Double Update: "Doctor Who/Star Trek" and "Spider-Men"

I know, it's been a while since my last update. I've been reading a few things I want to review, so I'll get posts on that up soon enough, but until then, here's a double update to make up for it. I'm doubling everything - two chapters of two comics that are both crossovers of two other things. So without wasting time with all sorts of chit-chat, let's begin.

---- Doctor Who / Star Trek: Assimilation2 ----

First off we have the Doctor Who and Star Trek crossover. It's no surprise that two of the biggest and longest-running science fiction series would get a crossover in the comics eventually, and since the Doctor travels through time and space, it's no stretch of the imagination to find him getting there eventually. I know, we all want a Star Trek vs Star Wars crossover, and Doctor Who/Star Wars would be cool as well, but let's face it, those aren't quite as likely to happen... yet.

At any rate, the crossover, "Assimilation2" (or rather, Assimilation Squared, but I can't do the little squared icon while typing this) kicks things off by setting the scale of the events: by taking over a planet. On a smaller scale, villains might take over a kingdom, or a city, or something to demonstrate that the rest of the country or world is at stake. In this case, we've got galaxies at risk, as the Borg and Cybermen team up to take over an entire planet with ease.

It makes perfect sense for the Cybermen and Borg to work together... to a point. Okay, so "perfect" isn't quite the right word, but it's no stretch of the imagination to see them teaming up. The Cybermen have been willing to team up with similarly robotic groups before, although no doubt they find the fleshy parts still sticking out of the Borg to be "inelegant," while the Borg, unable to assimilate the Cybermen, would find their mechanical forms agreeable enough for the time being. Of course, they might disagree over who gets to assimilate the members of the planets they conquer, but I can see them splitting the inhabitants 50-50. Besides that, I do believe that the Cybermen at least played a part in the inspiration for the Borg, although I'd have to double-check to be sure.

The rest of the first chapter focuses solely on the Doctor. In this situation, it's the 11th Doctor, and his companions are, naturally, the Ponds, Amy and Rory. The cover for chapter 3 shows the ever-popular 4th Doctor and Captain Kirk, though, so I'd have to assume that we'll see other Doctors and starship captains interact in the future. (This is reinforced in chapter 2, where the Doctor says "I seem to be remembering things that have never happened to me," hinting that time is being rewritten as the two universes merge.) Personally, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for 8 and 10 to appear.

It's a pretty basic intro for the Doctor. We see his companions doing what they do best, mainly helping out with things like driving a chariot while the Doctor does something clever, and he saves Egypt from an alien before taking off in his TARDIS. There's nothing too remarkable about it, but it sets the scene for those unfamiliar with Doctor Who. We have the Doctor and his companions, time travel and aliens, and his trusty Sonic Screwdriver. It ends with a lead-in to the actual crossover, where they land in what they believe to be San Francisco, but is shown to be the holodeck when they run into the android Data.

Then we get to chapter 2, which is more Star Trek centered. In this case, we have "Star Trek: The Next Generation," with Captain Picard and his Enterprise crew. This cuts back to a little time before the Doctor arrives, showing the crew of the Enterprise going about their business on an alien planet, while having character-revealing conversations on board. It's a slightly more interesting story than "the Doctor saves Egypt," although with less action, but it leads into the meeting with the Doctor.

This is where things start to get interesting.

The meeting goes the same way that most crossovers go. The Doctor goes about being his Doctor-y self, while his companions and the crew of the Enterprise wonder what's going on and how they got there. As one who travels through time and space, it's not the first time that the Doctor has landed on a spaceship with aliens he can easily identify, so it's no surprise that he identifies Worf as a Klingon immediately... until he says to his companions that until that moment, he'd never heard of Klingons before.

That one line is what intrigued me the most. Now we see time beginning to change, as the Doctor remembers things he's never known before, and sees planets he's never seen before ("I've never heard of Delta IV! Which, considering the fact that I know every planet of every star system, is just a tiny bit concerning!") They're not playing the usual crossover card of "these things exist in the same universe, just go with it," they're showing the effects of two universes crossing over.

Seeing the crew of the Enterprise interact with and react to the Doctor is interesting, as is seeing the Doctor's normal reaction to anything unusual (i.e. calling it "brilliant" and analyzing it out loud to anyone who cares to listen) applied to Data and the Holodeck. There are only so many places crossovers like this can go, but the introductions and confusion ends with this chapter, as they see the threat presented by the Borg and Cybermen working together. It seems issue 3 will show the (relative) past beginning to change, for as I mentioned before, we'll be seeing the 4th Doctor and Kirk work together.

Now, there are some minor issues I have with this. The action scenes particularly don't flow that well; it cuts from Point A to Point C without showing the Point B occurring in-between; we have cause and effect, but none of the action leading up to it. The dialogue is decent, but sometimes fails to grasp the character voices quite right, and it suffers the same problem that crossovers tend to: spending time with everyone being confused and introducing themselves.

I'm also not particularly fond of the artwork. If I knew more about art I could tell you what style it is, but all I can say is that it looks like it's been water-colored. While that may work for some comics, I'd prefer something more solid and detailed for this kind of crossover.

Still, if you're a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek, you'll probably enjoy seeing the two interact. For those who aren't a fan of either, it'll undoubtedly seem like a jumbled mess with characters you don't really know or care for, but then, you probably wouldn't have considered buying it in the first place. If you're a fan of just one and not the other, I'd check it out in-store and come to your own conclusion. It's not the best crossover we could have hoped for, but it's working so far.

---- Spider-Men ----

Now we get to another crossover. For those familiar with Marvel Comics, there are a few different "worlds" in their multiverse, mainly the "main" one, Earth-616, and the "Ultimate" one, Earth-1610. Of course, there are many, many more, as well as alternate timelines, pocket universes, and so on, but it's just these two that we're talking about right now.

The Ultimate universe has its own ongoing stories and releases, separate from the others, which allows them to try new and innovative things that they can't try in the "main" universe... in other words, they kill a lot of characters off and see what happens from there. In such an instance was Spider-Man, who lost his life in an epic battle against all his biggest villains, defending his friends and family with everything he had. Out of all the ways Spidey could die, that was a great way to do it; it was sad, but he went down fighting with everything he had, and got a chance to say goodbye to his loved ones. I admit, I teared up a little when I saw Peter walking away with Uncle Ben, who told him "you did good, kid." But I digress.

When the new Spider-Man to replace Peter Parker was found, there was a bit of an outrage in the media. Why? Because the new Spidey, Miles Morales, was a half-black, half-hispanic kid. (Of course, the people ranting about it failed to realize that this was Ultimate Spider-Man, but again, digressing.) Miles hasn't been Spider-Man for that long, but the kid is growing on me. He's trying hard to live up to the legacy of Spider-Man, in spite of negative influences trying to turn him. (There was also an amazing Miles Spidey cosplayer at Fanime, so if you're reading this, props to you.)

So now we have the first full crossover between the Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man. The crossover is triggered in a way similar to the "Shattered Dimensions" video game, which was actually pretty decent. Mysterio is doing something nasty, Spider-Man comes in to fight him, screws something up, and gets zapped into another dimension.

Though apparently it isn't Peter!Spidey's Mysterio that's doing it, but the Ultimate universe Mysterio, who somehow found a way between dimensions and is controlling some sort of construct... I admit, I don't know much about Ultimate Mysterio, so his powers are unfamiliar to me. As such, I can't say how well this setup works, but frankly, it's just their excuse to send Spider-Man to the Ultimate universe.

So Spidey, who spent his life trying to protect his secret identity (except for when he unmasked himself during Civil War, then re-masked himself when things were retconned in "One More Day") finds himself in a world where everyone knows Peter Parker was Spider-Man. Past-tense "was." So of course, he's confused, runs around a bit, and encounters his replacement. That's where issue 1 ends.

Issue 2 does the same thing that most crossovers tend to do: the characters are confused for a while, then they fight for a bit. In this case, the fight is an interesting way of showing how their powers stack up. Peter has more experience, and can take Miles in a match of skills and strength, but Miles has some powers that Peter doesn't, such as a venom sting and camouflage. It's a decent enough fight, but I think it undersells how much of a beating Peter can take, and seems to forget about his Spider Senses.

We eventually get to a point where the characters talk a bit to figure out what's going on, as Peter encounters more of the differences in the Ultimate universe, such as Nick Fury turning into Samuel L. Jackson. Like with the other crossover, the characters start working together, only for it to end with the setup for a bigger fight, which just might help explain what's causing the crossing-over.

