Matt Smith has been named the 11th Doctor and he’s as old as I am. That’s just…weird. 

The official announcement finally came after months of internet rumors. There was speculation we could see our first female or African American Doctor but instead we get another tall, skinny guy with crazy brown hair. That’s really my only issue with the choice, I wish they had gone with someone physically different from David Tennant. At least get a red head in the role!

Last time there was a switch in Doctors, from Christopher Eccleston to Tennant, it was a surprise. This time I’d venture to say, it’s one of the most publicized announcements since Heath Ledger was named the Joker. Not only that but Smith is a relative unknown actor. His Imdb profile lists only seven roles to date and rather ironically he’s the 11th Matt Smith on Imdb. Coincidentally, three of those seven roles were alongside Doctor Who veteran Billie Piper in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, The Ruby in the Smoke and it’s counterpart, The Shadow in the North.

BBC did an interview with our new Time Lord on Doctor Who Confidential over the weekend. The UK version of their site doesn’t allow you to watch the video in the US but it has been uploaded to YouTube for your enjoyment.

I’m a wait and see kind of gal. I’m not going to make any judgments (except that one I already made above) until I see Smith in action. Steven Moffat, who is of course replacing Russell T. Davies as writer/executive producer, will also be under the microscope at first but definitely not as much as this poor guy is gonna be for the next year or so.

What do you think of the news? What’s your first impression of the new Doctor? The next question that begs to be answered: Who will/should be the Doctor’s new companion? I nominate myself. I’m certainly old enough!  :)

You can also view and discuss this article at my blog, TheNerdyBird.com.

Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with another installment of DoubleDCoverage.  With only one more week of comics in 2008 it’s time to start looking ahead. There’s going to be a lot of changes happening in the DCU over the next year, not just with the characters but the titles themselves as well. Lots of books are finishing their runs soon but there are definite plans for several new books this year as well, one of which came out last week. I’m sad to say I might have to start cutting back on my pull list due to financial reasons (I hope the rumored price increase is false) but I’ll still be bringing you all the main action DC has to offer in my column every two weeks. Have a great New Years Eve everyone! Now, on to business. Check out what you’ve missed the last two weeks….

December 17,  2008:

BATGIRL #6 (OF 6)

I was a bit underwhelmed by this mini-series but it had an ending that plays largely into the Batman universe. Cassandra has been planning to kill her father David Cain for a long time now. She’s finally gets her chance and of course they fight. Besides what he did to her all those years it’s what he didn’t do to her that angers her the most. He never let her be a child, to play with toys or read books.  She wanted a real family, a real father. When he’s hanging by his fingertips on the edge of a building her conscience won’t let her kill him but that doesn’t mean she has to pull him up to save him either. She has a last second change of heart as he finally loses his grip but luckily for her there was another ledge close below where Batman and Robin were waiting. Batman is proud of her and tells her he’d like to start adoption proceedings, something he says he should have done a long time ago. She finally gets a family, just in time for Bruce to disappear.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #14

Alfred finally lays the law down with Nightwing and Batgirl. The two have been at each others throats for a while now and finding out she was putting together a network to replace Batman was the last straw for Nightwing.  He’s angry because he doesn’t think Batman would have approved but Alfred says it has his blessing if it allows the legacy to continue. Dick admits Bruce adopting Cassandra didn’t sit well with him and apologizes for not giving her a fair chance. They both agree the network is a good idea but that it’s better managed by Nightwing. The Riddler guest stars in his own wacky version of Clue while a menacing shadowy figure appears getting whipped and told he’s not worthy. He also spies on Nightwing and Batgirl, talks with some monks and says the Suit of Sorrows is beckoning him. Azrael anyone? A Batman and the Outsiders Special is up next with a new team member.

BIRDS OF PREY #125

Black Canary and Oracle are on vacation in Las Vegas (though for some reason the cover says Europe). Of course their vacations involve stealing cars and taking out the bad guys. Babs is focusing on taking down the Syndicate one member at a time instead of dealing with her recent run-in with the Joker but Dinah knows her too well to let her off the hook about it. While they temps the Caretaker with a beautiful car the rest of the team heads to his sick collection room to free his victims. Along the way we find out the nature of Infinity’s powers. She says she can read residual memory in the brain of a corpse as long as it’s intact but that she has to make physical contact. Huntress asked where her phasing ability originated and she told her it was due to a curse, not science.  Oracle is left cursing her wheelchair for the only reason the Joker was able to escape.

DCU HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2008 

I always look forward to the DC Holiday Specials. We get classic and brand new holiday tales in this one. Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson write an amazing switcheroo story that will really make you think twice about where Santa came from. DC Senior VP Dan Didio has Aquaman starring in a Nativity and Detective Comics’ Dustin Nguyen makes “Good King Wenceslas” look very…well, good! His work here makes me think he’d be a great choice to draw an arc of Fables. Gotham feels hopeful for a change, with a little help, in “A Day Without Sirens” and Tiny Titans helmsmen Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani take a shot writing some larger Titans The only miss for me this issue was “Christmas with the Beetles” although the highlight comes from former Blue Beetle artist Rafael Albuquerque and writer Amanda McMurray. They lead Huntress in a touching story that really shows Helena’s talent as a teacher and tells a valuable lesson that fits year-round. “The Night Before Christmas” has the Teen Titans in NYC for what feels like the only in continuity tale in the bunch. Bombshell is still having trouble adjusting to her new “family” and Miss Martian surprises Red Devil with not only her brief appearance but also a kiss. “Party Animal” is the real comic relief of the issue with a holiday party at the JLA satellite crashed by Shaggyman. Finally the female Dr. Light who made her reappearance in the last issue of Justice League brings light to Metropolis after a run-in with some villains showing us her moniker will associated with hope.

MANHUNTER #37

I thought I missed an issue. The last arc ended and it looked to be setting up something very specific for this one only I was completely wrong as this issue picks up about 15 years into Kate’s future. I’m not entirely sure what happened, the DC site says this arc is called “Matters of Choice” and would seem to dictate where I thought this arc was originally going but instead it’s “Some Years Later.” This could be a direct result of the series being canceled, having to make last minute changes and them never editing the summary. Regardless this was one of the most enjoyable issues of Manhunter I’ve ever read. Kate is still a superhero, she’s got a boyfriend who’s 15 years younger than she is, her son Ramsey has just decided to join the good fight with a group of “Legacy kids” and witness protectee Dylan is also hanging around. He’s still with Cameron and now creating tech for costumes apparently. Speaking of costumes, Ramsey’s boyfriend Justin could use a little help with his. As in wearing something besides just a pair of tighty-whities, although his power is to grow larger so maybe they weren’t so tight to begin with. In a brief look into other aspects of the DCU future we get to see Obsidian as part of this new super team as well as his daughter, Jade. That is, if all of this actually comes to be. Villain Nellie Lovett was seen this issue trying to steal the razor of Sweeney Todd. Instead Kate hands it over to Bones, who she’s working for again, only to have Lovett show up and him get possessed by Sweeney Todd.

