Video: Superman Vs. the Hulk

Video: Superman Vs. the Hulk

Review: Action Comics #3

Action Comics #3, cover by Morales & Anderson

Superman is an old character, and one that some people have often had trouble relating to.  Seen as the ultimate boy scout, as a man in a stable marriage who works a 9-to-5 job, teens in particular often reject him.  And while other writers have played up Superman’s genuine outsider status (most brilliantly in recent years, Kurt Busiek in the fantastic and melancholy Superman: Secret Identity), few have aligned it so thoroughly with the spirit of teenage rebellion than Grant Morrison is doing in Action Comics right now.  I don’t know if the audience will bite, but Morrison has envisioned a thoroughly youthful Superman, a self-righteous warrior for truth with a black-and-white view of right and wrong and the power to try and enforce change.   But like we all discover eventually, change is really, really, really, really hard – even for Superman – and pushing against the status quo is a great way to make enemies.

DCnU Timeline v2.1 (+ rant)

Version 2.1 is here!  Why 2.1?  Well this is basically version 2 but with a rant about Crisis events due to a recent message from Didio countering an older interview of Harras and Berganza.

Review: Action Comics #2

Spoiler Warning

Round-table Rant: DCnU #1′s Summary

For the last several months, we’ve been buzzing about the DC relaunch.  Now that we’ve read the first 52 issues, the read/RANT team weighs in with our thoughts.

Review: Superman #1

Superman #1

Growing up, I was never much of a comic book reader.  I didn’t grow up with Superman, didn’t grow up loving the Man of Steel, and so when I finally did start reading comics late in high school, and get really interested in comics in college, I never understood the adulation he got, his place in the pantheon of All-Time Pop Culture Greats.  I thought he was boring.  Who cares about an hero who can’t get hurt?  Who can do everything?

DCnU Timeline v2

After skipping last week due to a general lack of info, I’m here with an updated version of my first Timeline!  Version 2 has a couple updates and one change from version 1.

Review: Swamp Thing #1

“Better late than never,” my Mum often says.  Perhaps no one understands this better than comic book fans in Australia.  While our peers in America are enjoying this week’s comics and writing new reviews, we’re waiting for our comics to arrive (fingers crossed for tomorrow).  And, since I don’t have anything better to do while I wait for said comics, I figured I’d review the one New 52 comic from last week that hasn’t been fully reviewed on read/rant as yet. 

“Last but not least,” is another Mum-ism … and that’s also a very apt description of Swamp Thing #1, which was comfortably one of the three best debut issues from the first two weeks of DCnU.

As always, there may be spoilers ahead.

Retrospective: Teen Titans vol 3 (part 1)

I’m a fan of the Teen Titans, especially the latest incarnation that went from 2003-2011 and as this relaunch makes it seem their entire history may be erased, I wanted to give them a farewell starting with issues 1-7 (also collected in trade form as “A Kid’s Game” or the soon to be released Teen Titans Omnibus 1).  Like usual, beware of spoilers.

DCnU Timeline v1

So DC gave us a “relaunch” where bits are the same, others erased, and the general timeline crunched down due to de-aging many (but not all) of the characters.  Due to this I at least am very confused on how everything fits in.  So with the help of the other bloggers, I’ve decided to piece together a timeline.

NewU Reviews: Week One of the DC Relaunch

Action Comics #1

One week in, and I have to say: I’m impressed.  It’s not that all of the books are winners. They aren’t.  There’s a fair bit of mediocrity here.  But it’s the sort of mediocrity that SELLS.  It’s the kind many people like.  While I found the Batbooks lacking the ambition of Morrison’s run or the strong characterization and storytelling of Snyder’s run, the fact is that all of them are solid executions on a formula that works.  Outside of maybe Hawk and Dove (the only book I put down without having a solid grasp on what it wanted to do or say), every book on here stands a fair chance of finding a loyal audience – and what’s more, there’s an awful lot of ambition on display.

But what has really impressed me is the variety of stories on display.  Whether it’s the way Morrison and Morales have shaken up the way Superman is ‘supposed to’ look, act and sound, the way Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder are effortlessly blending superheroes with horror or the way Ivan Brandon gives war a terrifying new dimension in a world full of superhumans, the New DCU seems to have something to offer everyone!

Character Study: Justice League #1 – Part 2

In Character Study, I’m taking a look at how the key characters in Justice League #1 are portrayed and see what it all might mean for the brave new world that is DCnU. 

In Part 1, I looked at Batman and Vic Stone.  In Part 2, I turn the spotlight on Green Lantern and Superman.

Character Study: Justice League #1 – Part 1

By now, the internet has been flooded with reviews for the book that launches a whole new status quo for the DC Universe. And, as many reviewers have commented, this is not your dad’s DCU and you’ve never seen this Justice League before.

So what could I possibly add to the digital cacophony, especially since I had to wait a few extra days for my comics to travel halfway around the world to Australia?

Instead of offering yet another review of Justice League #1, I have decided to focus on what is, for me, the most important part of any story – the characters.

The End of the Super-Marriage

It’s so over!

But Dan Didio is breaking the news to the media gently telling NBC New York’s PopcornBiz blog, “Let’s just say it’s being reexamined,because it’s something that I think is something that is so valuable to the character’s story that you really want to explore all facets of it. Not just as it exists currently.”

What to Expect: Week 1 of the Relaunch

While lebeau continues to give you a fantastic title-by-title breakdown of the upcoming relaunch, I’m going to take a slightly different take on things.    With the full solicits revealed, release dates included, we now have a slightly better idea of what to expect come September.  So I’m going to break down the solicits by release date, talk a little bit about what I’m going to get – and what I’m going to skip – and why, so you’ll have an idea of what some of the books that will definitely see coverage here will be… and which of your favorites you can heartily mock me for skipping.

So, with that brief introduction, on to week one of the solicits, otherwise known as… September 7th.

Sneak Peek at Superman, Supergirl and Superboy #1 covers!

Ooops.  Someone at DC’s blog slipped up and the covers to three of tomorrow’s Superman announcements got spoiled.  Fortunately, someone saved them before DC noticed.  Wanna have a look?

Video: Smallville Finale (Spoilers)

Video: Smallville Finale (Spoilers).

‘Smallville’ scoop: Does this teaser sound familiar? (via Inside TV)

 

 

‘Smallville’ scoop: Does this teaser sound familiar? #via Inside TV#.

Superman Director Announced!

It may be Bat-month here at read/RANT!  But the big news in Hollywood has been focusing on the other two members of DC’s trinity.  Coming hot on the heels of the announcement that a new Wonder Woman TV series was in development, Warner Brother has announced that Zach Snyder has been chosen to direct the next Superman movie.

Review: Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

The latest direct to video DC animated feature hits the shelves September 28.  This is an early review.