This comic is written by Brian Michael Bendis, who's experienced with writing Spider-Man. He has the snark and side-comments down, and has a good grasp of the characters, although he can be a bit of a divisive writer for some fans. Still, I trust him to treat the Spideys right in this, in spite of the less-than-entirely-impressive first fight.

Speaking of, I find that Peter taking the first shot by shooting web at Miles was a little uncalled for. I know it's the obligatory "let's you and him fight," but the reason seems too flimsy. Not to mention, Peter tells Miles "unmasking is a big super-hero no-no," but then three pages later unmasks Miles and ignores his pleas to give it back. What the hell, Spidey?

As far as crossovers go, it's nothing too impressive yet, but has its moments. I'm hoping things get better, but if you're not as optimistic as me, I'd wait for the trade paperback before deciding whether or not to buy it.

Until next time, this has been whatever I read.

DCnU Second Wave: Earth-2 and World's Finest

The first wave of DC's New 52 has come and gone, and now they have the second wave, another release of new comics, hoping to replace the titles that sizzled and died.

So far, the only one that I was following that ended was Static Shock, and after the kerfuffle that happened between the author and artist, that's no surprise. It came to a mediocre end, just as the rest of the run.

For other comics, we have Justice League International and Resurrection Man about to crossover with Firestorm and Suicide Squad respectively, so it seems I'll have to shill out another three bucks a piece to get the full story on those, while Blue Beetle will be meeting with Green Lantern: New Guardians soon. While crossovers are nice, at this point it seems like an attempt to drum up support for the titles that they're worried about. That might explain why JLI has been seeing a wave of cameos over these past few issues, with Batwing, OMAC, and now Firestorm and the Nuclear Men appearing in rapid-fire succession.

Meanwhile, two of my favorite titles, Swamp Thing and Aquaman, have managed to avoid the crossovers and are remaining as awesome as always. I've dropped the other two Justice League titles from my weekly grabs, but I'll still follow them casually.

Of course, comic fans have a lot to look forward to this week. First we've got "The Avengers" movie premiering soon, and most of us have high hopes for that. There's also Free Comic Day this Saturday, so I'm looking forward to seeing what freebies they're offering us.

Anyways, I've rambled on for long enough without getting to what you're all reading this for. Two of the Second Wave releases I've been interested in are "Earth-2" and "World's Finest," two connected comics about heroes from another Earth in the DC multiverse, which as we know consists of 52 universes... except two of them were combined with the main DCu... and then that one split and sent the Justice Society members back to Earth-2... okay, there's somewhere between 50 and 52 universes in the multiverse. Continuity can be weird sometimes.

So let's begin with "Earth-2," written by James Robinson, with penciling by Nicola Scott and inking by Trevor Scott.

While Earth-2 begins with the main trinity of heroes (Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman), we know they won't be the main focus of the story. Instead, we see a world slightly different from the one we usually see, as evident in the character designs, Helena Wayne (the daughter of Earth-2 Bruce) as Robin, and the fact that people are dying everywhere as the world is overrun by Apokalyptian creatures. This is what would have happened in "Justice League" if the JLA didn't come together, and instead, all hell broke loose.

As an added note, I like the extra work they put into making the little details different. For example, Wonder Woman worships the Greek gods in Earth-1, but the Roman ones in this one. While they are the same gods with different names, it's a nice touch, and I always appreciate a good mythological reference.

Although the focus begins on them, later issues will focus on the emerging heroes in a world once ravaged. Yes, while the Justice Society is older than the Justice League, this comic goes over their origins first. So far we've just seen Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, but more will come soon.

While the dialogue can be a little clunky at times, the story still gets told nicely. While it draws us into the action immediately, it still manages to tell the setup story through dialogue and minor flashbacks, and we have some touching moments, like the parting dialogue between Batman and his daughter. Once things settle down, we get right into the new characters, one at a time, and leaving things with the sense of rebuilding and reconstruction that it was aiming for.

Then we have Huntress and Power Girl in "World's Finest." This ties directly in with "Earth-2," as you see how the two found their way into Earth-1. We learn a bit about how the two have adapted, but it's also clear where their endeavors lie. While Huntress is content to make do with what she's got, whether she likes it or not (she doesn't), Power Girl is actively searching for a way back home.

It gives us a good feel for the characters, and the chemistry between them is nice. They work with each other nicely, bouncing off one another's setups and meshing quite well as characters go, in no small part thanks to their different actions and personalities while still being connected by their original home.

While I'm not particularly fond of the costume change for Power Girl (and no, it's not just about the boob window), we don't see too much of it this issue. And for those of you who miss the fanservice, don't worry, you'll get that as well. Huntess shows less skin, but the main design remains the same, so there's no real reason to complain about her's. The artwork is fine, with George Perez doing the pencilling and Scott Koblish as the inker. All in all, worth a read, for those who like the characters.

So that's what I've got so far. I might end up checking out "Dial H" as well, but at the moment, I've got my hands full following these titles and "Avengers vs X-Men," but more on that later.

Until next time, this has been Whatever I Read.

Round Table Discussion: DC's New 52 - Six Months Later

Following up on the previous discussion post, myself and other friends held a round table discussion about DC's new 52 as a whole. What do we like? What sucks? What comics are worth reading and which should be cut. All this and more as four geeks discuss whatever comes to mind about the DC reboot.

Robbie P. 6:37 PM 

Hello everyone, and welcome to our round table discussion: The New 52 - six months later

Kee

HELLOOOOOOOOOO

Alyx L. 

HI!

Kenneth G. 

Evening, all.

Robbie P.

For any new or unfamiliar readers, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Robbie, writer of "Whatever I Read."

Alyx L, 

Alyx from "The Geeky Cat"

Kenneth G. 

I'm Kenneth Godberson a.k.a. the Disgruntled Scholar.

Kee

I'm Kee aka Havocluver

Robbie P.

And we'll be discussing how DC's new 52 comics have been doing. It's been half a year. Some have survived, some couldn't make the cut, but this is our thoughts on them.

Alyx L.

w00p!

Kenneth G. 

What has been good, and what has not been so good.  And above all else, was this reboot worth the effort.

Robbie P.

We've got several topics to discuss, so let's start with the first one: our own histories with comics. Who'd like to begin?

Alyx L. 

I suppose I can start?

Kenneth G. 

Go for it

Alyx L.

Alrighty, whelp, I was introduced to comics in 2010 by an ex friend of mine. She was more into DC then she was Marvel so all she had me read was Birds of Prey and Batman.

I knew about Marvel comics but never delved into them fully until I met my friend Courtney. As much as I can say I know a lot about characters, I don't… therefore the new 52 has been really helpful for me!

Kenneth G.

I do have to say, in regards to certain characters, the New 52 has been very helpful in introducing characters to new readers.

Robbie P.  

Personally, I suppose my gateway was the 90's animated cartoons. X-Men, Batman, Spider-Man, those got me into the super heroes, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I really started buying comics and following the stories, but I managed to get caught up on the important things pretty quickly.

I follow both Marvel and DC titles, so I don't take one side over the other; one has Deadpool, the other has Booster Gold, how can I chose between them?

Alyx L.

I got into the animated stuff last year but pretty much I'm all caught up with what I missed from the 90s ha

Kee

I mainly grew up with the movies of DC as well as shows, and then I delved into the world of comics a couple of years ago, but mainly with a lot of DC comics, and then I believe in 2010 I picked up The Walking Dead, and then last year I REALLY got into DC comics, cause that's what I familiar with, so I never delved into the marvel world only really kind of started last year when I picked up Marvel, but when I learned about the New 52 I was really excited.

Kenneth G. 

I first read comics back when the third generation (Tim Drake, Bart Allen, Conner Kent) were rising in popularity.  I did fall out of it (thank you, anime) after awhile.  However, due to a my dear friend Robbie here introducing me to series such as "Blue Beetle" and "52", I started getting back, but only in trades.  As you can tell, I'm mostly a DC fan.

Alyx L. 

Nothing wrong with that!

Kenneth G. 

The New 52 allowed me to follow stories as they're being released instead of waiting for trades.

Robbie P. 

So it looks like none of us can really boast being "long time comic fans," but still long enough to have a good understanding and feel for the books and characters.

Alyx L. 

Pretty much, haha

Kee 

Yup

Robbie P. 

Now that everyone knows what sort of background we have, let's move on to the new 52 itself: What expectations did we all have upon its announcement?

Kenneth G. 

Well, I thought of this really as a publicity stunt, really to advertise their same-day digital service.