ROBIN #181 

Anarky  is terrorizing Gotham while Tim sits in the Batcave badly burned from an explosion trying to figure out the best way to create order out of chaos. Spoiler is still operating on orders Batman left for her, to make Robin better and able to take over in his absence by  making him work things out differently. Robin has Jason Bard working to get dirt on the two dirty detectives, Cavallo and Wise, who just had all charges dropped against them. Tim also seems to be channeling Bruce, neglecting his burns and rejecting medication from Alfred, because something still doesn’t fit. This doesn’t feel like Anarky to him and he’s absolutely right to think so. Turns out the General (Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong) has been impersonating Anarky but also holding the real Anarky (Lonnie Machin) captive after disabling him somehow. Robin does find this out but not before he strikes again and this time Spoiler gets the brunt of the explosion. Tim allows Anarky to have his fun all the while knowing he’s playing right into his hands because all this time he’s been figuring out how to make the chaos work for him. When it is time to fight he steps into the Red Robin costume instead because of his massive injuries. It will be interesting to see how these events shape Tim for the upcoming Battle for the Cowl series.

SUPERGIRL #36 

In the last part of the New Krypton storyline that took place in Action Comics #872 we saw Supergirl’s father Zor-El shot through the chest with a large energy beam by Reactron. She gets a chance to say goodbye and hear him say he’s proud of her but it’s really hard to believe they’ve killed him off so quickly after bringing him back. There’s a page of art with no dialogue that’s very reminiscent of Supergirl’s death in the original Crisis with Superman holding her body. Here’s she’s crying out while holding his body but I feel we don’t get enough of a true emotional response from her.  Superman and one of the Kandor guards, Thara, try to figure out what went wrong when Alura finds her husband dead. Alura does the worst thing possibly at his funeral by suggesting violence against the humans for his death. She blames Superman and her daughter as well saying it wouldn’t have happened if they both did a better job as superheroes. After running off, Supergirl runs into the obvious Kandorian, though still masked, Superwoman who wants to be friends. We finally get a flash of what Nightwing and Flamebird did after finding Alura’s security team (and Zod’s followers) trying to invade the Fortress back in Number 4 (or is this a separate incident) of the interconnecting story (Action Comics #871). The team had blueprints of the White House.

TANGENT: SUPERMAN’S REIGN #10 (OF 12)

Batman guilts Lola Dent, Earth Tangent Superman’s ex, into aiding them in taking down her former husband before he takes over New Earth. She’s the only one who can help seeing as how she’s gifted with his exact powers. Back on New Earth, Superman and the others managed to survive the nuke TS set off in the middle of the ocean. The heroes trapped on Tangent team up to create a portal back to NE bringing Lola with them. TS has taken the world leaders to the Fortress of Solitude of all places. He’s also recruited an army consisting of NE villains to aid him in his self-proclaimed war. The History Lesson this time around focuses on the Spectre. On Tangent he’s Tyler Pike a teenaged science whiz who bombarded himself with neutrinos making him able to become intangible. He was a thief before he joined the Secret Six. Tangent Guy Gardner has finally had enough of playing the teacher and shows his true colors. He’s Tangent Clayface. And rather ugly if I do say so myself.

TERRA #4 (OF 4)

The Terra mini-series wraps up a bit too quickly and simply for my tastes but it was a fun ride and a nice introduction to the new character. Seeking help for his decapitated girlfriend Veronica, Faulkner drills his way to Terra’s home Strata. When her head accidentally falls in some lava wiping her face clear off he blames Geo-Force and is done listening to reason. Terra takes him down but feels sorry for him and takes what’s left of Veronica’s head to her friend Aurla who explains what changed Faulkner. The glowing lake is actually the lifeblood of something called the Astronaut God. It was an alien being that died long ago but who’s corpse drifted in the universe long before the creation of Strata or humans.  Turns out his corpse falling to Earth is what killed the dinosaurs to long ago. His DNA and a computer record of his life were preserved for the people of Strata to find much later after they evolved inside of his dead (and rather large) body. Aurla thinks she might be able to clone Veronica but they decide to hold Faulkner in a cell and do what they can for him. She also tells GF she must remove the memory of Strata from his mind but before they do he tells Terra he approves of her using his sisters codename. You’d think that would be the end of the issue but instead the last several pages are used to bring Power Girl back so her and Terra can become friends. The scenes are really amusing, from trying on clothes to eating sushi, but you can tell Connor and Palmiotti can’t wait to start their PG series.

TRINITY #29 

Alfred and the Trinity associates reveal themselves to the primitive village in Happy Harbor after preventing the start of a war with a nearby tribe. Members of the village explain their gods are named Atmahn, Kellel and Dinanna and invite the associates on a pilgrimage to bear tribute to them. Tarot asks Charity to do a tarot reading for her and they both realize she must give herself to the Dark Trinity  to spare the JSI from spreading itself too thin to protect her. Before she allows the Dreambound to take her, she gives Charity her cards. Luthor and the other scientists are doing the best they can to help the JSI even though Commander Hall is hellbent on saving lives rather than figuring out what T.V.M. is doing with the creation energy he’s been collecting. Green Arrow and the League are trying to prevent one major villain from escaping prison while all the chaos continues but fails when Commander Hall teleports everyone to Metropolis to help. The big bad that escapes? Brainiac. Emphasis on the brain. Tomorrow Woman pulls herself back together, literally, and is able to close the reality rift in Metropolis only to have more pop up all over the world. The two halves of the story seem to be getting closer together as we are now more than halfway through this year long series.

December 24,  2008:

BATMAN #683

I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this but, this issue actually made sense to me. It was a breath of fresh air too. Now that things are falling into place it makes me with the timeline of Batman and Final Crisis had coincided better but such is life. We continue the journey into Bruce’s past as the Lump continues to steal his memories and implant himself in new, false memories. We see Talia and Ra’s real actions briefly and Bruce being conned by Catwoman in a false memory but Batman proves his reputation right and starts fighting back. When Darkseid’s followers realize this they force Lump to up the power as Batman relives the Joker killing Jason Todd and shooting Barbara, some of his worst memories. The Batmen clones start freaking out inside their test tubes as Bane once again breaks Batman’s back and he consoles Tim after his fathers murder. Awesomely he uses the Lumps power against him and gives him all the horrible memories he has and then some which begins killing the clones. Darkseid’s followers panic and shoot Lump but Batman gives him once last jolt. We see Thogal, Damien and Zur En Arrh then finally get a glimpse of what happened after the helicopter crash. He talks about “Batman’s last case,” it’s revealed to be solving the murder of Orion and that brings us up to date to the start of Final Crisis. Alfred reveals the whereabouts of Batman remain unknown. FC #6 will be the Dark Knight’s “last adventure.”

