Category Archives: DC
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/1/13
Are there any comic book readers who get legitimately excited when a main character is suddenly killed? After all of the deaths and resurrections in comics over the past few years, is there anybody who doesn’t just roll their eyes when a writer suddenly decides to kill a major character? A big one bites the dust at the end of Justice League of America #4 this week, and I can’t help but throw up my hands in exasperation. Even if it turns out next issue that it was all just a ruse, I still think it’s a weak storytelling crutch that comic book writers need to lay off for awhile. That Geoff Johns is responsible makes it even worse. I spoke of you so highly this week, Geoff! C’mon!
At any rate, I’ve pretty much given up on Justice League of America anyway, so a stunt like this might just be the final nail in its coffin for me. Thankfully, Marvel Comics is at the top of their game, with fun issues of New Avengers, Indestructible Hulk and the brand new X-Men. I’ve been looking forward to this series since it was first announced, both because of the all-girl experiment and for Olivier Copiel’s art. Neither one disappoints in the Comic Book of the Week.
Doop loves babies, but the feeling is clearly not mutual
Comic Reviews: Indestructible Hulk #8, Justice League of America #4, New Avengers #6, Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1, Wolverine and the X-Men #30 and X-Men #1.
The Green Lantern Movie Kinda Really Stunk
I spent the morning praising Green Lantern, so how about we spend the afternoon taking the piss out of him?
I’m still amazed that we live in a world with an actual, live action Green Lantern movie. Before making Wonder Woman or the Flash, much more popular and simpler characters, Hollywood gave us a Green Lantern film. And as much as I may praise Geoff Johns, not even his collaboration could steer Green Lantern the movie towards being a success. Maybe the problem is that the movie didn’t bother actually using the Green Lantern stories that made the character so popular. Seriously, even with Johns consulting on set, the filmmakers went ahead and changed most of his big ideas for no particular reason. Why would they do that? What possible gain did they foresee?
Now we’ll never get that sequel. At least the gang at CinemaSins can have some fun with it.
My 6 Favorite Things from Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern Mythos
Geoff Johns’ final issue of Green Lantern came out last week, and what better way to say goodbye than by praising his awesomeness? I barely knew anything about Green Lantern before I decided to give Johns’ comics a try, and now the franchise is easily one of my all-time favorites. I wish I was as creative as Johns. His ideas are the kind that nobody else thought of, but once he puts them on the page, you can’t help but recognize their obvious brilliance. And I’m sure he has other good qualities too. Like, maybe he rescues orphaned puppies or something. I don’t know, I’m really only interested in the comics.
Does anybody call it ‘outer space’ anymore?
It’s hard to explain to non-comics fans just how momentous Johns’ Green Lantern series truly was. The best comparison I can think of would be to the rise in Iron Man’s popularity when his first movie came out. Before that film, nobody knew Iron Man. He was a character from the comics, nothing more nothing less. But after the movie, after Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, Iron Man is a household name, and he has headlined three other multi-million dollar movies.
Geoff Johns did the same thing for Green Lantern, at least as far as the comics are concerned. He did it by taking the core Green Lantern concept and expanding it a thousandfold with new ideas and new characters that redefined the franchise. There is so much to love about Johns’ ideas, and here are my 6 favorite.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/25/13
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to DC writer Geoff Johns. Oh sure, he’s still going to be writing Aquaman, and a couple Justice League comics, but DC won’t be the same now that Johns is leaving Green Lantern after nearly 10 years on the title. This is a truly sad moment, because none of his other comic work as been as good as his stories on Green Lantern. And he has told some remarkable stories. Green Lantern was a minor character at best before Johns came along. This one guy with his brilliant ideas almost single-handedly made Green Lantern popular enough to warrant a live action big screen movie, in a world where DC only makes Batman and Superman movies. Johns made Green Lantern so popular that he was one of only two superheroes to remain unchanged in the New 52 reboot.
Johns work on Green Lantern is nothing short of spectacular. It’s no wonder DC eventually promoted him to DC’s head of creativity. The guy definitely made me a believer in the awesomeness of Green Lantern.
Fortunately for us all, Johns’ final issue on the series is as good as any other he’s written. Green Lantern #20 easily wins Comic Book of the Week for it’s sheer awesome audacity. Johns threw out all the stops with his final issue, bringing everything his fevered mind could think up to the final party.
Just look at that picture and tell me you don’t love everything about it.
Comic Reviews: Green Lantern #20, Justice League #20, Superior Spider-Man #10, Talon #8, and Uncanny X-Men #6.
New Animated DC Movie Stars the Flash
The Flashpoint Paradox has been known about for awhile, but I haven’t mentioned it. I’ve been falling behind on my DC Animation for some reason. I never got around to reviewing Dark Knight Returns Part 2, and I haven’t even seen Superman Unbound yet. I don’t know what’s wrong with me…but maybe this new film will snap me out of this funk.
I’m exited to see a movie that doesn’t star either Batman or Superman (mostly). Word has it that after the poor showings of the animated Green Lantern and Wonder Woman movies, that Warner Bros. would only allow DC to do animated movies starring either Superman or Batman. Makes sense, I guess, even though I still hold Wonder Woman up as the best animated movie the studio has put out. So it’s refreshing to see the Flash star so prominently in this new film.
I’m also hoping they use this film to start making movies about the New 52 universe. It seems silly that the DC comic book universe and the DC animated universe are not the same thing. What better way to promote the New 52 comics than by animating them? It’s a no-brainer!
Henchman-4-Hire 