Just tell good stories, let the writers control their stories.  That's how you get people.

But it was a jumping on point for me, so who am I to complain?

Alyx L. 

I was really pumped. I knew  I would have a chance to get to learn more about the characters from the beginning... or "beginning," without having to research which story arcs were the best to read to get to learn about them. But since I knew A LOT about DC prior to the 52 I can say the first thing that turned me off was the costume changes..but that aside I was pretty happy/excited.

Kee 

I thought this was a good tactic for attracting a new a generation of comic book readers

Robbie P.  

I was a mix of nervous and skeptical; how big was the reboot going to be? What would change and what would remain the same? I didn't want all the continuity I had enjoyed up until then to just be thrown out the window, after all.

The news we got about it kept being both good and bad, with the occasional "Wut?"

We got Booster Gold leading the JLI and a new run for Blue Beetle? Excellent.

Clark and Lois no longer being together? Bad.

Batgirl has her legs back and Harley is on the Suicide Squad? Wut?

Kee 

I really thought that the costumes changes were good and bad, and also I was really quite mad about the Batgirl reboot/

Robbie P.

Sorry, I should say Barbara Gordon, since there are multiple Batgirls I could be referring to.

Kenneth G.

Yeah, that is something we have to discuss.

Kee 

I felt like it was a cop out.

Robbie P. 

It read that way as well. "A miracle happened?" We need more than that

Plus regaining coordination, the strength in her legs, etc, it would take more than a miracle to get back into the peak physical condition being Batgirl requires

Kenneth G. 

My problem with it is that, frankly, Barbara did more good as Oracle then she ever did as Batgirl.

Kee 

I second that completely!

Alyx L.

I was introduced to her as Oracle, therefore I wanted her to stay Oracle.

Robbie P.  

Not to mention how empowering her being Oracle was to the handicapped community. She can be a hero without her legs, without needing to fight.

Kenneth G.

As Oracle, she was an invaluable information broker.  As Batgirl, she's just another grunt.

Kee 

I felt like the birds of prey alone shouldn't have been tampered with, but that's just me

Robbie P. 

And there was a perfectly good Batgirl she pushed to the side to take the cowl back at that

Kenneth G.

Not to mention it has put Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, someone who was just coming back from massive character derailment, on the back burner.

Robbie P.  

This is bringing us to the next point quite nicely: how did it pan out? We had our expectations, how were they met?

Kenneth G. 

Some were met, some not so met. For example, not only were my expectations met on Batman by Scott Snyder, but they far exceeded my expectations.

Kee

I felt like they could've done better with some series, and some others were fantastic. it was really off balanced.

Alyx L. 

I honestly didn't have much going into it, because I only knew about Batman, the Robins, and Green Lantern. So I didn't know honestly what to expect going into it because not only did I know nothing about majority of the characters but I am (and still am not) familiar with writers and artists.

Kenneth G. 

Then there were books like the aforementioned Batgirl, as well as Justice League Dark that felt kind of clunky.

Robbie P.  

Some books met my expectations (Justice League International) some exceeded them (Aquaman), and others fell flat (Static Shock). I felt that Justice League, the main title, was pretty good, just with too much setup and too little payoff.

Of course, we have some incredible titles, such as Swamp Thing, and while I didn't like Animal Man personally, I hear it's been quite good.

But then, we also have Red Hood and the Outlaws, which is starting to receive praise, but I still can't forgive for what it did to Starfire.

Alyx L. 

I expected Birds of Prey to be the ones I started with but the lineup was changed completely… not that I don't like it. In fact, Starling is actually my new favorite BOP girl.

Robbie P. 

We'll get back to Red Hood in a minute, since I'm curious as to what appeals to you about it.

What comics are you all still following now?

Kee  

I am really enjoying Batwoman, as well as Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E, I haven't been picking up many because I want to get more into the world of Marvel

Kenneth G. 

Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Justice League International, Batman & Robin, Demon Knights, Batman, The Shade, Aquaman, Teen Titans.  Justice League Dark, Green Lantern, and Green Lantern: New Guardians I will only be following in collections.

Alyx L. 

Action Comics, Animal Man, Aquaman, Batgirl, Batman, Batman: The Dark Knight, Batwoman, Birds of Prey, Catwoman, DCU Presents, Deathstroke, Detective Comics, Frankenstein, Green Lantern, Green Lantern: New Guardians, Justice League, Justice League Dark, Justice League International, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Suicide Squad, Superboy, Supergirl, Teen Titans, The Flash, Voodoo and Wonder Woman I have been reading since issue 1

Kenneth G. 

Dayum!

Robbie P.  

Justice League International, Swamp Thing, Resurrection Man, and Aquaman I've been following, and Blue Beetle I'm sticking with in hopes of it leaving its "darker and edgier" phase. I'm sticking with Static Shock since it's about to end, while I just dropped Justice League and Justice League Dark. I read the Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman Green Lantern, and team comics at bookstores when I can.

Looks like we've got quite a lot of comics we can talk about. So, let's go around for the next topic: advantages and disadvantages of the reboot. Kee, why don't you start?

Kee  

Wellllllllll

I think a HUGE advantage to the reboot like I said, was that it will bring in a whole new generation of comic book readers, I think that would be the main advantage of it. and also more characters get introduced into the universe like Alyx said about Starling in the Birds of Prey.

And then I guess a sort of disadvantage that I found was that it sort of shadowed some of the other characters that were is those comics before hand like the Batgirls cassandra and stephanie.

Kenneth G. 

I have a feeling we will be coming back to the Batgirl issue a lot in this roundtable.

Robbie P. 

Oh yes. Alyx, your thoughts on advantages/disadvantages?

Alyx L. 

Well as far as advantages, to repeat myself it does help someone like me who has been into comics but didn't start from the beginning get to know the characters in the universe. It also has been really nice seeing everyones writing styles and artistic styles to help further identify them in the future. And because I feel like throwing it in there… you can't miss all the cosplay opportunities!

Kenneth G. 

Good luck with Red Robin's new wings though...

Alyx L. 

And for disadvantages, if you've been into the universe for a long time and want to dip a toe into the reboot there is too much change going on for anyone who isn't new to the universe to enjoy fully. Also, a disadvantage is although they are reaching out to the newer generation they aren't providing enough of a span to incorporate anyone under the age of 12 who might like comics. Yes they have things like Tiny Titans for kids..but there was this article I read about this girl who really loved Kory and was REALLY disappointed with Red Hood and the Outlaws because of how she was portrayed sexually (http://io9.com/5844355/a-7+year+old-girl-responds-to-dc-comics-sexed+up-reboot-of-starfire). Granted, not all the story lines are for kids… but you can't STOP kids from wanting to pick up comics if they wanted.

If that made sense.

Kenneth G. 

It does

Robbie P.  

I'd say so. Kenneth, your thoughts?

Kenneth G. 

Well, one advantage that we have discussed is that it does provide a jumping on point for new readers who would be scared off by years of continuity.  It also allows for a clean slate for some characters whose continuity is more difficult than Chinese Arithmetic.

Having said that though, there are some disadvantages, specifically to this reboot.

1. Yeah, the reboot does provide a jumping on point...at least for a good degree of books.  Several of the books, in particular Batman and from what I've heard, Green Lantern, still require you to have a degree of knowledge.

While Batman is very mainstream, if you want to get into Green Lantern, you've got to go nearly to the beginning with "Green Lantern: Secret Origin".  Going from that all the way to "War of the Lanterns" is time consuming.

If they were going to do a reboot, they should have gone all the way, instead of us playing a guessing game with the continuity.

Secondly, this reboot has made the DC universe a bit more darker and edgier.  I'll get more into this when we talk about the worst books of the relaunch, but there are not a whole lot of optimistic books out there.  I think it is because DC, like so many other people, has this notion that "Darker and Edgier" are better because they are more "realistic".

1. We threw realism out when Superman was juggling planets.

2. You know that a realistic setting would balance the light and the dark.  Good and Bad.

Not to mention, if you make books that combine light themes and dark themes, you can make books that can be accessible to all ages.  It truly is sad when "My Little Pony" seems more realistic than a comic.

Robbie P.

You guys have covered most of what I'd like to say. I also like how the reboot lets some canceled titles get a second shot, and some old characters a new life. We've got the JLI back, a new run on Swamp Thing, Blue Beetle's second chance, and even Resurrection Man has a run of his own.