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #20

The last issue began the new arc with a bang but this time around it feels a little thin. Character moments are brief and jumpy with not much explanation. The Guardians are trying to determine whether the stories Cora has written about worlds destroyed by the Purge are history or legends. On Kahlo, Hal and Orlan are still investigating the destruction of Kymera when they find a lone survivor. He’s a Prootian who hid inside a secretion of protective matter, native to his species, to tell of the “Eater of Life.” He finds this odd seeing as how it’s an old wives tale in his culture about god punishing the sinful. Phantom Stranger talks with Orlan’s wife Marika back at their home. He believes the Belamort would not affect him and is proved very wrong when it attacks him from behind without warning and puts him under it’s dreamlike state. Hal encounters similar behavior in the Belamort Forest and races back to Orlan’s house to find PS unconscious and Marika dead. Again his ring’s power starts to drain and finds Orlan has been adapted by the Eater of Life. He’s been using his Lantern ring as he wishes without the restraints of the Guardians rules. He believes he is setting free those he’s murdered. The Prootian is also sought out by the Eater of Life who kills him because he was overlooked earlier. Back on Earth at Arcadia hospital Cora’s condition has worsened causing Dr. Treves to ask his superior, Mr. Harman, if he can move her to a more appropriate facility. This Harman is apparently a very important person, he’s giving a keynote speech and not only denies Dr. Treves’ request but orders the entire facility, children, doctors and staff, to be killed.

THE FLASH #247

By now we all know that Geoff Johns is doing Flash Rebirth. In the meantime poor Wally West has been left to flail in the wind. I was actually enjoying this arc, which I knew to be his last for now, until they completely rushed and, in my opinion, botched the ending of it here. They made all this fuss about Wally asking the Spectre to help Linda last issue, he does, the Spectre says no and that’s that. Ok…? Zatanna and Raven team up to bring her back from the brink but she’s still in bad shape. Roy then has to break the news to Wally that Queen Bee took his kids and with his powers slowly seeping away he’s on the clock to find them. She’s been passing herself off as Linda and running tests on the kids powers to channel the speed force into a weapon.  She even has Iris kill one of her hive. A few extra Titans show up to help and they all head to where Queen Bee is holding the kids. With Iris’ help directing the speed force Wally miraculously and instantaneously gets his powers back to full strength while QB’s new weapon backfires and causes her to lose vibrational control of herself. And then…Linda is on her feet and they go back to being a family. Huh?! It was just a little too neat for me. Sure Iris is traumatized and Jai seems to be waiting for a battle but that’s really it? They go on vacation together. No, really.

RANN/THANAGAR: HOLY WAR #8 (OF 8 )

I wasn’t particularly enjoying this series but it wasn’t terrible and I only have a few problems with this final issue. Everyone teams up for what they think it too easy a fight so you’d expect something would happen to prove them wrong. It doesn’t. It is that easy. And it’s even easier when Starman comes back to assist them. Lady Styx’s ship falls to the planet and she walks out immediately in search of sustenance. Sardath, who had been convinced of her authority as the ultimate god, freaks out when he sees her and dismisses his beliefs. That’s all he had to do? SEE her?! “Oh I’m sorry God, you’re ugly, I’m not gonna believe in you anymore.” Give me a break. Synnar the Demiurge orders Deacon Dark to leave as the Thanagarians retreat promising this is not the end for him and that his power will only grow. The highlight of the issue is the Weird overloading himself with energy to cause him to explode with the power of “a trainload of nuclear bombs.” Just as he’s about to go boom, Adam zeta beams him literally  inside Synnar where he can do the most harm. He, of course, “dies” and the Aberrant Six we’ve been hearing about the entire mini-series are still in the dark about their role. Hell, we don’t even know who all of them are. The Demiurge continues to narrate how he must keep increasing power because there is still one more powerful he must face in time. Rann is completely destroyed by the blast yet the Weird seems to survive only to be the new host for the Demiurge although this may not be what he expected. Oh and remember Adam telling Sardath about Plan X ? That stood for exodus. They took everyone off Rann and transported them to Thrownworld. Starman, now having no people left to rule over, accepts the new inhabitants and proclaims his planet New Rann. Adam is nice enough to send Bizarro back to his home world and discusses with the rest of the Space team how they’re all going to lie and say all the Rannians were killed in the explosion, including Adam. He even tells Hawkman not to inform the JLA or JSA about this little scheme to keep the Rannians safe.

REIGN IN HELL #6

There’s still a lot of fighting going on in hell but this time around the fights actually mean something. Doctor Fate faces Lady Blaze and as if she wasn’t ugly enough, he rips most of the flesh from her bones and leaves her kinda juicy looking. She heads back to her brother Lord Satanus for help and he lets her in on a secret. He’s got a plan to use DMN, the drug that transformed humans into demons, to do the exact opposite in hell. He makes a public announcement calling out Neron to fight which he accepts. Neron beats Satanus to a pulp but just before he’s about to end it Satanus pulls out his wild card. He says Neron is just the sum of demonic entities consumed over millennia, therefore when he triggers the reversed DMN by using the word Shazam (don’t know the significance of that yet) Neron loses all the demons that have been powering him this entire time. Completely helpless, Satanus easily rips his head from his body and claims hell as his own. Zatanna battles dirty with Lobo after he killed her father Zatara. She makes him bleed and, for a second time this issue, he gets the skin ripped off his chest. Zatanna doesn’t have it in her to kill him and leaves him frozen while her, Sargon and Ibis make an escape. Lobo swears this isn’t over. Does Z have a villain set up for her upcoming series?  The backup story continues Doctor Occults journey with Yellow Peri and Rose. The travel to Err and find the Linda Danvers Supergirl there as a Fallen Angel. She holds a bible and says she was recruited by Lilith but ran away. She insists she can help. Rose, still insisting she wants to stay in hell and fight, leads them towards Purgatory where they will be safe but she can not enter.

SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL: MAELSTROM #4 (OF 5)

Supergirl has the right idea for a change and begs the aliens who poisoned Superman to help him instead of trying to beat them up.  They give her an antidote without saying a word and she even gets them to stop dismantling their ship just by saying please. While Kal was passed out she also took the initiative and found a way to repair their ship with schematics Batman apparently kept onboard. Back on Earth the Female Furies and Maelstrom have finally arrived and demand to see Superman. When he doesn’t show up the start breaking stuff and throwing people around. Of course Lois and Jimmy are around to be taken  hostage as well. Back on the alien planet Kara must fight a giant flying octopus in order to feed her and Kal. Over “dinner” they have awkward conversations about boys and what Aquaman eats. They finally decide it’s time to head back home and agree to spend more quality time together. Next issue is the last and the showdown with Maelstrom and the Furies.

TRINITY #30

The Trinity associates join the primitive culture on their pilgrimage while hearing their history told each night by members of the community. They speak of their creator in a very biblical fashion and Alfred surmises Krona was the one responsible through means of the cosmic egg. The villagers worked constantly to prove themselves to their god but were left in despair when they realized they were nothing but tools when Krona disappeared. It was then they found hope in the Trinity who taught them new meaning.  In the second half of the story, the villains collected by the Dreambound are hiding out in the mountains when they discover a traitor in their midst. Space Ranger from the League had hidden his identity just long enough to sneak another operative in they wouldn’t notice. Ray Palmer. Through him Brainwave, back at the JLI headquarters, views the Dark Trinity’s plans. They speak about manipulating reality by  finding representatives of the Tarot in each of the villains, with a few still to be found. The Tarot is just one way to look at it but it all comes down to patterns and the Commander Hall realizes he’s been trying to form an opposing force to fit the same roles but with good guys. Only he’s got more people to find than the Dark Trinity does. It’s a good thing Charity shows up offering her help.

VIGILANTE #1

I picked up this new series with low expectations and they were met. Although, to be fair, I went into this issue about this version of the character introduced in Nightwing last year with an open mind. I wanted to give it a chance but my instincts were right this time around, there was nothing interesting, exciting, new or different about Vigilante’s start. Here’s the gist. Vigilante is operating out of New York City right now in hopes of taking out some mobsters and revealing a good guy meta who may be turning bad. There’s also some talk about the Election bombings which may or may not harken back to the DC Universe Decisions mini-series from a couple months ago in which Jericho was revealed as the perpetrator. He’s still working with his computer/tech buddy JJ who finally refers to him as Dorian. We also see him without his mask for the first time as he goes undercover ala Bruce Wayne’s Matches Malone as a wholly less fun sounding, Joe Flynn, to work for Tobias Whale. If you remember,  Vigilante’s story in Nightwing got cut short and was supposed to pick up in Nightwing just a few months later. That never happened so it sorta wraps up here with Eddie Huang and Liu murdered and Vigilante noticing a Checkmate login on Eddie’s computer.  And that’s pretty much that. Vigilante gets himself arrested as Joe Flynn and sent to Stryker’s to work from the inside. 

WONDER WOMAN #27

Donna and Cassie here about the massacre at the mall and get there as fast as they can to help. They’re both barely holding it together but Donna reminds her they are Amazons and will only grieve once their duty is done. Wonder Woman is barely conscious as Tom Tresser (Nemesis) tries to get her down from where she’s been strung up by Genocide. They’re about to leave him behind to get her to Themyscira when he informs them he’s technically now an Amazon too after his meeting with Hippolyta. Zeus heads to the side of the now fading Athena who insists their time is up and makes him promise to save her Amazons. With the help of Hermes they call out to the amnesiac Amazons living in the world to come home to rest. The peace he is offering to them is the peace of the grave. Meanwhile Genocide is still killing everything in site as she heads back to the Secret Society headquarters in Gotham. Morrow is still scared to death of her and Faust won’t touch her. She tells Morrow to make WW’s lasso part of her. The Crime Doctor does just that, weaving it around her bones, so when she heads off to the Department of Metahuman affairs she’s even more dangerous. She’s killing all of Diana’s coworkers and in the panic Director Steel kills one of his own thinking he was an Amazon spy. It seems Genocide has been sent to find another of WW’s foes, Doctor Psycho. The Justice League shows up but quickly find out she’s too much for them to handle. WW insists on going back to help them as she admits to Tom the lasso is capable of much more than she’s led them to believe.

So, what did YOU think? What are you excited about and what could you live without?

The complete list of Gold and Silver books has been announced for Free Comic Book Day 2009. The 8th annual FCBD falls on May 2nd.

Looks like the highlight for me will be DC’s Blackest Night #0. We get a look at the new Black Lanterns symbol but unfortunately it’s all previously published material inside. It’s a good spot to catch up though as the book will include key moments in the Green Lantern universe that led to the “War of Light.”

Here’s what else you can look forward to picking up on FCBD:

GOLD COMIC BOOKS

• Archie Comics: Archie Presents: The Mighty Archie Art Players
• BOOM! Studios: Disney/Pixar’s Cars
• Bongo Comics: 2009 Free For All
• Dark Horse Comics: Star Wars: Clone Wars
• DC Comics: Green Lantern: Blackest Night #0
• IDW Publishing: Transformers Animated/G.I. Joe
• Image Comics: Savage Dragon #148
• Oni Press: Resurrection #0
• Marvel Comics: The Avengers
• Viz Media: Shonen Jump Presents: Ultimo

SILVER COMIC BOOKS

• A First Salvo: Contract #1
• Adhouse Books: FCHS
• Alterna Comics: Attack of the Alterna: Zombies!
• Antarctic Press: Gold Digger #101/Prince of Heroes
• Ape Entertainment: Ape Cartoonapalooza #2
• Arcana Studio: Arcana Studio Presents
• Archie Comics: Sonic the Hedgehog: Evolution of a Hero
• Aspen MLT: Worlds of Aspen #4
• Bluewater Productions: William Shatner Presents #1
• BOOM! Studios: Warhammer Fantasy
• Comics Festival: Comics Festival! 2009 Volume 3
• DDP/Devil’s Due Publishing: Mercy Sparx: Under New Management
• Dabel Bros. Publishing: Dabel Bros. Showcase
• Dark Horse Comics: Aliens/Predator
• DC Comics: DC Kids Mega Sampler
• Digital Webbing: Fist of Justice #1
• Drawn & Quarterly: Nancy & Melvin Monster
• Fantagraphics Books: Love & Rockets
• FW Media: Impact University Volume 5
• Gemstone Publishing: EC Comics Sampler
• Gemstone Publishing: The Life & Times of Scrooge McDuck/Mickey & The Gang
• Image Comics/Top Cow Studios: Cyberforce/Hunter:Killer Preview
• Maerkle Press: Love & Capes
• Marvel Comics: Wolverine: Origin of an X:Man
• Mirage Studios: TMNT #1 25th Anniversary Reprint
• Radical Publishing: Radical 2009 Preview
• Red 5 Comics: Atomic Robo and Friends
• Starbridge Media Group: NASCAR Heroes: Origins #1
• Studio 407: Studio 407 Sampler
• Th3rd World Studios: The Stuff of Legend Preview
• Top Shelf Productions: Owly and Friends
• Wildcard Ink: Gumby Two-In-One
• Wizard Entertainment: The Wizard Hot List

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• Diamond Select Toys: FCBD 2009 Minimate
• Wizards of the Coast: Magic the Gathering: Agents of Artifice Paperback Sampler

For more information, questions or updates check out the official FCBD website, www.freecomicbookday.com.

