Reading Between the Panels #3
Been awhile since I've written one of these multiple topic comic posts. It's also hot as hell so I'd rather use most of my willing brain power towards writing so here we go:
Even though I'm sure that Paul Cornell is a great writer and they have a solid artist on the book, I have no interest in continuing on with Action Comics now that they've chosen to have it follow the adventures of Lex Luthor. I did give the run a try (two issues) and as I don't like villain books and i absolutely detest the notion that Lex is thought of the only villain that is worth Superman's attentions (only fond of the Smallville TV series version of Lex). Along with the Lex direction, they've decide to revive his interest/fascination/obsession with Lois Lane in that he has a robot/android companion that is modeled after Lois and even has fragments of feelings/memories that he had of her at one time. I know back in the day and in several versions of Superman Lex has at times rivaled Superman for Lois' affections. But do they need to bring back his obsession to Lois now that she's a married woman? Its' just plain creepy as hell now.
The Batman books have been fluctuating in quality lately but what has me bothered the most is the constant shifting around of how to refer to Tim Drake/Wayne. It was made a big deal that Bruce had adopted him formally and that he'd taken the Wayne name but now that time has gone on more often than not books only refer to him as Drake and in his very own title, Red Robin, Tim makes the comment that the business side is when he uses Wayne every time else is Drake and I have a really hard time with this. Is there a point for him to keep using Drake? It would be one thing if he had been adopted and never changed his name but it was done and I'm just sick and tired of these younger heroes having to have multiple identities. It's not quite the same thing for Tim but it drives me just as crazy as Kara going by Linda Lang instead of Kara Kent, or how Cassie Sandsmark has another name when she's at that school in SF (forgot the name).
One change that I haven't been as fond of as a result of Barry Allen's return as the Flash is the fact that Liberty Belle is now wearing a modified version of her father's speedster outfit that is not flattering at all. I loved Jesse Chambers as Jesse Quick and the costume she wore then. I even grew to love the Liberty Belle outfit that she had been wearing for the last few years before Barry's return. I am thrilled that she has her speedster powers back but I wish they had created a new uniform that was a blend of Liberty Belle and Johnny Quick's outfit for her new status as a returned speedster. I hope she is involved in the Flash Speed Force book that is supposed to start next year.
The one thing that kills me in reading monthly books is when there are delays between issues. I can understand unforeseen circumstances but I also think that delays kills the momentum of a book. That's why when Hawkeye Mockingbird #2 came out last month it struck me funny that I hadn't thought of the series for awhile and to my shock I discovered that there was over 4 months between the releases of the first two issues. I don't know if there were some complications but with a book that is just starting with a newer writer with not many books behind his name I would think that you'd want to at least develop a backlog of at least three issues to make sure it gets off to a good start and not instead sit in limbo for 4 months while everyone forgets what the first issue was about. But that's me.
Even though I'm sure that Paul Cornell is a great writer and they have a solid artist on the book, I have no interest in continuing on with Action Comics now that they've chosen to have it follow the adventures of Lex Luthor. I did give the run a try (two issues) and as I don't like villain books and i absolutely detest the notion that Lex is thought of the only villain that is worth Superman's attentions (only fond of the Smallville TV series version of Lex). Along with the Lex direction, they've decide to revive his interest/fascination/obsession with Lois Lane in that he has a robot/android companion that is modeled after Lois and even has fragments of feelings/memories that he had of her at one time. I know back in the day and in several versions of Superman Lex has at times rivaled Superman for Lois' affections. But do they need to bring back his obsession to Lois now that she's a married woman? Its' just plain creepy as hell now.
The Batman books have been fluctuating in quality lately but what has me bothered the most is the constant shifting around of how to refer to Tim Drake/Wayne. It was made a big deal that Bruce had adopted him formally and that he'd taken the Wayne name but now that time has gone on more often than not books only refer to him as Drake and in his very own title, Red Robin, Tim makes the comment that the business side is when he uses Wayne every time else is Drake and I have a really hard time with this. Is there a point for him to keep using Drake? It would be one thing if he had been adopted and never changed his name but it was done and I'm just sick and tired of these younger heroes having to have multiple identities. It's not quite the same thing for Tim but it drives me just as crazy as Kara going by Linda Lang instead of Kara Kent, or how Cassie Sandsmark has another name when she's at that school in SF (forgot the name).
One change that I haven't been as fond of as a result of Barry Allen's return as the Flash is the fact that Liberty Belle is now wearing a modified version of her father's speedster outfit that is not flattering at all. I loved Jesse Chambers as Jesse Quick and the costume she wore then. I even grew to love the Liberty Belle outfit that she had been wearing for the last few years before Barry's return. I am thrilled that she has her speedster powers back but I wish they had created a new uniform that was a blend of Liberty Belle and Johnny Quick's outfit for her new status as a returned speedster. I hope she is involved in the Flash Speed Force book that is supposed to start next year.
The one thing that kills me in reading monthly books is when there are delays between issues. I can understand unforeseen circumstances but I also think that delays kills the momentum of a book. That's why when Hawkeye Mockingbird #2 came out last month it struck me funny that I hadn't thought of the series for awhile and to my shock I discovered that there was over 4 months between the releases of the first two issues. I don't know if there were some complications but with a book that is just starting with a newer writer with not many books behind his name I would think that you'd want to at least develop a backlog of at least three issues to make sure it gets off to a good start and not instead sit in limbo for 4 months while everyone forgets what the first issue was about. But that's me.