On the other hand, there's still no clear indication as to what previous events are canon anymore. Blackest Night must have happened, given the events in Green Lantern, but how much of it did? I'm sure the Superman and Green Arrow stuff in BN was retconned, and who has even died and come back before nowadays?

That's not even getting started on the various Crises. So many things left unanswered, and I hope we get some answers at WonderCon and Comic Con this year.

Kenneth G. 

Well, we know Cry For Justice is gone.

Robbie P.  

One of the good things to come from this reboot

Kenneth G. 

Yeah, but they also missed the point of retconning that schlock out

Robbie P. 

Yep. I'm not even sure how Green and Red Arrow are connected any more, given Oliver's de-aging.

Let's move on to the next topic. In your opinions, what are the best stories so far? Alyx?

Alyx L. 

Oh man… alright, let's see...

Aquaman (as we discussed in our previous round table), Batgirl, Batman and Robin (which I am reading and forgot to mention above), Birds of Prey, Catwoman, Deadman is surprisingly good... Frankenstein, Justice League International, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and The Flash

Robbie P. 

I'd have to agree with Aquaman, and I'm just going to beat Kenneth to the punch by saying Swamp Thing; beautiful art, good story, and a unique type of comic book character. I've also been enjoying Justice League International, although I wouldn't say it's among the best, and Geoff Johns is doing a great job on Green Lantern, as usual.

Kenneth G.

A lot of people have been giving Batman and Robin a lot of flack.

Alyx L. 

I am a Damian fan. I love his PERSONAL storyline in Batman and Robin.

Kenneth G.

They think its too slow.  Those people don't understand the B&R book.  It's not about the action.  It's about the building relationship of a father and son.

Alyx L.

Exactly! And its been a GREAT story so far.

Robbie P. 

Oh yes, Damian has had some great development in Batman and Robin, both with Grayson and Bruce.

Kenneth G.

And I think the arc is ending soon, since Issue #9 ties in with the Court of Owls.

Robbie P. 

I was worried that he wouldn't work as well with Bruce as he did with Dick, but they've got their own dynamic that helps develop him just as much, albeit in different ways.

Kee, your favorites?

Kee 

Batwoman, Frankenstein, Batgirl, Justice League, and Aquaman for me~ I haven't picked up batman and Robin yet but I really want to, and also I only have a couple issues of Huntress and I'm enjoying it so far, but I'm in love with the artwork of Batwoman, I wish they didn't switch artists in the 6th one.

Kenneth G. 

Indeed.  J.H. Williams III is an extremely talented artist.

Alyx L 

Speaking of art, I said it before and I will say it again: Batman #5 was impressive.

Kenneth G. 

Well I do enjoy the scenery and such with Batman, I have one problem with the art.  Greg Capullo seems to have one style for male faces.  I don't know, it's very jarring for me.

Alyx L. 

Haha all the background males are Bruce...

Robbie P. 

The man's got a lot of secret identities, I guess

Kenneth G. 

I'm Batman... and I can disguise myself as a half-caucasian, half-arabic ten year old.

Robbie P.  

Who's gonna tell him otherwise?

Kenneth G. 

Okay, Robbie beat me to the punch, but....

OH MY GOD, SWAMP THING IS ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT PURE AMAZINGNESS!

Scott Snyder (who in my opinion is the best writer of the relaunch andnoimnotsayingthisbecausewebothliveonlongislandandhecanhavemekilled) has crafted a wonderful tale of a hero at first refusing the call to adventure, but then accepting his destiny when his loved ones are put in danger.  He's aided by the STUNNING artwork of Yanick Paquette.  Seriously, the detail the man puts in his work is a once in a life time sight.

There were some comics that surprised me.  Like Demon Knights, which is kind of like "Justice League Medieval."  A lot better than I thought it would be.

And of course, Batman.  I have to say, I am more intrigued by Snyder's Court of Owls than Morrison's Leviathan.  Which, has anyone else read "Leviathan Strikes!" in January?

Robbie P.  

I wasn't able to, no

Alyx L. 

The Court of Owls is great...and i haven't read that, no.

Kee

No, I haven't.

Kenneth G.

Oh, well do you mind a spoiler?

Alyx L. 

Nope.

Robbie P. 

Go ahead

Kenneth G. 

The leader of Leviathan is Talia Al Ghul.

In my opinion, this kind of left me underwhelmed.  Because, I have never seen Talia as anything more than a VINDICTIVE, INDECISIVE BITCH WHO CAN'T MAKE UP HER FUCKING MIND ON WHETHER OR NOT SHE'S ON BRUCE'S SIDE OR HER FATHER'S!  MORRISON'S BATMAN HAS MORE OR LESS GONE DOWN TO A GLOBAL SPANNING CUSTODY CASE!

Anyways, I'm done.

Robbie P. 

I think we can be sure you're not keeping anything to yourself.

Kenneth G. 

Oh, just you wait...

Robbie P.  

Now then, there were a few comics that came up a couple times that we should discuss before moving on.

We talked about Batgirl for a bit earlier, and I think we're all in agreement that taking her out of the chair was a bad move.

Kenneth G. 

Eyup. It wasn't so much that as it was taking her out of the Oracle chair.

Robbie P.

I'm curious, what would you guys have preferred for a Batgirl comic?

Alyx L.

Honestly, I am not sure. Just c'os I know i knew her as Oracle… so I just expected there to be someone else.

Robbie P. 

Well, we basically have three options for a Batgirl comic: Barbara, Cassandra, or Stephanie, unless they introduce a new one.

Cass is working as Black Bat, but Stephanie didn't need to lose her role.

Kenneth G. 

I would have loved to have seen a kind of group book, focusing on all three of the Batgirls, despite Stephanie is now Spoiler again and I'm assuming Cassandra is Black Bat.  Maybe called "Gotham Girls" or something.

Kee

Honestly, I would have loved if maybe they rebooted with stephanie cause she sort of disappeared, it would've been cool to see her return.

Robbie P.

If they really wanted to use Barbara, I'd have preferred we see her flashing back as Oracle to her times as Batgirl; that would also help us see what has changed in the DCu's past

Kenneth G. 

The fact that Steph and Cass are kind of Schrodinger's Characters right now doesn't help.

This does bring up something I've noticed about DC over the last couple of years: the resurrection of many of the Silver Age legacy characters. Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Barbara as Batgirl again.

DC keeps saying that these are the "most iconic" characters under the legacy.  The first Flash I knew of was Wally West and the first GL I knew of was Kyle Rayner.

Robbie P. 

I suppose to them, and the older fans, they are the most iconic, but that's a matter of perspective.

Kenneth G.

It could also be that Dan DiDio and Geoff Johns are self-admitted Silver Age fans.

Just sayin'...

Robbie P. 

That too.

Kee

I honestly don't know why they did it.

I think it may have been for the older fans and such, and them thinking oh we can bring these beloved characters back with a BANG.

Robbie P.

Not to mention how little truly changes for good in comics. Nobody stays dead, after all.

Kenneth G.

Except Lian Harper.

Robbie P.

Which reminds me: Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Kenneth G. 

Why the hell isn't Jason Todd back in his casket yet?

Robbie P. 

I've raged about what they did to Kory, but Alyx, you've mentioned enjoying it. Tell us about what makes it enjoyable

Alyx L. 

I don't appreciate what they did to Kory, no way. I hate that she's this drone with 'no attachment problems because her people don't fall in love' or whatever that crap was they made her say...

BUT

i have been a fan of Jason Todd since I saw Under the Red Hood, so I was stoked to see he was a part of the team. And I am a Roy Harper fangirl. So I blame my attraction to fictional characters.

But the interaction that Jason and Roy have together is just great. The art is alright; I am not wowed by it... but I have been enjoying the arc with the exception of Kory.

Roy in the comics is way better than what you see in Young Justice (for those who watch it).

Kenneth G. 

Okay, valid points.

Robbie P. 

Yep, fair enough. I do hope they correct everything they've done to Starfire, though.

Kenneth G. 

I think I wasn't as enraged as many because, apart from 52, I don't really know a lot about Starfire in the comics.  Like I said, I came aboard when the third generation was making names for themselves.

It was offensive, but not to the level that I got militant about it.

Kee  

Yeah, I haven't read the Red Hood and the Outlaws series, but after reading the article about the little girl saying how different Starfire was in the comics, I'm a bit bothered.

Alyx Laufeyson 8:28 PM 

Animal Man is funky...but a good kind of funky

Kenneth G.

Damn skippy it is.

Robbie P. 

I was turned off from Animal Man because of what it did to the happy family he had.

Dogs are dead, family's falling apart, all that nasty stuff.

