCU. I understand that, but they are gathering all the characters based on Superman like Captain Marvel but they all aren't Kal-El. Not all have a kryptonian power set so what makes them a 'Superman'? Why don't we see the Superwoman from Earth-11 despite the fact she is an analogue of Kal-El? Why don't we see more Supergirls, Kara is arguably just as much inspired by Superman as captain marvel, if not more and definitely more in the Superman image than Captain Allen from Superman Beyond and what appears here to be Ozymandias. In the end the Supermen are assembled because they are the strongest team ever but why not make the team stronger by using Nubia and others of Superman's calibre. I don't want to scream sexism because I understand the 'image' of superman but the in-universe reasoning is lacking. Also there are more than 52 supermen and thats including the vampirised Ultraman, Superboy Prime and Mon-El (who should have been represented by a multiversial equivalent, Valor for certain) and as said before Superwoman of Earth-11 or Super-lad if a penis is a necessity!

So we go next to our next big theme, story. A theme more prominent in Superman Beyond than Final Crisis but lets roll with it. Lois, Jimmy and the Daily Planet is important here because they keep the story going. Supergirl tells the children inspirational tales before they 'go to sleep'. In Resist we see Black Lightning delivering the Daily Planet because it keeps the survivors hopeful.We see what would be the final issue of the Daily Planet, 'Earth Endures'. Almost an acceptance that the story is coming to an end. Its placed in a rocket with a miniture bat signal and one of Supergirl's capes before launching in a hope that their story will continue somewhere. This also links to the second idea in this comic. Time as relative. Imagine the time stream folding like a concertina. When compressed enough Darkseid has a straight shot from the end to the beginning and kills Orion. The Flashes can stop time by running so fast they match light, Superman can get the key to save the universe from the future and events an hour ago seem like days ago. The issue may not seem like it flows right or is in any kind of order but there is your reason. We readers have to put it together like a jigsaw because we are as confused as the characters.

The final theme I got from this comic is that of Science vs Religion. Darkseid would have all worship him, he is a New God he is brought down by a man made gun and the universe is saved by Brainiac 5's thinking and the creation of advanced scientific technology. The new gods where always an uneasy mix between science and religion. The mother/father box is the most advanced tech in the universe and it comes from the 'gods'. Metron gives Anthro knowledge which must seem like magic. Its not. These people are Gods only to those lowlier down the intellectual chain. I believe only Brainiac 5 could compete intellectually with a new god and we saw in the reboot how he idolised Metron. Brainy could be quite the apprentice for Metron. We also see how Superman writes the plans for the Miracle Machine, in Metron's chair. It is the God of Science, almost an oxymoron in itself that proves intrumental in Dax Novu's rebirth and the salvation of New Earth through his mark. The agents of the christian god are drained dry when they confront Mandrakk, though as they are dead to begin will I don't think this is an issue other than thematic repetition.


Finally some odds and ends. This issue concludes as the -Supermen, Green Lanterns and a Kara Zor-El toe New Earth out of the abyss. Seen that before? I have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryao4zCRImE
Is it coincidence that Grant Morisson once wrote classic who and is interested in writing more?
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/10/23/grant-morrison-talks-idw-doctor-who-reprints-possible-film-ideas/
http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/04/29/interview-grant-morrison-on-final-crisis-and-doctor-who/

-I have no idea why Ultraman has Kara. Well presumably to feed on her but they never say why her. Maybe Mandrakk realises that a Supergirl is more fearsome than a Superman?
-The Green Lanterns collectively give a nod to Buffy-'Lets spike this vampire' rather than stake a vampire.
-We see the New Gods have returned, Mister Miracle's belief in the source seems to have paid off. Also Barda, an apokaliptan by birth is now judged worthy of rebirth with those of New Genesis. It is a judgement of evil based on individuals rather than species.
- It concludes with Batman taking over from Anthro upon his death, he's ALIVE. I don't actually care.

I have one more deadline tomorrow so when I should be working naturally I am blogging! It was my B-day this past week and I treated myself to some comic products. Showcase Supergirl v2 and Showcase Legion of Superheroes v1 most notably. I was also going to get the DC vault but that was sold out. Anyone have any reviews on the content of the vault for a legion and supergirl fan like myself? I also picked up my comic stash for the first time since Christmas Eve. (The one day of the year we in england got comics early or in sync with america!).

What I found most interesting was my Supergirl purchases. For the second month I couldn't find cosmic adventures in the 8th grade. I have to believe Forbidden Planet Manchester aren't ordering it or its flying off the shelves. Also for the second month I couldn't find Supergirl on the shelves despite them still carrying issues pre-Gates. Funnily enough Supergirl #36 was released on christmas eve and was out of stock that same day in Forbidden Planet Liverpool. I had to settle for the varient cover from the third store I tried despite loving Middleton's regular cover. I should hope that this means order numbers will be going up.