What are your MUST HAVES this year? Don’t forget, you can also view and discuss this article at TheNerdyBird.com.

Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with another installment of DoubleDCoverage.  Milestone characters make their first appearance in the DCU, New Krypton is heating up, Final Crisis is getting creepier by the minute and Batman Confidential is ripping off The Dark Knight! Check out what you’ve missed the last two weeks….

December 3,  2008:

BATMAN #682 

If you were looking for some answers after the last issue of Batman R.I.P. you won’t find them in these pages. This issue, which came out just a week later, is a run-down of some of the most important events in Batman’s life as detailed by  what the reader is to believe as Alfred. Grant Morrison likes to think of Batman’s 70 year history and all the varied stories within as actually happening to one man. It’s hard to combine the campy with the dark but he’s doing what he can to connect them all here. This issue is also meant to tie-in to Final Crisis though I’m still a little iffy on the timeline. We see Bruce deciding to become Batman as well as his decision to become a playboy. He witnesses Dick Grayson’s parents murdered at the circus and we see them working together until Dick evolves into Nightwing. Batman contemplates how the Joker went  from being a wild killer to, well, a clown. The original Batwoman, Katherine Kane, shows up and falls in love with Bruce only to be erased by the original Crisis. We finally see Batman as he volunteers to be put into the isolation chamber by Doctor Simon Hurt. Then things start to converge with what I guess you could call the present. We see a creature called The Lump (resembling Clayface).  He’s telepathic and parasitic and is somehow inside Batman’s memories in the form of Alfred. He’s filing these memories, along with some biological material into a database. When Bruce becomes aware of this, false memories start playing out in his head and we see Dark Side’s followers (Final Crisis) impressed by his superior reactions. They’re hoping to create an army of Batmen. Like I said, the timeline is still sketchy. Was Bruce apprehended immediately after the helicopter explosion or is this taking place the “six months later” we saw in the last issue of R.I.P.? The next issue of Batman will have more along these lines but there’s an issue of FC in-between. Wanna place bets on which will give us answers? I’m going with neither.

EL DIABLO #4 (OF 6)

El Diablo kills Chato’s old best friend Jerry, his wife and his own godson because of their sins leaving only one little boy left alive. He steals all the money Jerry had and takes fake ID’s and H.I.V.E., Intergang and Council tech with him. He goes for a doctors visit to search out his old girlfriend Julie and tells her everything. She agrees to help him find out about Chutriel. A rabbi explains the name comes from Sumerian myth. Chutu and Ninhursag were lover gods who were separated. Ninhursag was vengeful and created monsters out of stolen children, organs and body parts. He says it’s a story of sacrifice much like that of Job in the bible. He tells Chato he must ask, “Does God have a plan for me, and am I willing to accept it?” and the he will talk to Chutriel. Julie informs Chato they’ve seen gang members coming into the hospital lately with missing organs and they conclude someone is cloning and selling them on the black market. Agent Aaron surprises them both when he shows up with more answers. A group called Cerberus took over for Jorge and he wants Chato to use El Diablo to stop them by any means necessary. He does but upon his return home Julie’s ghost greets him before he can walk in the door to see her corpse. Vorpal murdered her and she urges him not to avenge her.  Agent Aaron gets in trouble, it seems El Diablo took out his frustrations on American servicemen at an army hospital outside of Phoenix. Uncle Sam and the Freedom fighters have a big problem with that. El Diablo and Vorpal are poised for a showdown.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #21 

Picking up where the last JSA Kingdom Come special left off, the heroes are debating whether they should kneel and worship Gog because he told them to. Jay shows up with the remaining JSA members to let them know Sand has learned some very bad news. Gog is forming a parasitic relationship with the Earth, literally rooting himself to the surface on down. Seven days and it’s permanent, when he leaves it will rip the world apart. Citizen Steel, one of the few members who stuck by Gog but was not gifted stands his ground when offered the gift to feel again. Gog attacks Jay causing him to begin transforming to pure speed force and no one knows how to slow him down. In one of the cooler hero moments I’ve ever seen, KC Superman punches a bolt of lightning coming from Gog to at least stop it from getting worse. Gog takes a barrage from most of the team who are now trying to separate his head from his body. Needless to say he gets angry and takes back his gifts just like a child. KCS has to knock some sense into the newly created Magog (David) to get him to see how Gog is hurting his friends. Gog blasts KCS and when Magog turns against him he undoes his blessing to him as well. No more specials are planned so we have to wait until next month for the long-awaited conclusion.

SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL: MAELSTROM #3 (OF 5)

Maelstrom seems like she’s finally getting what she wants when Darkseid has her cleaned up and brought to his chambers, she even gets a chance to touch him. He says if she can bring him Superman’s body he will make her his slave, if she fails she will be banished from Apokolips. Desaad wonders why he’s letting her do so and Darkseid explains he expects her to fail regardless causing her more pain. More of Superman’s Survival Camp this issue and Kara letting slip it upsets her that she never got to be a kid. Kal falls in a rushing river and breaks his arm causing Kara to rescue him, hurting herself in the process. Just when she thinks this will be enough to force them to go home, a traveling band of armed aliens passes them by.  The aliens ignore them completely until Kara finds them destroying the ship that would take them home. She throws a rock hoping to scare them off but one of them shoots a poison dart that hits Kal. Back on Apokolips, a grumpy Granny Goodness sets Maelstrom up with an escort to handle Supergirl when they’re back on Earth. The Female Furies. Although some things finally happened to move the plot along, this issue felt rather bland.