Kenneth G. 

Trust me, Robbie, you should've kept with it.  The family dynamic is still intact

Robbie P.

I have heard that it's very good, though, so I'll check out the trade when it comes out.

Alyx L. 

It is.

Kenneth G.

Plus its crossing over with Swamp Thing.

Robbie P.

That too

Kenneth G. 

Speaking of, I guess I'll let you guys know, I'll be buying all the tie ins to "Night of the Owls" come May and giving opinions.  My wallet is gonna hurt come May

Robbie P. 

Worth it.

Kenneth G. 

Oh, we gonna talk about the "Second Wave?"

Robbie P. 

That was actually the next topic. So yes, let's.

Kenneth G.

Okay, for those who don't know.  Come May, DC is dropping six monthlies and adding six

"Men of War," "Mister Terrific," "O.M.A.C.," "Hawk and Dove," "Blackhawks" and "Static Shock" are gone come May

Let's start there.  What's your opinion?  What could have saved these books?  Who wants to start?

Alyx L. 

Didn't read any of those past issue 1 so I can't say. All I know is I despised Hawk and Dove

Kenneth G. 

Was it because of the comic punch line, Rob Liefeld?

Kee 

I haven't read any of those titles, so I don't have any say, really.

Alyx L. 

it just rubbed me the wrong way... I couldn't take it seriously.

Kenneth G.

I called "Men of War" the second it was announced.

Robbie P.

I've been following Static Shock, but it's been lacking cohesion. I'm not surprised it's ending. I thought it was off to a good start, but it went downhill quickly.

Apparently there was a lot of creative differences between author and artist that caused no small amount of strife, so of course, the comic suffered.

It's a shame; I really liked the cartoon, so I was hoping the comic could meet its level of quality. Sadly, it did not.

Kenneth G. 

"Mister Terrific".  I don't know.  I mean, I liked the guy.  But you had to be a pretty hardcore fan of JSA to know who he was.  Maybe if it was a mini-series, it would have worked.

Robbie P. 

Yeah, Mr. Terrific is fine in the JSA, but on his own, he lacks a certain "umph" to make it last.

Kenneth G. 

So I guess we'll go through each of the new in the Second Wave and voice opinion?

Alyx L.

If I have anything to say, I will say.

Kenneth G.

Okay

Number One:

BATMAN INCORPORATED – Writer: Grant Morrison. Artist: Chris Burnham. The acclaimed ongoing writer of ACTION COMICS, Grant Morrison, presents a fresh take on BATMAN INCORPORATED, in which the Batman brand is franchised globally in preparation for a major international threat.

Think I've made my opinion on this one quite clear.

Robbie P. 

Another Bat-title... I would hope that would replace "Batman: The Dark Knight," but I like the idea of Batman Incorporated nonetheless. Not enough to buy it quite yet, though.

Kenneth G. 

I think I'll just wait for trade.  Again, the idea intrigues me.

Alyx L.

I have a "What's Next" issue of Incorporated... I liked that one, but another Batman title seems to be too much.

Kenneth G.

They should at least do away with Batman: TDK

Kee

I enjoyed the Batman Incorporated series , but like Alyx said, I think they already have too many batman titles, and they aren't even getting rid of one, so why add one, ya know?

Kenneth G. 

Okay, lets go on to Number Two:

EARTH 2 – Writer: James Robinson. Artist: Nicola Scott. The greatest heroes on a parallel Earth, the Justice Society combats threats that will set them on a collision course with other worlds.

James Robinson working on Justice Society characters?  God is in his kingdom, and all is right with the world.  If it is as good as The Shade is right now, damn straight I'm picking it up.

Robbie P.

It's good to see the Justice Society again, even if they've been booted to Earth-2. I'm going to buy the first issue, then decide from there if I want to keep going or not.

Kee 

Don't know what it's about until I pick it up.

Kenneth G.

Okay

Number 3:

WORLDS’ FINEST – Writer: Paul Levitz. Artists: George Perez and Kevin Maguire. Stranded on our world from a parallel reality, Huntress and Power Girl struggle to find their way back to Earth 2. Perez and Maguire will be the artists on alternating story arcs.

Alyx L. 

Sounds like a good read. I miss Huntress in my life, and I am assuming this is Power Girl sans boob window.

Kenneth G.

Yep.

Robbie P. 

Ah, now this one I'm interested in. Power Girl and Huntress are usually an interesting team, and it's connecting both the Earth 1 and Earth 2 books together.

Kenneth G.

I felt a great disturbance in The Force, as if millions of horny adolescent males cried out in terror... and were suddenly silenced.

Robbie P.  

The costume changes I'm a little unsure of, but if Power Girl has found a reason to replace her "boob window" and get a crest of her own, then I can't complain. It's about her character, not the fanservice.

Kenneth G. 

Yeah. But seriously, this book seems very intriguing.  I do look forward to it.

Kee

I'm excited for the third one~ I love both Power Girl and Huntress, and I think they will make a great duo~

I know a lot of people were against the costume change, I like her with the boob window moreso than without, but I'll still give it a go no matter, I don't think a costume change will effect the storyline at all.

Kenneth G. 

So we're all agreed, "Do this stuff more?"

Robbie P. 

Sounds that way.

Kenneth G. 

Okay

Number Four:

DIAL H – Writer: China Miéville. Artist: Mateus Santoluoco. The first ongoing series from acclaimed novelist China Miéville, this is a bold new take on a cult classic concept about the psychological effects on an everyman who accidentally gains powers to become a hero.

Robbie P.

It sounds interesting, although not as "new" as they claim. Doctor Manhattan, anyone?

Alyx Laufeyson 8:54 PM 

probably passing

Kenneth G. 

Well, I have mixed feelings here.  I was intrigued, until I read an article where it described China Mieville as a "novelist and political activist".  Sorry, that makes me slam on the brakes hard.

Kee

That sounds very interesting, I may pick up the first issue and decide from there.

Kenneth G.

The art looks interesting, so I'll probably get the first issue.

Number Five: 

G.I. COMBAT – Writer: J.T. Krul. Artist: Ariel Olivetti. Featuring the return of a classic DC Comics series, THE WAR THAT TIME FORGOT, along with rotating back-up stories and creative teams – including THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, with writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Dan Panosian; and THE HAUNTED TANK, with writer John Arcudi and artist Scott Kolins.

Okay, this is confusing.  They're canceling their only two military-based books and adding one in?

I would have loved to be in the meeting where that was discussed.

Alyx L. 

Passing

Robbie P. 

I see no point in this one, and have no intention to read it. It just doesn't appeal to me, and I doubt I'm the only one to feel that way.

Kee

NAH.

Kenneth G,

Kind of sucks because its got some good writers, but as the last six months have proved, there isn't a strong market for war books.

Number Six: 

THE RAVAGERS – Writer: Howard Mackie. Artist: Ian Churchill. Spinning off from TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY, this series finds four superpowered teens on the run and fighting against the organization that wants to turn them into supervillains.

Oh dear God.

I don't know if you two say the art for this book.

Robbie P.

This is what they've done with Beast Boy. And they made him red.

Kenneth G. 

This book is straight out of the nineties.

Alyx L. 

I'll check it out

Kenneth G.

And they're using it to introduced Caitlain Fairchild, a character from Wildstorm.

Kee

This seems interesting, I'll check it out when it hits shelves.

Kenneth G. 

I did a review for Teen Titans #1 where she showed up, and i got flock for not knowing her name.  Let me say this to anyone who reads this: I DO NOT, NOR WILL I EVER, CARE ABOUT WILDSTORM!  THE ONLY REASON THEY'RE IN THE RELAUNCH IS BECAUSE JIM LEE HAS MAJOR CLOUT AS CO-EDITOR!

Robbie P. 

I'm not familiar with the Wildstorm titles, but I'm willing to see how they get integrated with the DCu. I'm skeptical about this one, but I'll check it out if just to see how it ties in with Teen Titans.

Kenneth G. 

I think this may be a read in store for me.

Again, I am reading Titans, but I doubt I'll stick with it.

Okay, so that's Second Wave

Robbie P.

That leaves us with any bad books; what are we hoping gets cancelled next?

Kenneth G. 

You want to start us off Robbie?

Robbie P. 

Honestly, I don't have any comics I hope get cancelled at the moment; I haven't been reading the ones I don't like, so I can't really judge them. But I really hope Red Hood and the Outlaws fixes the damage they did to Starfire, then it might be worth reading. As she is, it's not.