This leads to to what I can review. Out of Maelstrom 5, Cosmic adventures, Supergirl and Final Crisis I chose the last. Firstly we start with the cover. At first sight I thought Batman looked very frail on the cover. I just don't see the power in his pose. Its still a great rendition of the hero though. I like how the batsymbol is raised. It doesn't look like spandex. Thats always irked me. Superman in spandex I can believe, Batman is spandex just makes me giggle. Also for a man who is prepared for anything his utility pouches don't scream techno! As with all the covers he is on a plain background. This issue its navy Blue. I've not liked this technique as it makes the image look flat. The best this has been used was on issue three but even then it made Supergirl's hair look choppy. I would have preferred painted backgrounds to create some depth.

As for the interior art its Jones and Pacheco who come through with the best pages. The Black Canary pages are not only sub par they are sylistically out of place. I would have preferred the additon of Jamal Igle as his style would have fitted more. As for Mahnke's concluding pages they were far too lined compared to the relative simplicity of Jones and Pacheco. He does very well on the war torn landscape but less well on the faces. His Superman is gaunt and has a pea head on a giant torso. I do love his depiction of Metron. the lines are clean. Where he does have inked shading the lines are blue rather than heavy black shadows he uses for other characters.

As for the script well I'll go back to the start and run through. I loved the opening. Legion is often left out of these crossover events and this one seemed to be no different. It seemed like LO3W was just a way to include them in some way. It was to my shock and delight that we begin with Brainiac 5 and Superman in the 31st century. What has happened between 3 and 6 to get him there I assume will be told next week with Superman Beyond. To see Brainaic 5 setting up the solution to the Final Crisis made me so happy. I actually wanted to see whether a Brainaic could stand anti-life considering their intelligences but this is good enough. At first I was wondering why Superman had to use the machine when surely Brainy was more qualified but now I look at it Brainy says 'Just Look'. He isn't using it, he sees Metron's circuit I assume. Although why Brainy just couldn't say that I don't know. Superman isn't exactly a genius! Another question I'm left with is how this revelation clicks in Superman's head so he knows what to do and what is happening.

We move on to the Justice League Watchtower with Black Canary and the reformed Tattooed Man. They are attacked by justifiers in tie fighters who come through the Green Lantern blockade of the Earth. Its never explained how. Tattooed Man uses his power and Metron's symbol is activated. It makes him immune to anti-life's effects. It gives the heroes an opening to fight back. There are some great moments here. Barbara Gordon takes advantage of the anti gravity to beat some guys for example. The best though is the dialogue between Dinah and Ollie. She attempts to beat sense in to him. I find this is beautiful when in contrast to the reunion of Barry and Iris. I kiss of true love and she is cured. Fighting will get people nowhere, its love here that will save the day but Dinah can't give Ollie that one kiss. In one panel we are treated to an Aquaman appearance. The secret files say that this an alternate universe Arthur Curry. The traditional Aquaman we expect. More on this later...

Next onto Supergirl vs Mary Mavel. The much publicised Girl Fight is satisfying for all concerned. Buildings fall, buses are used as weapons and sexual innuendo flies! Supergirl wins this pretty resoundingly but we get the sense Desaad (who mary is host to) doesn't care to win. The darkness influences everyone and Supergirl showcases her darker thoughts 'don't be too sure I won't break your neck' before coming back to the good and affirming her desire not to hurt Mary. Its pretty sad that the outcome was unnecessary for Marvel fans. All they wanted was their girl back to herself and free of responsibility for her previous actions and they got both.

The highlight of the issue was Tawky Tawny taking on Kalibak in his tiger body. I don't think anyone expected this to go Tawky's way but it does and he defeats Kalibak with style. After all this tiger is a gentleman. The tiger men from the Bludhaven bunker show their allegience to the strong ie. tawky and valuble new allies are gained.

Finally I want to talk about Checkmate castle. Here we learn about Sonny Sumo and how he came from another universe. Look at his dialogue 'Sonny Sumo went back in time and died a happy man in feudal japan. I stumbled through a hole in MY life, into HIS life'. Sonny Sumo talks in the third person. This is confusing. If he went into HIS life wouldn't he be in Japan? Is this Sonny? I think it means that Sonny died and was reborn in the New Earth Sonny. Could this be the same for the more recognisable Aquaman who we know is from another universe? What universe does the more recognisable Aquaman come from...Earth-One. Which leads us to the plan from the Atoms. What is left of Earth is planning to escape to a new earth. Is the new Aquaman part of the consequences of the travelling done before. Is the graviton superhighway already open for business since countdown? It isn't hard to believe that whats left of New Earth will go to Earth One and blend into their neighbours.

I expect grant to take another right turn by the time this is over though. I can't see whats coming next. Is New Earth really doomed? Will it become New Apokolips or Kamandi's world? Is Nazi Supergirl dead? (Everyone says yes, I say no because if she was why keep showing her?) Is the brain in Lord Eye, Maxwell Lord? Will the heroes settle on Earth-One or rebuild Dax Novu's destroyed world using the miracle machine and B5's immense intellect? Why has Earth One been so elusive? Whats certain is that the starting pistol has gone and Final Crisis is hurtling to its close. Lots of Questions still to answer in an oversized number #7. See you in ten days!

(I think, barring delays)