TERRA #3 (OF 4)

With Deathcoil (called Deadcoil last issue) inhabiting Geo-Force’s body, Terra (Atlee) must find a way to get him out without hurting GF. She succeeds but GF is still hurt. She decides the best thing to do is bring him to her home underground. Richard Faulkner brings girlfriend Veronica to the glowing lake (or primordial genetic reservoir) where he got his powers. Veronica immediately strips down and jumps in. She seems to change like he did but becomes immobile as they both witness Terra diving through the Earth to save GF. All Faulkner sees is a human drilling machine.  He drills after them only to find a chamber of preying mantis creatures. They think he’s trying to kill their offspring so they attack, in the process Veronica gets smashed leaving her head intact for Faulkner to carry around. Terra arrives in time to have her friend Aurla revive GF. They talk about earning the humans trust and how the council is pleased with her work so far. Terra is frustrated she can’t tell them the truth but Aurla says she must in order to be able to fight alongside them and protect their world, Strata. While GF recovers Terra takes some time to visit her family. An informative issue all-around. Strata is a very beautiful world and all the beings are sort of round around the edges and very cute. Not all of them have the power Atlee does, the one’s that do are called Earth Movers. They have watched humanity evolve which is why they are reluctant to share their existence and technology.

TERROR TITANS #3 (OF 6) 

Last time I complained there wasn’t enough progression in the story. This time we get more but it’s almost past the point of  being interesting. We get another one-page summary of another of the Terror Titans, this time Persuader. I’ll sum it up for you. Her daddy left and now she likes to stab things (well, this one is called “Daddy Issues”). Turns out she’s only around because Clock King has promised to let her the man who abandoned her. Bolt comes face to face with his father Dreadbolt who CK had told him he must murder to take his legacy. His dad takes to calling him sissy and they start electrocuting each other. Bolt attempts a different resolution by suggesting they work together, when Dreadbolt rejects him he somehow phases his father halfway into the brick face of the building. It looks…painful and final. CK has been having Bernadeth condition metas to carry out his whim. He asks Copperhead to baby-sit TNTeena who’s fingers were cut off by Ravager last issue. Don’t worry, they’ve sewn them back on. It’s revealed Desaad’s been keeping pets, three members of Infinity Inc. to be exact and CK adds them to his experiments. Ravager is getting annoyed being held in the dark and insists CK lets her in on his secrets. He wants her to stop fighting in the Dark Side Club tournaments but suggests if she fights the former champion  and wins she can keep on fighting and he’ll give her answers. If she loses, she stops fighting and only trains the Terror Titans. So, who’s the object of the big reveal at the end? Oh, it’s a Milestone character I know nothing about. Static.

TRINITY #27 

Konvikt travels with Graak to take Morgaine up on her offer. She asks what his real name is and Graak tells her and Enigma it was Xalitan Xor, Warhound of the First Array. Quite a mouthful. They’re off in search of an army for themselves. Charity and Tarot see a vision of the missing Trinity and realize they can’t bring them back if the ones causing the reality shifts keep attacking it. They’ll also come after Tarot again since she’s the only one that can see it all. Gangbuster and Commander Hall discuss how hard this has been on h im. He realizes there’s a better reality but getting it back means throwing away his life’s work. Gangbuster suggests getting back to the basics. He gives him his old wings. The back-up story brings back some characters from the early Trinity issues, the Dreambound. Primat, Swashbuckler and Sun-Chained-In-Ink are all released from prison by T.V.M. We still don’t know exactly what that stands for but we learn his real name, Michael Cannefick. He came from a wealthy family but turned to drugs when he got bored. Since S.C.I.I. went supernova the group recruits another prisoner Mark Richards, the Tattooed Man. The group tells him his powers are capable of accessing the power of the sun through Maori ritual bindings. He does so painfully and willingly. Since he can  control his tattoos he can now control how he wants to use the sun. Morgaine calls on them to assemble her army which includes several DCU villains.

VIXEN: RETURN OF THE LION #3 (OF 5)

Justice League members Batman, Superman, Red Arrow, Black Canary and Black Lightning are in Africa trying to help Vixen. They found out Aku Kwesi was enlisted by Ridge Ferrick to clear a spot for Intergang in Zambesi. Meanwhile Vixen is being taken care of by  the man who saved her, Brother Tabo,  in the shrine of Saint Amica, a place where animals live in peace together no matter their species. She admits to him she’s been conflicted about being with the Justice League and taking care of her homeland. She tells him the Tantu Totem is the only way she can access her powers and he asks her to demonstrate. Only after she’s in the air mimicking a falcon does he show her he removed the Totem before she took off. When she realizes she’s without it she plummets to the Earth. After giving her some inspiration he sends her off to take care of a rogue lion in the village without the Totem. The Justice League find a bunker run by Intergang. Spiked disks shoot out at them when they try to enter, Black Canary gets scratched by one but Superman blocks the rest from the team. They learn Intergang is building a weapon that will use seismic energy to cause massive shock waves stronger than a megaton bomb. Dinah collapses and Batman informs them there was voodoo poison on the disks. Just when they think it’s a good thing Clark is immune they find him collapsed as well. The story has definitely picked up since last issue.

December 10,  2008:

ACTION COMICS #872

Number 7 in the “New Krypton” story  is filled with drama. Alura is still refusing to cooperate with Superman to give the names of those who murdered the police officers. She has more important things on her mind like restoring the other bottled cities. Gor and the one’s responsible for the deaths are out on another mission to pick up Metallo and Reactron who are both new-and-improved. Luthor has a mental sparring match with Brainiac as he tries to access his memory and reveals he’s found a way to control him. The Super family finally finds out Alura gave the authorization to kill if necessary. Metallo and Reactron are working for Luthor and are taken into custody by the Kandorians on purpose. Luthor then uses Brainiac to open some of the caskets in the hive letting the Creature Commandos and Ultra (Ace Arn) out along with a slew of Brainiac robots. Reactron uses his gold kryptonite and murders several of the Kandorians immediately. While everything is spiraling out of control we see General Lane giving Luthor access to Doomsday’s body for further research, Nightwing and Flamebird looking for Batman in Gotham with hints that Nightwing is Connor Kent and Supergirl’s father getting a hole blown through his chest by Reactron. Is he really dead already? Agent Liberty  is so concerned about the Kandorians he’s called in the JLA and JSA for help. The story continues in Supergirl #36.

AMBUSH BUG: YEAR NONE #5 (OF 6)

The issue opens with Dan Didio having been made into a part of the Source Wall. They seem to be taking a page out of the Venture Bros. playbook here as Ambush Bug becomes a henchman for the day and we get to see what henching is like these days. When a Monitor shows up to kill him he decides to take a few trips to alternate worlds. He has trouble keeping them straight so he’s named them after the thing he likes best about each one. Earth Seasoned Tater Tots (he finds a female version of himself who tries to kill him), Earth Mario Bava Film Marathon, Earth Peach Schnapps (where it’s expletives every other word and a DD Monitor comes to kill him), Earth New Car Smell (Darkdidio!) and Earth Silk Sheets (Didio in drag!). The page of mandatory components of a crossover series is particularly  amusing. DD is left creeping after AB’s girlfriend Bunny. One more issue left of this lighthearted mini.

