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DC Comics - Ongoing Discussion - SPOILERS

Is anyone reading Superman: American Alien? They certainly are portraying young Clark Kent as much more... adventurous. I like it though. It's a little more realistic to think a teenager with the powers of Superman would act this way.
 
I really, really liked the first issue. The jury is still out on the next two. Especially the brutality of the second issue.

Also, it seems like most of Smallville is in on Clark's secret, which I certainly don't like.

But I'm still reading.
 
Is anyone reading Superman: American Alien? They certainly are portraying young Clark Kent as much more... adventurous. I like it though. It's a little more realistic to think a teenager with the powers of Superman would act this way.
Is this series "in continuity"?
 
I've not popped in here in some time. I've all but halted my DC reads.
I tried Martin Manhunter's first 6 issue arc and found it horrid.
I'm excited about the Swamp Thing mini by Wein/Jones but...it's a mini so I'll trade wait it.

Aquaman is my only current monthly title I'm still getting after the nu52 relaunch and as much as I like the character am going to re-evaluate it at #50.
 
For DC, I'm currently reading the following ongoing books:
Starfire (This book is very good, and is nothing like Scott Lobdell's horrible version of Starfire from Red Hood and the Outlaws, I'd highly reccomend it if you want a somewhat lighthearted book that "gets" Starfire fairly well)
Superman: Lois & Clark (The real Superman, and the best non-digital Superman book released since the reboot, its nice to have a Superman that feels like Superman again),
Swamp Thing (pretty good, although as someone who is more familiar with Charles Soule's recently ended Swamp Thing book it takes a bit to get used to a different writer's interpretation)

I've also been trying to get caught up on Justice League (because I'm a masochist, apparently :lol: ) and I'm currently reading Trinity War. It reads better when you can go at it all at once, with the tie ins, as opposed to having to read it as the issues come out. The New 52 version of "Shazam" is still horrible and insulting to me as a fan of the original Captain Marvel, but besides that its readable.
 
I've also been trying to get caught up on Justice League (because I'm a masochist, apparently :lol: ) and I'm currently reading Trinity War. It reads better when you can go at it all at once, with the tie ins, as opposed to having to read it as the issues come out. The New 52 version of "Shazam" is still horrible and insulting to me as a fan of the original Captain Marvel, but besides that its readable.

There is some of the new Shazam character that I like, but more that I don't. I like the costume design, for example, and I like Billy Batson angry kid who has to grow up. I hate that they changed the name of the character. And I hate how Billy's personality is written when he is in his Shazam persona. I think the idea of really having him think and act like a kid is a pretty good one, but the writers keep seeming to forget that he has the wisdom of Solomon. Just because he has a child's personality doesn't mean he should be written as being childish.
 
To me, Billy is the orphan with the heart of gold. The fact that its not a hyper realistic attitude for someone in his situation is kind of of the point. He's special, and that's why Shazam gives him his powers. He keeps a positive attitude and wants to help people even though his parents are dead and his evil uncle threw him on to the streets. While this can be done with a more simple character and be done well (like in the golden age and in the 70s DC comics), Jerry Ordway did an amazing job of making Billy have this kind of attitude but still feel real with The Power of Shazam! series in the 1990s. So, yeah, I really dislike a-hole Billy, its unpleasant to read and misses the point of the character in my opinion. I'm not looking for an angry jerk teen when I'm reading about Captain Marvel (although that doesn't mean he should always be happy or never have personal problems, obviously).
 
To me, Billy is the orphan with the heart of gold. The fact that its not a hyper realistic attitude for someone in his situation is kind of of the point. He's special, and that's why Shazam gives him his powers. He keeps a positive attitude and wants to help people even though his parents are dead and his evil uncle threw him on to the streets. While this can be done with a more simple character and be done well (like in the golden age and in the 70s DC comics), Jerry Ordway did an amazing job of making Billy have this kind of attitude but still feel real with The Power of Shazam! series in the 1990s. So, yeah, I really dislike a-hole Billy, its unpleasant to read and misses the point of the character in my opinion. I'm not looking for an angry jerk teen when I'm reading about Captain Marvel (although that doesn't mean he should always be happy or never have personal problems, obviously).

I actually agree with you there mostly, but I don't think the problem with the book was having Billy start out as a mean kid. Having him develop into the hero he should be is all part of the story.
 
Yeah, I'd probably accept it better if he actually grew. Instead, he started out as a jerk, became a jerk with powers, and (last time I read JL, at least) hadn't grown as a character much at all since his first appearance. He may be nicer to the other orphans, but that's about it. I'll always prefer the old Big Red Cheese, but this one could have become ok, but Johns and/or other Justice League writers just won't grow the character at all.
 
Not to put words in his mouth, but I think that is also one of kirk55555s issues.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of calling him "Shazam". I get why for branding purposes, but its stupid. The wizard is Shazam, the hero is Captain Marvel, no matter what a-hole copyright thing Marvel Comics did. Its not like DC has even banned the name, since Grant Morrison called Earth 5's version Captain Marvel in his Thunderworld book last year. But, then again, having the horrible New 52 character be called "Shazam" just disconnects him more from the real character, which is a good thing.
 
That was a callback to the early eighties or late seventies character, correct?

Partly. "Captain Thunder" was C.C. Beck's original name for Captain Marvel. DC used the name "Captain Thunder" in the 70s for a Captain Marvel-like character in Superman #276.
 
That was a callback to the early eighties or late seventies character, correct?
DC did a pastiche of Captain Marvel, called Captain Thunder in the Superman title prior to publishing Shazam in the late 70s.

116_4_276_zpsgjbhayds.jpg


There were also plans to introduce an Earth 1 version of Captain Marvel using the name Captain Thunder before COIE.

760071-captainthunderiii_stand_1__zpshibyiqtm.gif
 
Neat. Thanks for the history lesson!

I don't post a lot here about the actual thread. I read digital comics and stay about two months behind on my reading (because that's when DC lowers the price). I have to say that I have not been impressed with either of the Green Lantern series--it seems like a lot more could have been done with Hal's story. Instead what we're getting is the same kind of rebel Hal Jordan story that we've had before. Similarly, the Lost Army storyline visiting the old universe has been a bore. Relic, for me, is one of the least interesting GL foes of recent times, yet the writers continue to go back to him.
 
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