Malfeas

Happy Memorial Day!!

En Memoriam

Countdown #14

So is Countdown just about the Challengers now? Seriously, this is three weeks in a row with barely a panty shot from Mary Marvel; Jimmy Olsen feeling up the All-New Forager; or Karate Kid dying in slow motion while some hard to follow crap happens in Blüdhaven.

Whatever. Donna gets to look like a Rock Star (finally) and Jason Todd gets to be… Red Robin… for some reason… unrelated to Kingdom Come.

Hey, a quick word about the Robin name. It’s what Dick’s parent called him. He was their little Robin, flittering above the flying trapeze, greatest of ease, yadda yadda yadda. It’s his name. I appreciate that he lets other people use it, and that’s very nice of him, but if anyone was to become Red Robin it really should be Dick. Jason could be Nightwing or some similarly stupid attempt to polish the turd that is the animated corpse of Jason Todd trying to shoehorn his way back into the sometimes redundant (or so they sometimes say) DCU. He was better off just calling himself the Red Hood and being his own man. Now he’s still doomed to come off like Dick Grayson II, which is really why people hated him in the first place.

Oh well, it was still cute to hear a Batman call him “chum”.

Blue Beetle #23

A few more of those signature head-scratching moments in this issue but once again it doesn’t really matter. Because it's awesome. All sorts of neat stuff happened in this issue which might be ramping up to end this whole Reach storyline.

Which brings me to the recent events in Booster Gold instead. It amuses me that we (as bloggers) all seem to be portending doom for Ted Kord’s resurrection. Everyone I’ve communicated with seems to think its really nice and all, but that it’s all going to end in tears.

I don’t disagree. I thought Ted was going to end up being the shadowy Supernova trying to undo Michael resurrecting him, so I’m definitely in the “ends in tears” camp. However, I submit to you: Jaime is now roughly at the same point in his series that Ted was when he was cancelled. Jaime’s state at the end of the issue wasn’t promising.

Oh sure, it’s supposed to be a cliffhanger, I get that --I have read comics before. I’m just noting that Jaime’s dialogue in Booster Gold versus Jaime’s fate might not be so far afield. One could be making way for the other…. Nah, it’ll all end in tears, you’re totally right.

Ultimately, I kind of hope it does end in tears. Ted was made better by his death. Everyone now misremembers Ted as being way more awesome than he ever actually was and his death was a good one. Let’s let him be in his retired bliss.

At the very least, I’d rather see Ted reborn from a company reboot or simply existing on Earth Charlton.

Still, I’ll enjoy it while it lasts, which might be longer than we think.

Legion of Superheroes #38

Two issues into Shooter’s run and I’m into it. I liked Waid’s run. I liked Bedard’s run. However, I imagine (and hope) that more people are happy with the straight-up Space Action Teenagers that got hot beef injected into this series. I’m happiest that it doesn’t deny what’s come from the run so far, but mostly just puts it into some four-color action.

Plus, some of the best Lightning Lad you’re ever going to get. From him being the only one dim enough to raise his hand, to his not having the sense to play diplomat, to his heartbreaking panel at the end of the issue. Great stuff all around.



Teen Titans #55

Wow, Teenagers being mostly teenaged. I dunno why, but I far prefer the angst and the way it’s being presented now, then I did when it was Johns or even Beechen. There’s just something about it that rings a little truer. Although I mostly don’t buy that Jaime is that friendly with Ravager. Other than that, I feel like McKeever is really working. And finally someone other than me has called bullshit on Kara and Cass’s friendship.

Not bad. I’ll keep reading for a bit longer. I could still use just a little less angst, and a lot more of these kids actually being friends or something.

There’s a lot of talk (a speech even) about what it means to be a Titan but they’re mostly dicks to each other. Which is different than being Dick to each other which is what it really means to be a Titan.

Young Avengers Present: Partriot

Huey from The Boondocks as Captain America v 2.0? I don’t see why not.

But seriously, I really liked this in a one-shot. It introduces Patriot, who he is, and what makes him special. All while giving Brubaker a chance to pad his ongoing plot. Not the greatest thing I read this week, but pretty alright.