Alyx L. 

In short, all the ones I don't read. Not that they get cancelled, just as far as what I don't like.

Kee

I haven't had any complaints with the ones I've read, and I can't really say anything about the others in the new 52.

Kenneth G.

I don't necessarily think this one should be canceled.

But man-oh-man, have they fucked this one up in six issues.  And it's a shame because It has a good writer and artist.  But I blame the whole darkening of the DC verse for this comic going down the fucking drain for me.

Say it with me, Robbie.

Blue

Robbie P. 

Beetle

Kenneth G.

Again, Robbie introduced Jaime Reyes' original series to me, and I love it.  It was light hearted, but knew when to take itself seriously, and had a great supporting cast.  A LAYERED supporting cast.

This fucking Blue Beetle comic... they're turned it into a generic teen angst book... AND a Spider-Man rip off, complete with its own Venom!

Issue six, which I have right next to me, really cemented it for me.

Because Jaime, knowingly and willingly, slapped his friend Brenda, a victim of parental abuse, in the face.

And people tell me, "He had no choice.  It was the lesser of two evils."  To which I say, BULL FUCKING SHIT!

And you want to know the worst thing, there will be some douchebag online that says, "Well Jaime had to keep his pimp hand strong!"  I swear, if I ever hear someone say that, I WILL FUCKING KILL THEM!

And judging by the press release for Issue 7, not to mention the darker nature of the relaunch, I severely doubt it will get better.

Robbie P.

Alright, I'll offer my two cents about Blue Beetle.

Now, I've also been enjoying his previous run, which I just finished, and the dark turn this new series has taken has not been a pleasant one.

I agree with your criticisms, but I'm really hoping it lightens up sooner or later. It's okay if he has to struggle to get control of the scarab at first, in spite of how really, really bad things have been going for him, but I want things to get better for Jaime.

Kenneth G. 

I do too, man.

Robbie P.

His previous run ended too soon, and his team-ups didn't last long enough, so I want to support this. I just hope they learn to make it better for him. Just being a teen hero is tough enough without having to hurt his best friend.

Kenneth G. 

But lets look at the mentality DC has with this relaunch. That's why I don't think this is Tony Bedard.  I really think this is, at least partially, editorial driven.

Robbie P.

Then let's wrap this up with our final, big question: Was this reboot necessary?

Alyx L. 

The reboot is only necessary for those who have no idea what to do with the Universe. n00bs like myself.

Kee

Ummm yes and no. I felt it was necessary in the sense that some of the new titles got the spotlight they deserved, and also it redeemed some of the characters that sucked. And also they were just kind of getting out of hand what with how many issues of comics were being sold. So I felt it was a good invigorating restart, and that way we can all be on the same page.I think it was unnecessary to sort drop one story line and start another like with birds of prey, and batgirl and such.

Kenneth G. 

In the long run, it's not necessary, since the continuity is inevitably going to get convoluted again. As I said in the beginning, just focus on telling good stories, and the people will come. You don't have to darken your whole universe or copy Marvel.  Just focus on good stories, and let the writers dictate how a story goes, not the editors.

Robbie P.

I think that using Flashpoint as a trigger to integrate the other continuities is fine, but they went too far with the reboot.

Changing too many parts of the past and causing continuity snarls with uncertain retcons is begging for trouble, and it has yet to gain cohesion. They've integrated outside comics before without rebooting everything.

Still, it brought back some old comics and introduced some new ones, so it has done plenty of good.

I suppose we'll just see if it works out for the best.

Kenneth G.

Indeed.

Robbie P. 

So, any final thoughts before we sign off?

Kenneth G. 

Go read Jaime's first series.

Alyx L.

Thanks for having mem guys!

Kee

Thanks for having me as well~

Robbie P.

Alright then, thank you all for joining me. Until next time, this has been whatever we read.

Kenneth G.

And the Disgruntled Scholar, and we will be back in April for another roundtable, this time heading over to the Marvel camp with "Avengers vs. X-Men."

The Princess Bride

Those of you who know me know how much I like the movie "The Princess Bride." I'll rarely miss an opportunity to quote it when appropriate, and I intend to cosplay the Dread Pirate Roberts when I can. That said, it's surprising it took me that long to read the book, but now that I have, I find it fitting to review the book upon which one of my favorite movies was based.

Now, this is a book from the 70's, so it's probably the oldest one I'll review. It's far too late for this review to really do anything, but I want to share my thoughts nonetheless. This blog is "Whatever I Read," after all, not "Whatever I Read That Came Out Recently," so I should review things regardless of when they came out. That aside, let's start looking at the novel.

"The Princess Bride" is by William Goldman, but it's supposedly written by S. Morgenstern, a Florinese author who wrote it as a satire of high-class society, or something along those lines. Remember how the movie used a framing device of the grandfather reading to his sick grandchild? Well, the novel uses a similar device.

Goldman claims that his father read the story to him as a child, only to find out later in life that he wasn't getting the full story, and instead, his father omitted dozens of pages of boring, irrelevant descriptions to give him just the good parts - the sword fights, the fire swamp, the true love, that sort of thing. In Goldman's "abridging" of the story, we get the good parts as well, with minor asides explaining just how much he cut out from the original version. I found this to be both charming and effective, as it allows for a style of writing that sounds "older," as though it was written ages ago and translated into English, while still keeping us involved and feeling like we're hearing the story for the first time.

It also tends to have some fun with anachronisms, making it impossible to place when exactly this story is meant to take place. For example, Westley is described as wearing jeans in his appearance, as this was after the invention of jeans, but also before the invention of style, and he goes to America to make his fortune, although this is before Europe. As it's the adaptation of a nonexistent original satirical story, Goldman is free to make it as odd and out there as he wishes, while claiming he cut out or kept in certain parts for the sake of the story.

There's not much I can say about the story itself, since it's essentially the same as the movie. Of course, turning a 300+ page book into a two hour movie means some things will be lost, mostly backstory. In the book, we learn how Buttercup came to realize she loved Westley, and how Prince Humperdinck decided upon her as his bride. Best of all, we get much more backstory for Inigo and Fezzik, two of the most memorable characters from the film. Before their fights with "the man in black," we get taken back to their childhoods. Goldman shows us as Inigo's father struggles to create his masterpiece sword, only to be cut down by Count Rugen, and Inigo's quest to become a master swordsman and claim his revenge. We see Fezzik as a child, becoming an expert fighter from his unusual strength alone, and get a greater look into his still childlike mind. With more developed characters, and the more explored backstories, I feel like I have a newfound appreciation for these characters I already adore.

It's quite interesting reading it after seeing the movie, actually. I can spot dialogue that made it into the film, sometimes coming from another character's mouth, and I can see what lines were cut or changed, and what details they skipped over. Even pieces from Goldman's asides made it into the film, thanks to their shared framing devices. It was easy to read the dialogue with the character's voices in mind, even the lines that were cut; I could just hear Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdinck sigh, "Drat! That means I shall have to get married." Of course, since both the novel and script were written by the same person, it only stands to reason that they'd be similar; it's hard to get a more perfect book-to-film adaptation than this.

There is one major scene that was missing from the movie, and that is the Zoo of Death. Given the vast amount of animals required for it, it's no wonder it wasn't in the adaptation, especially since most of it is used to describe the Prince's character. It does, however, deprive us of an awesome scene where Inigo and Fezzik fight their way through floor upon floor of deadly animals, which has set itself as one of my favorite scenes in the book, right behind the Cliffs of Insanity.

Lastly, I have to bring up the ending, so spoilers ahead. It's left somewhat open-ended, thanks to Goldman's notes; in the movie, they rode off on four white horses, and lived happily ever after. That's the version his father read to him. In the original story, things started going downhill once they made their escape, leaving it more unclear what happened. However, Goldman decides that they have earned a happy ending, even if it doesn't last forever. He ends it with a quote that I find quite meaningful and true: "Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all."

So there we have it, "The Princess Bride." Does it compare to the movie? Oh, hell yes. Does the movie compare to the book? Of course. If you like the movie, go out and read the book, it should still be in print in spite of its age. If you've read the book before but haven't seen the movie, go and watch it, you couldn't ask for a better adaptation. The movie has been a favorite of mine ever since I saw it as a child, and the book has now earned the same regards.

Until next time, this has been whatever I read.

Collaborative Review: Aquaman and Justice League International

This time, I decided to try something a little new. Rather than just give all my thoughts about a comic, I decided to do a collaborative review/discussion with a friend of mine. Alyx has just started doing comic reviews for angryweb.net, so we decided to discuss two comics that we've been reading and enjoying, "Aquaman" and "Justice League International." Since their first arcs have recently wrapped up, we focused on those for the the discussion.

