DC Comics Ongoing Discussion

[The Realist]

Not All Robots by Mark Russell & Mike Deodato Jr. would probably be my pick, though that's not DC (but he did say "favorite comic book of 2023", not "favorite DC comic book of 2023").

Right. I assume that Gunn was not limiting his choices to DC in theory, but in practice, he has pretty good reason to promote the brand.

Still, The Human Target is off-the-charts awesome. Have you read it, Kai, and if so, what did you think of it? I haven't read Not All Robots, so can offer no opinion there -- though I have liked some of Russell's other work. Superman: Space Age is flawed but ultimately very moving, and the first half of One-Star Squadron was among the funnier comics I've read in ages (though for some reason Russell seemed to abandon comedy almost completely in the book's second half, to my disappointment).

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Russell certainly has a tendency to get more serious towards the end of his stories, though he's said in an interview that he never consciously intends to write comedy, it just turns out that way naturally. Not All Robots is the one he finally won an Eisner for.

As for Human Target, I haven't read it, and neither have I read King's Supergirl. I soured on King for a while over his tendency to write his characters as traumatized wrecks. But the great reception his more recent work has gotten (and liking his Batman/Joker story from Brave &The Bold enough to keep reading after the Superman serial was over), I might go back and read what I missed. As soon as my reading pile allows it, that is.

 

[The Realist]

I find it hard to believe Russell wasn't intending to write comedy in the first half of One-Star Squadron. Black comedy, with strong undercurrents of sadness and social satire, but comedy nonetheless.

Your complaint about King is a common one, but it's an issue I obviously don't share. If you do give Woman of Tomorrow and/or Human Target a try, I'd be interested in your thoughts. (I've got Strange Adventures and Mister Miracle in my own reading queue.) Superman: Up in the Sky is also excellent, if you haven't read that, and is largely trauma-free.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

I've read Up in the Sky. I liked it, but I wouldn't go so far as call it excellent.

But what I forgot to note about Tom King previously is his current Wonder Woman run.
Based on my pre-conception of King, and the early synopses, I was fully expecting to hate his run, fearing another Brian Azzerallo situation of a hot writer who - in my opinion - didn't get Wonder Woman and thus did horribly - in my opinion.
But being the big WW fan I am, I did choose to at least give the new series a try, and what do you know, turns out I absolutely love what King is doing with the book. It feels like he very much gets the character, and it feels like he actually has something deeper to say without making the book not fun or twisting the character(s) into something they are not.
So, yeah, highly recommend the current Wonder Woman series.

On another note, today I picked up the first issue of the new Batman '89 mini-series, and the artist very obviously used a certain actress as the model for this book's Barbara Gordon. Now, I very, very much appreciate "seeing this actress as this character", in fact I am absolutely delighted. But I also am pretty sure they don't have her permission to use her likeness, because she doesn't give out these kinds of permissions anymore.

 

[The Realist]

Gosh, whoever could that actress be ....

Glad you're enjoying King's WW.

 

[theenglish]

Leave it to Kai to pick up on that one! It makes sense to use her as the role based on her connection with both Burton and Keaton at the time.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Currently reading the Beast World crossover, which ist kind of a pain in the ass to read in chronological order. There's an official reading order, but I don't think they really bothered to check with all the editor's of the tie-ins, considering all the "This story takes place before/after issue X" notes that contradict the official reading order.

That said, it's a well-written story (at least the main series) and I just finished #4 of the main series, which ended with an emotional double gut punch that was ... brutal. Very brutal. And now I have to wait a few weeks, because I get all my subscriptions in one monthly parcell.

 

[theenglish]

I didn't read your second paragraph because I haven't got to issue 4 yet--it is a great read and I really like the new Titans series. The New Teen Titans was the first series I bought that started from #1 and actually made an impact on the comics world. Booster Gold is also an issue I have and the Amethyst mini.

Has anyone noticed the change in paper quality, especially the covers, in the January releases? What's up with that?

 

[kirk55555]

I decided to take a chance on the current Sandman (the superhero, not Neil Gaiman's character) mini series, because its written by Robert Venditti who wrote the last Hawkman ongoing (which was excellent), and its really good so far. I love the JSA as a team but have avoided what Johns has been doing to them like the plague, but luckily this Sandman mini is just telling a tale with Sandman in the 40s, and doesn't seem connected to Johns stuff. I wish we got more of this, Golden age characters getting stories set in their prime that aren't setting up some "present day" story. Of course I'm only one issue in, watch an upcoming issue directly tie into Johns BS out of nowhere just to drive me nuts

 

[The Realist]

Currently reading the Beast World crossover, which ist kind of a pain in the ass to read in chronological order. There's an official reading order, but I don't think they really bothered to check with all the editor's of the tie-ins, considering all the "This story takes place before/after issue X" notes that contradict the official reading order.