It’s not essential for Captain America fans or folks following that storyline. You don’t get much except Bucky busting some heads at AIM and looking for the Red Skull. Not to say you shouldn't still pick it up just 'cause. Young Avengers fans, people wondering who Patriot is, or people who enjoyed Truth: Red, White and Black should definitely give this a pick up.

Marty’s Pick(s) of the Week
Wonder Woman #16

I’ve spent a lot of my time talking about the Wonder books and just what a mess the Wonder-world is at the moment. To the point that as I recently reread Heinberg’s run, I began to doubt whether this recent leg was anything other than more of the same. Then I read this issue and it reminded me that, no, Gail is, in fact, rocking this joint.

Sometimes a writer comes along and does something so elegant and simple to a character’s history, self, or world that it leaves you wondering why no one did that before now.

In this case it is the introduction of the Queen’s Guard, their particular obsession, and the sickness they tried to prevent from spreading. There’s just something deliciously Greek and tragic about the whole thing without being boring or maudlin.

Plus you get an army of super-intelligent apes fighting an army of super-powered Nazis and it just doesn’t get any better than that, does it?


Best use of the Lasso ever.

If there’s a book better than Wonder Woman (and I'm not saying there is), than it could only be….

Astonishing X-Men #24

Man, I’m loving this book more and more, and more than I should.

It’s going to be over soon too --or at least Joss’s run. Poop.

I don’t even know that I can gush about this series in a way that would possibly make sense to all of you. It involves everything I used to love about the X-titles, but watched get flushed down the miserable toilet of the 1990’s (if you think of Gambit or Bishop as X-Men, then we have nothing in common). It involves a love for Joss Whedon which is tempered by sense most of the time, but crumbles to jelly when he hits a certain pitch. It involves a fangirl crush on Kathryn Pryde that will never die. It involves a well-written story arc that just cut out on the best cliff-hanger since… two issues ago.

It involves stuff like this:



-It involves Scott Summers actually written in a way that would have you follow him into hell.
-It involves the Emma Frost I remember before all this “secondary mutation” BS.
-It involves Dr. Hank McCoy written as both smart and playful. Not just as if someone opened a science book and wrote whatever they put their finger on.
-It involves Wolverine (we all know how I feel about Wolverine) being written as just a thug. And he’s all the more endearing for it.
-It involves Piotr Rasputin with some actual character.
-It involves Lockheed as a sentient being who plays at a pet dragon b/c it brings him joy.
-It involves Kitty Pryde. Yeah, that’s all it takes. Oh, I’m sorry, and she’s written well.

It also involves new characters who are genuinely interesting amid these old favorites and characters I’ve always hated b/c no one wrote them this well. Both Armor and Agent Brand are very interesting in their own ways.

Plus an Illyana Rasputin reference, however small.

Not but a week ago, I had mentioned to the hza, I could use more of the X-Men “First Class” interacting as if they’ve known each other since before Mutants were cool. This issue delivered a nice scene about the trust between Hank and Scott.



Bless this series. Pick it up in trade, people. It’s X-Men that’re actually worth reading.

I give you this week’s Moment of the Week:



Finally! The only one in the DCU not worried about Who Is Donna Troy? is Donna Troy, bitch. (Granted, one of my favorite Donna Troy stories revolves around Donna doubting her own identity but that was different, and well-written).

This is the first rock’n’roll moment for Donna—nay, Countdown— since Donna saving Jason from Forerunner. And that was in Countdown #45, for crying in the rain. This is issue #15. Thirty issues between rock’n’roll moments is not a good ratio.

Part of the problem in lacking such moments is that there is no growth in Countdown. A key ingredient.

I would like to have seen when Jason became the guy who cared more about his friends then revenge. Actually, I would’ve liked to have seen when Jason thought he had friends at all. No, we’re just told in this issue that he does.

I would have liked to have seen Mary turn evil and then revert back to good. Nope, we’re told both transformations occurred as if they were afterthoughts, or simply part and parcel of Black Adam’s power (which is the same exact power that Billy, Mary, and Freddy possessed all along, btw).

I would have liked to have seen Val Armorr becoming sick and increasingly enfeebled. Nope, one issue he’s taking out metas with his super-karate, the next he’s throwing up blood and too weak to move.