Hopefully I'll do more collaborative reviews in the future with other friends and fellow bloggers, so I hope you enjoy.


Robbie P.
Alright. Let's start off with an introduction for any unfamiliar readers, since I'll be posting the transcript along with the article.

I'm Robbie/Eliteslayer from "Whatever I Read"

Alyx L.
Hey all, I am Alyx! No blog here

Robbie P.
And we'll be doing a collaborative review of two of DC's titles from their new 52, "Aquaman" and "Justice League International."

Let's start off with Aquaman, shall we?

Alyx L.
Totally, this one is by far my favorite out of the 52

Robbie P.
We've got Geoff Johns, a big name in DC, doing the writing, and he's bringing Aquaman back to the top

What were your expectations going into this comic? Personally, I was expecting a good read about a hero that doesn't get as much respect as he deserves, but this proved more awesome than anticipated.

Alyx L.
Well I like to let everyone know that I am a newbie when it comes to reading comic books so I was stoked when they announced this because it was definitely a gateway for me to be introduced to the characters. I had only HEARD about Aquaman before reading the comics and always thought he was a pretty silly character. Like you said, he doesnt get as much respect as he deserves. When I cracked open the first issue I was thorougly impressed! Definitely not the one I was thinking I would like the most.

Robbie P.
That's a good segway to the first point I wanted to bring up about Aquaman: in and out of the comic, he gets no respect.

Even The Big Bang Theory, a show that tends to do its research, has said on at least one occasion "Aquaman sucks."

Alyx L.
And most of the jokes on Family Guy are the ones that lead me to believe he would be the lamest of the super heroes haha

Robbie P.
That too, yeah. It's like he's the go-to hero to joke about, in spite of the fact that "Superfriends" was ages ago, and new adaptations, like in the Justice League cartoon and even Batman: The Brave and the Bold have made him, well, OUTRAGEOUS!

Mind you, we're talking about a hero that goes toe-to-toe with a Cthulhu-like abomonation and wins every year, and when someone can command all sea life, brushing it off as "talking to fish" really doesn't do him justice.

Alyx L.
I agree 100%. That part of the comic alone was what got me to respect him as a character and totally push out the previous thoughts I had of him.

Robbie P.
There we have it, proof that Johns has managed to successfully turn misconceptions about Aquaman around. I loved how in the comics he kept encountering people who go, "He's useless on dry land" or "he can talk to fish," and Aquaman would just show them what's up in seconds.

Alyx L.
Even in the first issue he pretty much said that he cant talk to them but can control them and that fish cant talk therefore he can eat all the fish and chips he wants haha

Robbie P.
Oh, that scene was priceless.

Alyx L.
It really was, I definitely got a laugh out of that bit.

Robbie P.
There's also the villains he's up against this issue. I'm not entirely sure what to make of those; creatures from deeper parts of the seas than he's even explored - nice concept, well-executed, although a part of me still thinks a more familiar enemy might be better for starting off this story.

Alyx L.
Well coming from someone who isnt all too familiar with villains especially ones that Arthur has faced in the past, I think this was kind of the best way to start it off. It was a way to show us new to comics how well he works in battle even if it is against some creatures of the sea. I think that if they were to put him up against a familiar face they would then have to go on to give us that persons backstory on how they even became enemies in the first place..which would seem like a bit much for the beginning..at least for me anyway

Robbie P.
Fair enough. His enemies aren't all that well known, so there's no harm in starting something new.

And these enemies did work quite well; strong enough to challenge Aquaman, numerous enough to outnumber him and Mera, and mysterious enough to keep us guessing what they really are.

Alyx L.
Exactly, and speaking of Mera I am totally in love with her character. She is the strong comic book woman I have been waiting for. So far with the ones of the 52 I have been reading I have been thorougly unimpressed with the women and especially the wardrobe. I like that Mera is strong and level headed and will listen to Arthur but give her imput too. Proper wife material haha

Robbie P.
Before Blackest Night, I had no idea who Mera was. During Blackest Night, she was the most badass woman around. After Blackest Night, still badass.

We learned in Brightest Day that she was originally sent by her father to kill Arthur, but instead she fell for him and became his queen. She sent her sister back to be locked away in the Bermuda Triangle, so she's dead to her family in a metaphorical sense that they'd like to make literal. Her occasional loneliness is a real humanizing element to her, but it doesn't get in her way and weaken her.

Alyx L.
And that really shows in these comics, I think its really cool that she can I guess push all of that back to fight alongside Arthur when he needs her..and if I remember correctly (I read it last week and cant remember full details) in #5 Arthur arrived home to her being gone correct?

There is speculation that she may have just left and isnt coming back..OR that they might actually show her shopping...

It is also slightly apparent that without her he struggles a bit in battle..

Robbie P.
Well, she did indeed go shopping, just like the note said, and while out managed to do some heroics on her own.

Alyx L.
OH! I have not read #6...so I am at #5 where there was actually a note.

sorry for that miscommunication

Robbie P.
No worries. I won't spoil #6, then, but let me tell you there is a LOT of awesomeness from Mera there.

A little bit of stupidity from the other characters, but mostly Mera being a badass.

Alyx L.
Oh now I can't wait to read it then! I might pick it up tomorrow haha Gotta love Meras badassery.

Robbie P.
Aye. So, anything else important we should cover with Aquaman, or should we move on to JLI?

Alyx L.
Just wanted to add that the art in Aquaman is phenomenal. I have NOT been let down so far when it comes to that.

Robbie P.
Oh yes. We've got Ivan Reis doing the pencilling, wth Joe Prado and Eber Ferreira as the inkers. Wonderful job from all of them. It's clear, the colors are great, every scale on the outfits are shining - it's perfect for this comic.

Alyx L.
Even the bits in #5 when he was just in the desert were great haha

Robbie P.
You ever tried drawing a desert? It's a lot of sand, but to make a lot of sand look that good and expansive is worthy of praise.

Alyx L.
Agreed!

So before we get into JLI I should preface by saying I also haven't read #6 of this either..haven't done my #6 shopping yet

Robbie P.
That's fine; #6 is more of an epilogue, wrapping things up, showcasing the characters, establishing that the JLI is good to go, and leading into the next story arc.

Alyx L.
ok

Robbie P.
I lead the conversation for Aquaman, you want to lead it for Justice League International?

Alyx L.
Oh I can try haha

Robbie P.
Go for it

Alyx La.
So with JLI, we've got Dan Jurgens following up with the events from Flashpoint. Now, I haven't read Flashpoint at all so I was a bit lost going into this comic but it been one of the ones I keep reading for the story alone. For the most part though, I am a Booster fan...so thats been another thing keeping me interested

Robbie P.
Booster Gold was the reason I decided to start following this comic as well. Well, one of two reasons.

The other reason is "Justice League: Generation Lost," one of the Brightest Day comics, following members of the former JLI as they try to bring down Maxwell Lord, who made the rest of the world forget about him.

It was a great comic, very enjoyable, featuring a fine cast of characters, especially Booster Gold and (later on) the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes. When they brought back the JLI at the end, I knew I had to read that, so here we are.

Alyx L.
One thing I didn't really enjoy with the first issue was the lack of character introductions. I mean thankfully I knew a bulk of them so I guess that was good..but some of then I didn't even know who they were. Also, it did start off a bit slow for me which almost made me lose interest. Thankfully the bulk of the action seemed to kick in in issue 2. But one of the things I seemed to enjoy the best was the relationship between Booster and Batman..

Robbie P.
I actually felt that issue 1 was a great way to start a team book. I feel that the other ones, such as Justice League Dark and Teen Titans, are taking too long to actually get a team established. By putting them in a team now, we get to meet and learn about the characters as they learn to work together.

But I agree that Booster and Batman interacting was great

Batman is one of the few people to know Booster's secret, about how he has to protect the timestream while maintaining the charade of a fame-seeking fool. Yet when Booster doubts himself, it's Batman who tells him to step up.

I also really liked the banter between Red Rocket and August General In Iron. It was in-character, amusing to read, and showcased the culture clash problems the team would have to deal with.

Alyx L.
What do you think about Guy being kind of a jerk about Booster being named leader? As much as I like Hal, I am glad Guy is getting some spotlight..people will get the chance to learn about the other Green Lanterns and not the one from the movie

But I think Guy was being kind of a punk.