That said, it's a well-written story (at least the main series) and I just finished #4 of the main series, which ended with an emotional double gut punch that was ... brutal. Very brutal. And now I have to wait a few weeks, because I get all my subscriptions in one monthly parcell.

Based on what you've read so far, how important are the tie-ins? Could the main Titans: Beast World series be enjoyably and coherently read on its own? I'm a trade-waiter, and I was thinking about picking up just the collection of the main series, plus whatever collection includes Beast World Tour: Metropolis, because I buy most things Super. Don't really have any interest in the event beyond that.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Has anyone noticed the change in paper quality, especially the covers, in the January releases? What's up with that?

I think Bleeding Cool had an article on it, so I was warned beforehand. As for the reason, paper prices going up and DC trying not to raise their cover prices again, would be my guess.

I decided to take a chance on the current Sandman (the superhero, not Neil Gaiman's character) mini series, because its written by Robert Venditti who wrote the last Hawkman ongoing (which was excellent), and its really good so far. I love the JSA as a team but have avoided what Johns has been doing to them like the plague, but luckily this Sandman mini is just telling a tale with Sandman in the 40s, and doesn't seem connected to Johns stuff. I wish we got more of this, Golden age characters getting stories set in their prime that aren't setting up some "present day" story. Of course I'm only one issue in, watch an upcoming issue directly tie into Johns BS out of nowhere just to drive me nuts

The Alan Scott mini is also set in the Golden Age.

Based on what you've read so far, how important are the tie-ins? Could the main Titans: Beast World series be enjoyably and coherently read on its own? I'm a trade-waiter, and I was thinking about picking up just the collection of the main series, plus whatever collection includes Beast World Tour: Metropolis, because I buy most things Super. Don't really have any interest in the event beyond that.

Gut answer, they don't matter. But the more I think of it, the more things came to mind that affected the main series. Though you might not notice if you don't know, maybe.

 

[kirk55555]

The Alan Scott mini is also set in the Golden Age.

That's interesting. Maybe I'll give it a chance, although I still haven't quite forgiven DC for giving Alan Scott the Iceman treatment (because I was actually invested in his family and history through reading years of comics involving them, not because I don't want more LGBTQ+ characters, just to be clear).

 

[Nerys Myk]

Paper? How quaint,

 

[The Realist]

I would not read a comic on a screen at gunpoint.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I would not read a comic on a screen at gunpoint.

I was resistant for many years.

 

[theenglish]

That's interesting. Maybe I'll give it a chance, although I still haven't quite forgiven DC for giving Alan Scott the Iceman treatment (because I was actually invested in his family and history through reading years of comics involving them, not because I don't want more LGBTQ+ characters, just to be clear).

To be clear though, Scott's family is still around in the comics. Like many, he kept his orientation a secret for from his family and friends and did not come out to them until recently.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

That's interesting. Maybe I'll give it a chance, although I still haven't quite forgiven DC for giving Alan Scott the Iceman treatment (because I was actually invested in his family and history through reading years of comics involving them, not because I don't want more LGBTQ+ characters, just to be clear).

Well, him being gay does play a major part in the story, but it also makes it painfully clear why he hid it for most of his life. Also, Doiby was one of the few who knew.

 

[The Realist]

I was resistant for many years.

 

[theenglish]

I was resistant for many years.

I read both these days, but digital comics were really great when I was overseas and could keep up with the stories on Comixology. It is a shame that Amazon bought them out.

 

[JD]

I would not read a comic on a screen at gunpoint.

Is there a specific reason, or do you just prefer paper overall?
The vast majority of comics I've read have been digital, and I love them. I can zoom in and out, I don't have to worry about them getting torn or beat up, and no matter how big they are, they're all the same size and weight, so I don't have to worry about lugging around some huge 400 page behemoth when I get things like the DC anniversary collections, or a Marvel epic collection. And I can carry my entire collection, or at least the 5 or 6 collections I usually have downloaded at one time, without having to worry about how much space they take up or weigh.