I would like to have seen Jimmy… do anything but be a tool.

Or most importantly, I would like to have seen when and how Captain Atom decided that becoming a meglamaniacal, psychopathic, genocidal prick was his best bet to save the universe. Nope. He comes back from Wildstorm, changes his clothes and now he speaks in purple prose and wipes out alternate America’s without blinking.

At least my biggest fear hasn’t come true, and that’s Donna and Kyle ending up together. I would very legitimately rather her date Jason Todd.

The other part of the problem is there is no characterization in Countdown (which leads to growth).

There is this sometimes-perception of redundancy in a company whose bread and butter comes from its legacies. The only thing redundant about Nightwing is that we have to keep hearing him reinvent himself everytime a new writer comes on. Same with Donna. Same with Roy and Wally and most of the first Titans and many sidekicks in general whose very existence is to compliment a very similar character.

Go with the Simone Wonder Woman model which I will paraphrase as: “Just write them as cool and they’ll be cool.”

Yeah, they’ve each got character. Ones which I really don’t see how they escape people so much they feel they have to reassert it all the time (you don’t see Batman monologuing his history to date every two minutes). But barring a writer just understanding that part, why not just write them like they’re Batman with friends, or Wonder Woman without the penchant for totalitarianism and see where that gets you.

Just look at Peter Tomasi’s recent attempt to re-re-re-re-re-re-reinvent Nightwing for the bazillionth time in one year (now I’m a skydiving, daredevil who likes to endanger my secret identity by trying to break world records) and tell me you don’t just want Dixon or Grayson back.

Quit telling us who the characters are and start showing us. Robin has been doing this for year (at least in the pages of his own title), while everyone else who isn’t an Underoos mainstay has wrung their hands and been so many people since this morning like so much Alice in Wonderland.

In Countdown Donna does a whole lot of walking and talking, and very little of it actually helped portray the above. “I’m Donna Troy, bitch.”

Yes you are, sweetie. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Current Mood: rocked and rolled

I've said before, there's been a lot of Giganta this year past. Which is already a little odd, it's not like she's a big name superstar appearing on anybody’s underoos. I suppose her Superfriends pedigree does make her one of the more recognizable Wonder Woman villains, but that’s completely arguable.

Regardless, I’m a big fan of Doctor Doris Zeul, despite her distant relationship with any sensible continuity --like all Wonder-centric characters. There have been several iterations, reboots and retellings of her origin, but there are a few commonalities creating a through-line.

Regardless of a spotty origin, and several weird inconsistencies, I’ve always liked Giganta and all versions thereof, be they monkey or genius. However, since there’s been so many, and Infinite Crisis seems to have surficially altered a bunch of stuff without explanation, we shouldn’t take anything for granted. Let’s take a trip in the Way Way Back Machine to One Year Later (OYL) to where we first saw the giant genius post-Infinite Crisis and get a read where she stands in the post-52 world.

Giganta, who is she and what can she do? The answers can be found in Heinberg's much-maligned opening run on Wonder Woman, which I can only presume is much-maligned b/c people simply didn't read the damn thing. It was really good –great even. It introduced and reestablished Wonder Woman's cast, legacy and villainy OYL. What more could you ask for? Well, for it to be on time, I'll grant you that.


Don’t you hate when people drag out old pictures?

Heinberg does a good job in this scene, and throughout his run of establishing the status quo for WW’s rogues gallery: Who were they and who they are now.


Doris learned well before Rita Farr that giant girls shouldn’t wear skirts.

Alright, so she’s still smart when super-sized nowadays, as evidenced by her no longer dressing like a circus strongwoman.


A quick shout-out to my girl, Queen Clea! Golden-Age represent!

I read this as confirmation that Doris gets smarter the larger she grows, which is just weird enough to be awesome. Why wasn’t she invited to Oolong Island?

So, there it is, all spelled out for us. Now what about her origin?


I like Doris taking exception to being referred to common.

Doris Zeul at a glance in a few short panels. She’s a Doctor who developed a method to switch brains, abandoned her dying body in favor of a new one (and for the first time it’s asserted that the growing power is part and parcel to the new body); used to get dumb when she grew; but now retains her genius level intellect and indeed gets smarter. Thank you Alan, you did good by a closet favorite of mine.

