quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Since I absolutely hate the idea of Jason Todd still alive in the DCU, I had planned to skip Red Hood & the Outlaws. But all that juicy controversy had me just too curious to pass it up. Imagine my surprise when Jason Todd was the least annoying thing in this comic. And btw, he still sucks.
Getting right to it: yes, the depiction of Starfire is pretty damn offensive and gratuitous! Sure, they can say she's an alien and this underscores that all they want but let's get real. She's a glorified sex doll in this thing. And with added bonus: no memory of who she has sex with, so dude, you'd totally be in the clear. Honestly it was pretty over the top! Well beyond farce. And the art only enhanced the whole thing with shot after shot of breast or ass.
That pretty much killed it for me since I'm a fan of Kori and feel this is a major disservice. Some reviewers spoke about enjoying the camaraderie of Roy and Jason but in light of Kori's depiction, it felt like two frat boys looking forward to their next date rape. I just couldn't get past it.
Catwoman still managed to seem fun and with attitude; Voodoo was moody and suspenseful. This felt juvenile and cruel. And it sold out like crazy in my area.
Of all the 52 I've bought and read (which will soon be almost all) this was the worst of the worst.
Funny how tastes differ. I was one of the ones who commented on Starfire's alien nature, although I meant it more in regards to her inability to remember human faces than in regards to her promiscuity. To me it would be like trying to remember the face of a specific chimpanzee out of a herd. It's hard when you are not dealing with members of your own species!
Regarding her promiscuity, well, I was not bothered mostly because this is not a new development, Starfire has always been both beautiful and promiscuous. It's part of what makes her unique. This aspect of her personality puts us in a position of having to judge moral characters of alien beings using our own standards. Very uncomfortable, and for that reason very interesting....
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Jul 2003
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Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it Juan. It sold like crazy so I think my opinions are the one in the minority.
Part of the fun of LW is seeing how tastes differ. So far I dont think there's been a comic universally loved or hated here.
Definitely can see your viewpoint! While I won't be continuing, I'd be interested in seeing how you and others feel about the series as it progresses.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: [QB]Getting right to it: yes, the depiction of Starfire is pretty damn offensive and gratuitous! Sure, they can say she's an alien and this underscores that all they want but let's get real. She's a glorified sex doll in this thing. And with added bonus: no memory of who she has sex with, so dude, you'd totally be in the clear. Honestly it was pretty over the top! Well beyond farce. And the art only enhanced the whole thing with shot after shot of breast or ass.
That pretty much killed it for me since I'm a fan of Kori and feel this is a major disservice. Some reviewers spoke about enjoying the camaraderie of Roy and Jason but in light of Kori's depiction, it felt like two frat boys looking forward to their next date rape. I just couldn't get past it.
I agree with Cobie on one level, and this is part of my confusion about why I liked this book so much. In the sense that this book plays to women-as-sex-objects fantasies of young men, I find it offensive.(I have a college-age friend I'm trying to introduce to comics, and I would not recommend this one to him for that reason.) But to me all the other parts of the story and art worked at a higher level.
I feel like I should be like Cobie and say that I can't get past Starfire's depiction, but somehow I do for this issue. But there better be more to Kori as well as the boys real quick, or it will become a problem for me.
-------------------- "Been killed--didn't like it." (Duplicate Damsel, Legion of Super-Heroes #10)
From: Groga | Registered: Aug 2003
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Okay, hold the phone! I just read one that I think is a candidate for best of the best! Like Action Comics and a handful of others, DC Presents: Deadman absolutely blew me away! Just truly fantastic!
Paul Jenkins has impressed me before but that was always followed by a disappointment on his next project. Well, throw all that away--the writing here is absolutely top notch in every way possible. Plot, characterization, tone & atmosphere, pacing...it all just clicks perfectly from the first page to the last! Jenkins delivers a story packed with depth and even abstract questions yet keeps it totally grounded in the very human story of Boston Brand.