Robbie P.
Guy is my second-favorite Green Lantern, right behind Hal (I gotta get my Hal Jordan cosplay made one of these days), but he can definitely be a jerk. Not without reason - he doesn't trust Booster, thanks to his outward appearance, and Guy has always been hot-headed, plus he doesn't want his on-again, off-again girlfriend Ice getting hurt by Booster's leadership.

I think that by the end of the first arc, Guy and Booster have gained a little respect for each other, but it'll still have a ways to go. That's one of the good things about character development, assuming they develop properly.

Alyx L.
In issue #4, I really liked the Peraxxus introduction, I am really hoping that he stays the villain for a while and with him also being in #5 it seems like that might be the case

I am not familiar with him but he seems to fit

Robbie P.
Comics can never let a good villain lie, although I'm pretty sure he's a new one made for this comic. World-shattering stuff is pretty big (says Captain Obvious) but I think it served its purpose in giving the team a disaster they weren't prepared for to make them all pull together.

I'm hoping that they bring Maxwell Lord back as an enemy, though, since they seem to have forgotten about him after the reboot.

From what I hear, he's been busy in OMAC, but with the upcoming cancellation of that, hopefully they'll bring him over to JLI and continue where they left off after Generation Lost.

Alyx L.
why do you think Blue Beetle wasn't brought back? I personally think I would've enjoyed him more in JLI then I did reading his comic..

Robbie P.
I think that first they're trying to reestablish his identity in his ongoing before integrating him further into the new DCu, especially since he lost his past connections to the league post-Flashpoint. I've been enjoying his ongoing to a point, but it's really taken a turn for the darker that I don't like, so I would like to see him back with the League. Love me some Blue and Gold.

Shall we discuss the team they've got assembled, and who we'd like to see join later?

Alyx L.
yeah sure, well for starters like I said I am a huge Booster fan. But I was REALLY happy to see Vixen as she is one of my favorite ladies in comics. I also really like Rocket Red. I also personally think they could do without Fire and Ice haha

Robbie P.
Booster, Fire, Ice, and Red are the four remaining members from Generation Lost. I'm also a huge fan of Booster Gold, so seeing him lead the team is a real treat. Rocket Red, I agree, he's very amusing, but also useful as both a big hitter and a smart guy, plus I like his banter with Zhifu, as I said earlier. Zhifu I believe debuted in 52 (another must-read for comic fans), but I never really saw what he got to do until now, and he's proven himself both wise, selfless, and a powerhouse, but not without his flaws.

Vixen has found herself a nice niche, and is a useful asset to the team, while not being overshined like she would sometimes be in the other Justice League teams.

As for Fire and Ice, I don't think we've really gotten to see enough from them yet, and I hope later issues show us more of them to make the readers more attached to them. Generation Lost did that quite well, it's time to do it again.

And of course, there's Batman, although I hear he'll be replaced with Batwing soon.

Yet there's also Lady Godiva...

She's after fame more than Booster is, although about the same about that people think Booster is, which is probably why she's hitting on him so much. Honestly, she has yet to grow on me, although a moment in issue 6 has started to improve her in my eyes. I really hope they give her proper development, since her powers don't make her the heaviest hitter, but do provide a lot of interesting potential.

As for Guy, we've already discussed him.

Alyx L.
Oh wow Batwing? That will be interesting...

Lady Godiva has something about her that I like but I know shes not someone who uses her powers like the others do.

Robbie P.
Like I said, I'm hoping they develop her in upcoming chapters, since right now she spends a lot of time complaining about how she only signed up for the PR, but I really like seeing those sorts of characters grow into the hero role and rise past those initial ideals.

Alyx L.
yeah shes the diva of the group next to Guy

haha

Robbie P.
Can't spell her name without it

Personally, I'd like to see Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, and Power Girl return to the team, although the first two are busy in their current ongoing series, and Peeg will be busy in "Earth's Finest," which I'm looking forward to reading.

Alyx L.
I would like to see Wonder Woman myself..she grew on me when I first started reading comics and the JL and everything

but I know a lot of people might be tired of her haha

Robbie P.
She's also got a nice place established for her in the regular Justice League, although so does Batman, so we can't rule out someone just because of that. I suppose she could always represent Themescyra.

Alyx L.
yeah exactly

Robbie P.
Alright, I think we've covered plenty, so thank you for joining me. Any last thoughts you'd like to share?

Alyx L.
No I think we've pretty much talked about everything haha thanks for having me

Robbie P.
Alright then, until next time, this has been whatever we read.

Various Quick Reviews and Updates

So, you might have noticed that I haven't posted much lately. That is true, as I've been busy with things such as trying to get a job, and I've actually been working somewhere as a test run to see if they want me. That means I've had minimal time for reading or writing. Still, I have a few opinions to offer here and there, so here we go.

So hey, y'know how I was complaining about Rex Morgan arcs going on forever? Well, the one it was on when I wrote my review ended about a week or so ago, with a really poor conclusion. Then they immediately jump into another one that'll take forever involving characters I don't care about and the introduction of new ones I still won't care about. I think that I just like complaining about Rex Morgan at this point.

As for the good comic, Pearls Before Swine, I have an issue with his latest comic, involving a bike rider being a rude jerk for no reason except for apparently thinking he's better than other people because he rides a bike. As someone who enjoys bike riding and has had to deal with asshole drivers trying to force me out of the bike lane and onto the sidewalk, I have to take issue with this representation of biking. However, this is just one small issue, and it doesn't make the comic any less good just because I disagree on one issue.

So how have I been enjoying the comics I've been following? Well, let me start by saying "Wolverine and the X-Men" has been amazing. They switched artists to one I think is suited better for the comic, and the writing is always top-notch. If you like X-Men and you're not reading this, I highly recommend you start now. As for the other X-titles, Uncanny X-Men is still quite good, although this current arc doesn't interest me too much. I find it interesting how they've both recently tied in with Uncanny X-Force, another X-Men comic I really like, but I've been following it in graphic novel form, so I'm a little behind. That made it tricky for me to catch up on all the details, but it's not too great a loss.

Now let's talk Blue Beetle for a bit. I've been reading more of the previous run, before the reboot, and the more I read, the more I prefer it to the rebooted version. Personally, I don't mind how his story ties into the DC universe so tightly; my favorite parts in volume 3 involved tying in characters from other comics. Guy Gardner, Traci 13, and Eclipso added a lot of flavor to the story, and provided some of the highlights of the comic. I'll leave you with some quotes to demonstrate, and those who have read it will know what I mean: "Is. That. A. Giant. Green. Fist?" "Say 'I wish for a porsche' before it wears off!" and "I... am... A DENTIST!" It builds a good story, provides excellent character development, and ties Jaime into the DCU very nciely.

Then we have the rebooted Blue Beetle. It's similar in many ways; lots of the same characters, Jaime arguing with the Scarab, the Spanglish thrown throughout the dialogue, the same antagonists, that sort of thing. It doesn't exactly retell the same story, which is good, but it seems to be rushing through the key points while still taking more time than it should to really establish Jaime's Blue Beetle identity. It also seems to be taking a darker turn, and if future previews are to be believed, it'll soon have Jaime leaving his family and El Paso... which completely removes two of the best things about the comics. Not to mention how recent issues (SPOILERS) have caused a fair deal of trouble for Paco, and very well may have turned him into the Venom to Jaime's Spidey. Which reminds me, a friend of mine has stated his concern that they're turning Blue Beetle into DC's version of Spider-Man, and while I like Spidey, he and Blue Beetle are two different entities and should be kept that way.

Not to say I wouldn't like to see a Blue Beetle/Spider-Man crossover if DC and Marvel would ever agree to it. Cuz that would be awesome.

What else have I been reading? Well, I've been catching up on The Dresden Files. I recently finished Fool Moon, which I feel was weaker than the previous one, but definitely kept things tense and interesting. I have a feeling the author liked to mention when a woman was naked just a little much. However, I'm not going to review something published that long ago in the series, so my actual Dresden reviews will be reserved for when I'm caught up to speed.

I've also started reading a few other things. Game of Thrones I plan to read before watching the TV show (taking it one book at a time, of course), then I've been meaning to read The Princess Bride, since any friends of mine know I love the movie. I've also started on the webcomic Girl Genius (I know, what took me so long?) but I haven't gotten far enough to make any solid statements about it.

I guess at this point I'm not sure what I'll review next, so I'm open to suggestions. I've been short on time, but I still want to keep this blog active, and I'd like some input. So until next time, this has been whatever I read.