Although, I’m not sure she should be scooping up Donna like that…


Yeah, see. Amazons. You can’t trust their accoutrements.

(sigh) the all too brief minute that Donna was Wonder Woman. Those were the day (sic).

Doris gets some appropriate accessory-related revenge later.


She’s looking for Diana to get a matching set of earrings.

I’m presuming Doris is with the Society here, which was still active OYL before it just disappeared sometime mid-year. Why else would she be working for Psycho (who was concurrently on trial in Manhunter)? I’m basing that solely on the company she keeps, which is admittedly inconclusive b/c they’re all Wonder Villains and might have some sort of preexisting arrangement in the event that one of Diana’s sidekicks shows up pretending to be Wonder Woman.

Note that Zeul is arguably caught/arrested at the end of this story. Just keep that in your hip pocket for a minute.

Current Mood: Big

This was another phat week in comics. Great stuff is happening in more than a few titles with little to complain about in between. DC’s in a good stride right now (again) they just need to keep it up. It’s a shame they’re so pot-committed to Countdown, b/c it’s the only thing that tends to make them look foolish any given week.

Countdown #27

I bought it, I read it. It was okay, I guess. Very little is actually satisfactory about reading a single issue of this series. Like, the bit at the end with Jason and Donna is either: really stupid, horrific, or awesome depending on what comes of it.

I will be quite put out if Jason just shot Donna in the face, for instance. However, if Jason is pulling a whole “I don’t mind killing to get close to the badguy and it keeps y’alls’ hands clean, and we all know Donna can take it.” then that puts him in a good spot to use the psychotic routine that’s been his hat to wear for the past two years, but lets him wear it in a fashion becoming his behavior… well, in Countdown.

Time will tell. Like a week or so.

Black Mary still sucks; Jimmy Olsen is taking too long, and seems to have presented yet another false-start typical of this series (Hey, maybe something will happen NEXT issue!); Trickster and Piper are still cute, although the requisite gay joke per issue is running a little lean; the faux-Amazon story is poorly timed; and it all comes together to make a big mess in the middle of the DCU.

Shame. This book is worse than the sum of its parts.

Blue Beetle #20

While I like Albuquerque’s art enough for its sketchy franticism, I have a feeling that my recurring problem with Blue Beetle comes down to his inability to get a good narrative flow going with his art. On the other hand, Rogers needs to recognize that and throw in a few more bridges in his dialogue and narrative structure. There have been too many times in this series that I have to reread the same page a handful of times and as often as not I give up as soon as I have my best guess as to what’s supposed to be happening. At least once an issue. Three or four times in this last one, I’m sorry to say.


Okay, so Jaime’s in Chris’s mind; monster/scarab/anti-matter ring Chris shoots at Jaime; Jaime loses the armor, which probably puts him in a lot of danger; monster/scarab/anti-matter ring Chris… runs past… Jaime? And Jaime’s kind of cool about it?; then Jaime jumps through backgroundless space toward a golden, glowing Peacemaker helmet – which is impossible to recognize unless you know what you’re looking for. Sooo… but’wha?

Still, there’s very little wrong with this book that couldn’t be corrected with just a little bit of tightening. The Sinestro Corps tie-in was entirely Blue Beetle-centric and appropriate if you’ve been with the series for awhile. You’ve got to appreciate that in a tie-in.

Chris Smith (Peacemaker) being approached by a Sinestro ring was one of the big jaw-droppers this week and heartily appreciated. So too was the resolution.

Also, Blue Beetle still has the best supporting cast in comics.

Flash #223

Wow, Acuna leaves the book, and suddenly I’m feeling it a lot more. That strikes me as particularly odd, b/c I dig Acuna’s art. Perhaps he wasn’t the right tool for the job, or maybe Waid’s opening story just wasn’t that great.

Wally facing down the Justice League was kind of cool, albeit a little out of nowhere. Plus he totally schools Batman. Oddest of all? Batman said he was sorry! If that doesn’t tell you we’re in a whole new era, than nothing will.