Meanwhile artist Bernard Chang is equally excellent! His pages are crisp and thought-provoking and he's able to play with the composition and layouts every so subtly to enhance the story and add another layer of 'interesting' to it.
I have always liked Deadman and the premise of the character, and have read most of his appearances. This is probably the best issue of a Deadman series since Strange Adventures in 1968-70!
Really great stuff and the best part is the series is so rife with possibilities. I put it down hoping that every month hereafter I read another Deadman story.
I rank this among the best of the DCnU!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Captain Atom is a series getting mixed reviews and I can see why. I thought it started very well with a lot of potential and good elements, but then fizzled at issue's end. In that respect, it was definitely a mixed bag.
I'll back up: Captain Atom is a series I'll be collecting regardless. The character is among my father's favorites, on par with Iron Man and Giant Man and he began buying Captain Atom comics when Steve Ditko relaunched the character in the mid-60's at Charlton following his departure of Spider-Man. My Dad was really disappointed with the Cary Bates series of the 80's (and the 'new' costume, which is the one most know him to have nowadays) but maintains that same love of the character. Long story short: my Dad and I will review this series very carefully.
The relaunch here started off good and I was surprised at how much I was digging J.T. Krul's dialogue and science-focus, since I've been very cautious with him as a writer. I liked Captain Atom having that very epic / grandiose power and presence, and therefore an equally abstract and complex outlook. Sure, it's obviously a nod to making Cap more like Dr. Manhattan but I've been waiting for that to happen for years. Thats a better option than Dr. Manhattan ever being in print again, and it helps differentiate Cap from 'Superman with other powers' that some writers see him as.
I also liked some subtle things: the look and costume are changed and it makes for a smoother, more energetic feel, crackling with power. Freddie Williams III does a great job there and is really aided greatly by the very detailed coloring of Jose Villarrubia. Plus, it's a bit of a combo of the silvery Cap costume and the late Silver Age Ditko costume I've always liked.
Sidenote: Captain Atom could always do the things Firestorm could in the Silver Age. So again not really a change.
The Stephen Hawking analogue is a bit on the nose but I could overlook that--as long as he doesn't become a major villain. Then it's just too cliche.
Where the issue goes wrong is the second half. A crazy wide-screen disturbance erupts - literally - as a volcano emerges in the middle of Manhattan. Here, Krul could have used this to his advantage but instead spends too many pages having Cap just really flying around talking about how hard and scary it is to use his powers. Uh...yeah, that's kind of boring to read. From there, the issue just kind of fizzles out with a cliffhanger that has me nowhere near the edge of my seat. The pacing and plotting got very weak and sloppy there and for a series likely looking for an audience, this might have just been a death sentence.
So, a mixed bag. Great set-up with very weak follow through. It was enough to get us curious about the lead but ultimately not really care about him.
It did look very good though artwise.
Cobie Comparion: did I like it as much as JL #1? No.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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BLACKHAWKS #1 was painful to get thru! I don't blame Lashie for stopping after 3 pages. Every cliche from every brainless Hollywood action flick was just flung in there. FEH!!
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1 was right up my alley. Dark, clever, offbeat with a dollop of the absurd. It helped that Rac, Zatanna & Nimue are faves of mine. Loved the art too.
THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1 was a complete waste of ink & paper. A run of the mill, by-the-numbers story that's been done a million times. I knew what was gonna happen next before turning to the next page. BAH!
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #1 was a bit of a letdown. While I loved Yildiray inking his pencils & employing his markers & washes, I'm not vested in the characters enough to care what was happening to them. I'll give #2 a shot before dropping or not.
From: elizabeth,nj | Registered: Jul 2003
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"Regarding her promiscuity, well, I was not bothered mostly because this is not a new development, Starfire has always been both beautiful and promiscuous."
Strongly disagree with this statement.