Best issue of the new Waid run so far, hands down. Something I noticed, now that Acuna isn’t doing the art: the transdimensional, life-sucking vaginas look less… vaginal. Surely a mistake on the artist’s part.

Countdown Special: Flash #1

My store pulled this for me, and I bought it mostly sight unseen. I thumbed through it to make sure that I wasn’t just buying the last arc of Flash: The Fastest Man Alive and All Flash #1 reprinted or something.

I thought to myself: “Awesome, they got some Carmine Infantino-style art to tell some kind of throwback story!” Imagine my surprise when I got home and it is in-fact Carmine Infantino. This is just a reprint of some classic Rogues stuff including the first appearance of the Piper and the Trickster and the Rogues as the Rogues.

You know what? Bravo, DC. I support this wholeheartedly. Shit, they should consider doing issues like this for some of the other stuff they’re dragging out for Countdown and Final Crisis.

How about some classic OMAC (Buddy Blank) and Kamandi reprints so we can refresh –or indeed learn about—some of that stuff? How about a handful of classic Legion reprints, like the first resurrection of Lightning Lad, or some Karate Kid and Triplicate Girl stories? Or reprints of Superman’s Pal: Jimmy Olsen of the first time Cadmus put him under the knife for developing weird powers?

Yeah, a lot of this stuff is collected somewhere or other, I’m sure, but I’ve never known a comic company who didn’t want to sell me the same thing twice. At least it would be neatly packaged as to be relevant to the topic at hand.

Green Arrow: Year One #6

I’ve mostly not commented on Green Arrow: Year One. Just b/c it’s not entirely relevant. It is, however, pretty damn good. Seriously, Diggle and Jock (which sounds naughty as hell) did a bang-up job recreating Ollie’s origin. I’d like to see them take over the Black Canary/Green Arrow series (and I will ALWAYS type it that way, despite what the actual title is).

Green Lantern Corps #17

More great stuff from the Sinestro Corps war, which should come as no surprise.

A new Ion has been named, and I totally don’t mind. This Sodam Yat kid from Daxam is a far better Green Lantern than Kyle ever was already. Yeah, that’s probably just b/c I hate Kyle, but so what?

The kid’s alright, plus a Daxamite with a Green Lantern ring is a little bit terrifying and a lot egregious. A Daxamite with the power of Ion fighting Superboy Prime, is even more egregious and I totally can’t wait.

Robin #167

Wow, this issue was this close to being the Pick of the Week. A really nice issue that finally addresses the people Tim lost last year, and brings it around to the big one. His dad.

I will always contend that Tim was more interesting (and unique in the Bat-mythology) with a living father. Even still, I like Jack’s death, and I like this issue dealing with Jack’s death.

I was even warned that the end of this issue would make me cry, and I walked brazenly in. I figured, no way are the bat-books going to get me twice in as many weeks. I was sick when I read Catwoman, that’s cheating!

Nope. Damnit, if I didn’t choke up and get all misty. I think I could’ve made it if it was just Tim at Jack’s grave. I was ready for that. Bruce at Jack’s grave pushed me over the edge. Great stuff.

I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of the writer: Brandon Thomas, but he made me cry in one go, so my hat’s off to him and I hope we see more of him.

(After looking him up, he’s all sorts of cute about how bad he wanted to write Robin. Well, Brandon Thomas, on the off-chance you’re ego-Googling yourself and come across my blog: You did great. Truly, one of my favorite Robin issues in quite some time. Thanks.)



Teen Titans #52

This is just a little awesome all over. There’s plenty of high-angst still, but it’s not overdone and it’s tempered with equal parts high action. It’s just the right dose of each.

Plus Blue Beetle totally saves the JLA! Albeit a little odd that the JLA flies off saying they trust the Titans to handle Starro. Really? Have you been reading this series, Batman? B/c I’m totally not sure that’s a good idea. Didn’t you guys form the League to deal with threats like Starro?

Regardless, great stuff and a fantastic setup for the next issue.

Unrelated question:



Question: Is that Son of Son of Vulcan?

Thunderbolts #117

Yeah, this series is still pretty damn quality.