While always beautiful and always without body-issue hangups, Kori has NEVER been portrayed as bed-hopping.
She had that one boyfriend early in Titans and then she was with Robin for years (with a forced marriage-thing speed bump along the way).
Her current portrayal in RED HOOD is wretched and Lobdell should issue an apology to Starfire fans.
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That said, I am going to return for issue # 2 like Legion Tracker.
Roy is a favorite of mine I like to keep an eye on, but if they continue making Starfire the Sasha Grey gangbang girl of space (and believe me, once DC catches wind of the reviews, they will NOT)... then I will drop this at issue 6, Roy or no Roy.
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I liked Blackhawks for some reason. Can't figure out why. Had an GI Joe feel maybe?
Superman #1. Horrible. Hey I hate reading a comic in 3 minutes..but I hate reading one in 35 minutes more. First issue...jumping on point? Seriously. You know who hates reading comics for 35 mins more than I do? Anyone under 30.
Another "what were they thinking" of the DC reboot. I didn't like Action Comics either but I didn't hate it. And I could understand other people liking it.
Superman finally has a cool costume...and attitude. Perez just gave us too much. Unfortunately this is a Bendis type world now and less is more.
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: My Dad was really disappointed with the Cary Bates [Captain Atom] series of the 80's (and the 'new' costume, which is the one most know him to have nowadays) but maintains that same love of the character. Long story short: my Dad and I will review this series very carefully.
I had no prior exposure to Captain Atom prior to the relaunch with Cary Bates and Pat Broderick, but personally, I enjoyed that series a lot. I thought it was very well done and engaging.
However, I noticed its quality started to dip as soon as Broderick left the book (around issue 30), and it didn't stay on my pull for long after that. Broderick did, IMO, the best work of his career while on this book.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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After reading everyone’s reviews, its hard not to be influenced by them, and perhaps the hardest of all was reading Blackhawks #1 since almost everyone has disliked it so far. I went in with an open mind, realizing from the solicitations what it was probably going to be, and I actually didn’t find it as distasteful as so many others did. Still, there’s no denying this series isn’t really that good and is loaded with clichés and stereotypes. The issue read exactly like two dozen television shows, movies, comic books and video games I’ve seen on and off for the last 20 years.
The Blackhawks are now as modern as possible, being a commando unit that answers to the UN, going into other countries in tough situations and doing what no one else wants to do. For me personally, that kind of removes a lot of the charm of the original Blackhawks and makes this current incarnation exactly like something that is regurgitated again and again.
Among the team are numerous stereotypes. Foremost among them is the Irishmen, who has red hair and mutton chops, is called ‘Irish’ and wears the same type of hat every single red-haired Irishmen called Irish has worn in comics since the 1960’s. In fact, you might almost think he’s Banshee. Add in an Asian badass named Attila and yeah, you see where this is going.
The issue isn’t totally without good qualities though, as there are some action sequences and the creative team is obviously trying to build something new. But a lot of it is so by the numbers that (to steal a phrase Rhino used to describe Hawkman), I could tell what was going to happen on the next page before I even turned it over.
I originally wasn’t going to get this but then I ended up enjoying Men of War so much that I figured I’d try this to. Unfortunately it wasn’t the same effect. This feels like it probably should have been released by Wildstorm or Top Cow in the late 1990’s. Neither Blackhawk (the real one) nor Lady Blackhawk are featured within which is disappointing. Unfortunately, I think I’m out after #1.
Cobie Comparison: did I enjoy as much as JL #1? Nope.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Something I was too curious about to pass up was I, Vampire #1, since I had to see what DC was going to come up with to capture the vampire craze—was it Twilightish for the teens and True Bloodish for the cool people? I didn’t have high hopes…and I’m glad I didn’t. Because overall I found it very boring.
There is lots of angst, and two lovers at odds, so its obvious they’re going for the teen audience. That isn’t so bad, but the central nature of the angst is what kills the series for me. It’s the stereotypical argument of whether vampires have a right to feed on humans, or if its wrong. Ugh. I think this has been in almost every single vampire movie, book, comic, whatever for the last 25 years. Its been done to death and boring as hell. By the end of Interview with a Vampire several years ago, I had my fill of it.
The artwork and the writing are adequate but not really that exciting to me. Since I’m already reading a vampire series that happens to be one of the very best comics out there right now (American Vampire for those who don’t know), I can’t help but feel another vampire series really needs to be top notch to continue. This wasn’t.
Among the various DCnU offerings, this is one of the few that definitely will not make the cut.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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As with some other titles, I had very high hopes for All-Star Western #1. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have, quite frankly, just come off a 70+ issue run on Jonah Hex that ranks among the greatest runs on a comic book of all time—equally Starman, Sandman and so many other great runs; in my mind, it is the single greatest run of a western comic book EVER, including the 1950’s when the genre was king. As a writing duo, they are never better than when they are writing the character of Jonah Hex and in the genre of the western.
Added to the mix is the amazing artist, Moritat, who has simply impressed the living hell out of me during his run on the Spirit. He has a clean, almost cartoony style yet is totally modern, moody and with a strong sense of darkness in his linework. He draws facial expressions brilliantly, beautiful women seductively and fight scenes with great energy. He’s fantastic.
With that combination, the question is were my high hopes met? Well, I think they were exceeded. All-Star Western was fantastic, and I loved every single panel of it! The writing by Graypal was as good as its ever been and the artwork by Moritat was a pleasure to behold. Colorist Gabriel Bautista also adds to the dark atmosphere of the crime/western mash-up (and setting of Gotham City) with his muted, gray tones.
The series presents the legendary Jonah Hex out of his element of the western frontier in the 1880’s of Gotham City, where he teams up with Amadeus Arkham (future founder of Arkham Asylum) and interacts with important families such as the Waynes, Copplebots and others (though only quickly since he’s not welcome in that circle). This creates a bit of a crime/western mash-up, as mentioned before, and it works really well. The antagonist for this opening arc is the ‘Gotham Butcher’, a very obvious analogue to Jack the Ripper, and it works really well. A subplot involving a Masons-type organization among Gotham’s elite also is important to the issue, but I can’t help but think this is all a red herring to throw the readers off (causing them to think of Alan Moore’s “From Hell”).
If you don’t know Jonah Hex, as written by Graypal, then that’s very unfortunate for you. He’s one of the best characters in comics, and it’s a real pleasure to see him interact with a booming big city like Gotham, and specifically with Arkham, who is an interesting partner.
This was really fantastic and I highly recommend it. I not only enjoyed it better than JL #1 but better than most of the DCnU! Great read!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Jonah Hex: big surprise. I'm indifferent to westerns and Jonah Hex, but this book was a welcome surprise. Hex in Gotham and teamed up with the somewhat nerdy, analytical Dr. Arkham, night and day. Jonah Hex is a captivating detective in this case; he doesn't blend in, he just sort of plows through obstacles.
Arkham will certainly learn a lot from him, but will he learn from Arkham?
Red Hood & the Outlaws: another surprise. Expected a big stupid shoot 'em up, but there was actually a story here. The book opened like an adventure movie and went on to a far more sinister plot.
I loved the artwork. The character Essence is beautiful and fascinating. As for Kori, oh dear! She's beautiful and exotic; the two splash pages just scream vitality. Her costume is ridiculous, even for an alien. The sex is casual, although at least she states that it's not about love. It's the memory thing that's most disturbing to me - and maybe it's meant to be that way. It seemed like sleeping with her is sort of like sleeping with someone on rohypnol, although it's portrayed more like she's in control, she just doesn't care. Interesting new info that Tamaraneans see humans as sights and smells; Lobdell should develop that. Maybe they'll give her her memory back, she got hit on the head or affected by something and it gets corrected.
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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