I like Doc Samson --pretty much thanks to Peter David—, so this issue was a special joy. Hell, Ellis is making Penance out to be the bass-ackward, little cutter bitch that he is, and its very gratifying. In fact, I think that one word sums up this series: Gratifying.

Ellis isn’t ignorant to the Story he’s telling at any time. Writers are a delusional bunch, and prone to misinterpreting their own work. But Ellis is in utter control of his story. So much so, that I want him to run the next Marvel crossover. Hell, I’d like him to go back and tell me Civil War all over again, b/c I think I might believe it this time.

Gen 13 #13

I’m on the fence. I very much have enjoyed the last several issues. However, this seems like a perfect place to jump off. I could really use to be reading (read: buying) less comics. Contrarily it’s probably a great time to jump on.

I’ll go ahead and recommend it.

We’ll see in 30 which way I jump.

Marty’s Pick of the Week
Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman Prime #1

Yeah. It’s gotta be this one. It’s just too good.

It’s nice to get an origin on the sociopathic little ingrate for all the whippersnappers who don’t know who Superboy Prime actually is.

Johns has turned something nice into something awful as a statement about turning nice things into awful things. It’s either totally sick or it’s total genius, I vacillate between the two, and refuse to call it both.

To set the tone, he’s totally Superdick Prime to and about Bart Allen.


Not for nothing –I liked Bart—but Superboy Prime’s got a case.

This is only the third page, by the way. Clark hasn’t been on Earth four minutes and he’s desecrating the grave of the kid who beat him up.

It’s apparently a touchy subject b/c despite the fact that the evil equivalent of the Green Lantern Corps has declared war on the Earth, one kid peeing on Bart’s grave gets some attention:


”All this for li’l ole’ me? You shouldn’t have.”

Man, the amount of times Johns brings an army you’d think I’d get tired of seeing a hoard of Superpeople. I don’t. It’s the kid in me, I grew up amid the Crisis on Infinite Earths: Mo’ Superpeople=Mo’ Better.

Although, I am a little tired of the “Pile-On” mentality of the DCU lately. Batman and Robin are rushing to this fight like they’ve got something to say. Get some people (including yourselves) to safety and give the Superpeople room to work.

Oh, did I say Robin?


Seriously! Tim! Run away!

When I was first reading this page, I thought Tim was going to bring Prime to his knees with a shrill whistle (playing off his Superhearing). I thought that was weird but pretty cool, a cute way for one of the very-breakable heroes to make a difference until a grown-up shows up.

That’s not what happened....


This wasn’t the first time I cheered while reading this comic, but it was the loudest.

That’s what happened.

There were several Rock’n’Roll moments like this throughout the issue on both sides. Not the least of which was Red Star bringing some noise to SBPrime’s house.

One moment, I didn’t think was possessed of any Rock’n’Roll at all, however, was Risk having his other arm ripped off. That’s just overkill and kind of stupid.

But like I said above, it’s nice for the kids to see where this poor deluded bastard is coming from. It makes Johns’ mouthpiece far more terrible and tragic if you appreciate that SBPrime is just some poor dumb schlub who discovered he had superpowers the same day his world died.

This broke my heart:


”So, I punched Pantha’s head off. What else could I do? Right? You see that, right?”

He is right. He’s right about lots of stuff, on some level. Which, of course, is how Geoff finds a way to comment on the fans of the DCU about the DCU from the DCU.

I do find it important to warn fanboys who believe Johns is on their side; that’s he’s telling it like it is; that he’s getting away with this right under DiDio’s nose: He’s not. He’s making fun of you. You can believe it’s all in good spirits or make your own peace with that as needed. I just feel it’s fair to warn you when he’s making fun of Meltzer (a good friend of his) or the state of the DCU (which he’s a big part of) it’s simply b/c he has a sense of humor about it. He doesn’t feel how you feel. But he does know how you feel and he made a petulant wretch of a character out of those feelings.

That said: when he’s clicking, he’s clicking and I’m loving this whole story. Plus I think entitled fandom can afford a few cheap shots. I do prefer Johns penned in a little. All writers benefit from a little editing and being able to focus. I think that’s what we’re seeing here, and it’s lovely.

Cheers, y’bastard.

That’s my comics story, and I’m sticking to it.