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #24

I mentioned last time that this arc was very similar to the plot of The Dark Knight film. Now they’re blatantly ripping off dialogue from it. Batman gets himself put in a cell next to the Joker by committing a crime as Matches Malone after the Joker killed yet another person while in custody. He murdered his psychologist in the courtroom after she testified there was no hope for his rehabilitation. How did he do it this time? A banana peel up his pant leg which he tossed in her path. While in his cell the Joker not only gives a fake explanation as to why he’s the way he is ala TDK but tells Matches, “You complete me,” after confessing he knew it was Batman all along. I was appreciating the similarity to the movie for new readers sakes but come on, really? Writer Andrew Kreisberg is a Hollywood writer and producer, I guess that explains it. Detective Shancoe finally goes off the deep-end as a result of the Joker influenced his wife to take her own life in the first issue. Gordon stops by to ask him to go to an AA meeting or to give him his gun and badge but is shocked to find Shancoe’s partner bleeding to death from gun shot wounds on his floor. Shancoe turns on Gordon next and fires. This arc wraps up next issue.

BOOSTER GOLD #15

Booster Gold creator Dan Jurgens actually takes over for this new arc which opens with one of many amazing history jokes that can and do get played out in BG from time to time. His sister Michelle is in Florence sitting for Leonardo Da Vinci. So much for not altering timelines, she just became the model for the Mona Lisa. While heading back in the time sphere they realize Rip Hunter and his lab are gone which means their timeline is altered. Skeets tracks it back to the same museum robbery they had to interfere with previously and a very old knife that was not put back in it’s case. Booster runs into Ralph Dibney who’s watching for more trouble at the museum and has to convince him they know each other from the future. Of course that also means dodging around some difficult questions about his wife Sue. The realize the knife has been taken by another time traveler and Booster falls into a timestream portal to keep it away from him. That also means they have no way of following or tracking him.

DETECTIVE COMICS #851

Denny O’Neil is on board for this special two-part arc (labeled Last Rites on the cover).  The Batman universe and Gotham itself seems to be in flux right now. This tale starts a while back, the day of the Gotham earthquake to be exact. It saves the beautiful actress Millicent Mayne from being shot by a thug named Gracchus. It gives her a new level of notoriety as “The Face of Gotham” when she survives to help others and gives him a new level of anger towards her. Back in the present Gracchus is sharing living space with Two-Face who he believes is the one who rescued him from the quake. TF denies this. Gracchus decides to take revenge on Millicent by showing up at a charity function she was holding, wearing a really bad TF mask and scarring her face with acid. The real TF is none to happy with him, not just for the impersonation but for destroying a great beauty who’s work has given him “much pleasure.” His coin gives Gracchus a pass.  After the events Gordon is seen waiting by the Bat signal hoping Batman will show up and Alfred puts in a call to Nightwing for help. TF has escaped Arkham since Nightwing put him there not too long ago and although he’s reluctant to work on Batman’s turf he feels obligated. He finds Gracchus’ hideout but in the midst of the tussle a fire breaks out. This is a really interesting sidebar to all the heavy handed R.I.P. stories and there seems to be more to Millicent Mayne than meets the eye. 

FINAL CRISIS #5 (OF 7)

Back from another hiatus Final Crisis is STILL as busy and confusing as ever.  It starts off with a bang. Hal Jordan has been arrested by Alpha Lantern Kraken and brought to Oa for a trial. Guy Gardner accuses Kraken of hosting one of the Apokolips gods and implanting Hal with a suppressor chip to escape being noticed. She’s quickly revealed as the new Granny Goodness when she tries to take possession of the power battery. One of the Guardians is hurt in the process and they find out the impact of Darkseid’s rule will spread to all sectors. The Guardians give Hal and the others 24 hours to save the universe. No pressure! Renee Montoya gets a call from Amanda Waller and Taleb Khalid from Checkmate and gets a look at some really creepy super-soldiers (old-school looking OMACS called Biomacs) created with a seven-day life span to help save the humans. There’s still a few heroes untouched by the Anti-Life Equation and they ban together with some of Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers (most awesomely, Frankenstein on a motorcycle!) to battle for humanity. Crazy Mary Marvel on a collision course for Supergirl gets intercepted by Black Adam who insinuates she’s possessed.  Most likely by Desaad though this isn’t explicitly stated. Like I said, its confusing. And creepy as she sorta humps Shazam. Though seeing Tawky Tawny wearing a jet-pack was particularly entertaining. The exiled Monitor is thrown into a cell with two others who aren’t affected by the equation. One of them is dressed in blue and is in a wheelchair the other is cloaked and hairy and there’s any number of individuals they might actually be. The one in the chair solves a Rubiks cube in one less move than is possible and blasts their captures with some blue energy.  Darkseid finally takes over fully (the Batmen clone army is briefly mentioned) and is now technically speaking through the Earth as he controls almost everyone on it at once. I have no idea who the exiled Monitor on the last page is meant to be now. Does any of this sound coherent to you? It sounds better than I imagined after writing it all out but I’m still at a loss (and sorta creeped out) as to what exactly happened in this issue.

FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #4 (OF 5)

Vandal Savage, the Earth embodiment of Cain has stabbed the Spectre (now separated from his human host) with the Spear of Destiny essentially making him his slave.  The Question (Renee Montoya) finds out she’s immune to the power of the Spear when Cain tries to kill her with it though he still believes he can cut her with it’s blade. Huntress shows up trying to save the day but it’s Radiant who must hold off Darkseid’s minions so they can all get back to the safety of the church. Radiant gives us a brief history of the Spear, it was used to stab Jesus at his crucifixion and Hitler had it for a while but it’s really the person holding it who decides to do good or evil. They realized they must put the Spectre back together with Crispus Allen in order to free him from Cain’s control but before they have a chance Cain realizes the power he holds. He uses the Spectre to speak the Anti-Life Equation which supposedly breaks the will of those previously untouched by it. That part is a bit confusing considering the plot of the last FC issue.

GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #15

The cover says, “A new era begins for Green Arrow and Black Canary,” and while that’s technically true (new writer Andrew Kreisberg starts here), we first have to read through a recap of their entire history. In the 1.078 seconds it takes for GL to shoot an arrow and a villain holding a knife to BC’s throat he see his lowly beginnings as a playboy, the origins of his first days as GL (straight from the recent Year One), seeing BC for the first time (though correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t that technically her mom?), falling in love, cheating on her, proposing to her, marrying her, fighting alongside his family and Connor being shot. In the present Connor is breaking the news that he’ll be leaving while Mia overhears thinking they’re talking about her and surprises them with the fact that she’s leaving too. Connor needs to find himself, Mia is going to London to be with Dodger. When GL’s arrow is finally about to meet it’s target, BC catches it and distracts the villain long enough to take care of him herself, stabbing him then using her Canary Cry. Apparently she’s going to get into some trouble for using it though. We see a man, possibly a musician, covering his bloody ears in a nearby apartment. How could this have happened when the villain direction in front of her is fine? She had a cut on her throat from him so maybe that’s the cause of her numerous years of experience and training going down the tubes. Yeah, I don’t buy it.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31

The third new law is official inscribed into the book of Oa. Physical relationships and love between Green Lanterns is forbidden within the Corps. This won’t go over too well with Lantern Amnee Pree and her husband Matoo. That’s if they both make it out alive from their continued battle with Kryb. After having saved a baby, Amnee is the last to arrive after the rest of the Lanterns have been sprayed by a venomous secretion from inside Kryb. She calls it her infant formula and says it will make them completely receptive to everything she says and tells them to do. In her struggle with Kryb, Amnee begins to go into labor with the worst timing imaginable. Her ring actually projects her unborn child, complete with umbilical cord,  who proceeds to beat the living crap out of Kryb. Just when you think it’s over, Kryb calls the Lanterns now under her control to subdue and capture Amnee. It looks like it might be time for a c-section. Gross. There are two brief glimpses of other characters in this issue. Mongul is busy with a harem at the moment and Miri has completed her transformation into a Star Sapphire though neither of this is pertinent to the issue at hand.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #27

The Shadow Cabinet from the Milestone Comics universe guest star in this latest issue. I’m not familiar with any of them so bear with me. They’ve come to seek help from the female Dr. Light, Kimiyo Hoshi, who’s powers have been unreliable lately. She’s been working at S.T.A.R. labs to help support her two children. She doesn’t know why they want her and she doesn’t want to find out. She evades them long enough to press her old Justice League communicator. Meanwhile Black Canary has gotten wise to Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman dropping off the grid every now and then. She learned they were using a hyperspace bubble to hold secret meetings and she’s angry with them for undermining her authority as chairwoman. They don’t have time to finish the discussion before they get wind of Dr. Light’s transmission. Part of the Shadow Cabinet had stayed behind at her house impersonating her and her children as a distraction. The real mission was to break into JLA headquarters and steal the mortal remains of the male Dr. Light, which if you read Final Crisis: Revelations, you’d know is actually a candle with his head for a wick. The Spectre has a wicked sense of humor you know? Anyway, the rest of the JLA show up to stop them and SC member Iota grows the rest of her team out of the palm of her hand. Looks like a standoff.

NIGHTWING #151

It’s a very somber and reflective issue for Nightwing (also labeled with Last Rites on top). He has a long talk with Two-Face in Arkham. He’s still trying to get a rise out of him by discussing his boy-wonder days but it doesn’t seem to be working. Nightwing really has grown up. This issue really serves to tie-up the loose ends from most of his recent adventures seeing as how the series itself will be ending soon. He starts off by checking up on someone we believed to be dead. Harvey Dent’s ex, Carol, is alive and well in witness protection. He meets with his latest girlfriend only to find out she’s leaving. Two-Face’s recent attack on New York has her looking for a quieter life. He works with the JLA to remove any other super-powered corpses from the cemetery in Valhalla. He doesn’t want another incident like the one with Creighton and Talia. They lock the bodies in a mausoleum deep underground JLA headquarters. And with only Tim and Alfred as his witnesses he completes a record breaking free-fall from Earth’s stratosphere. It all ends with a quiet movie night at Wayne Manor watching The Magnificent Seven. One recliner remains empty of course.

SECRET SIX #4

The team starts to argue amongst themselves once they realize they’re in possession of a “get out of Hell free card.” Even for those who don’t believe it, the possibility is too great. Tarantula fills us in a bit more on the evil Junior. He does just about every evil thing possible in this world and records it all to enjoy later. Not only that but he believes in God which is why he wants the card so bad he’s now offering $20 million for each member of the Six. On the road to Las Vegas Bane goes all fraternal on Scandal again, this time offering his lap for her to take a nap on and no one can believe their eyes when she actually does. They finally greet Jeanette who offers them everything they could desire including a lavish meal. Junior and his henchmen make it there first and take Bane captive. To make matters worse, Scandal gets a warning message from her dead lover Knockout just in time for an army of villains to come crashing in the door. We find out Jeanette has super strength when she rips off King Shark’s arm but unfortunately the fighting comes to an abrupt end. Cheshire’s back and she poisoned their meal.

SIMON DARK #15

Simon admits to killing the pedophile Ray Wheeler and Rachel is not as disturbed about that as she should be. He admits as much to Detective Kirk who isn’t having the reaction a police officer should either, though he’s still wondering about the other gruesome murders around town. Simon is almost offended he’d think him possible of those deeds and hits Kirk with the double-standard. Kirk can kill people because he has a badge. He asks Simon to come to him first next time. Simon’s creator Gus is recording an explanation of where and how he came to be. He made “a thing of flesh and organic materials from the Earth” before but was forced to destroy it. The killer strikes again and it seems as if this might be the creature Gus thought he destroyed. It looks like he’s wearing a mask similar in style to Simon’s but it might be his actual face as we find out when it comes into contact with the fist of Detective Kirk.

SUPERMAN AND BATMAN VS. VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES #5 (OF 6)

It’s revealed that Dr. Combs has been using Dimeter and Janko’s blood to spread the vampire and werewolf disease but Etrigan is convinced he has no more power to do so. Superman takes Chadd to see Dr. Langstrom. Langstrom hopes a transfusion of blood will help the boy but he’s not positive. Before they have a chance to begin a few werewolves attack (surprise, surprise) and Langstrom must inject himself to become Man-Bat to fight them off. The sun is about up so Batman sends Dimeter home but not before searching his apartment to find out what he’s been eating to survive.  He claims he has some control and has been surviving on plasma from a local hospital but after Batman leaves he calls a young woman and asks her to stop by. Seems he’s been feeding off a vampire groupie a little bit at a time.  It feels like more has happened in this issue than in previous installments but it’s still not enough to make me believe this series needed to be six issues long.  One more to go.

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #54

It’s super powers training camp time as Superman must teach Batman how to use and control his new abilities. Of course last issue their powers switched but so far Clark doesn’t seem to be experiencing any extra detective reasoning. Zatanna has been searching for Silver Banshee but says there’s absolutely no trace of her. However, the brooch she was searching for was originally from Cawdor Castle in Scotland (Macbeth) and is said to grant the owner their hearts desire. For Bruce this starts to seem like the truth. He uses Superman’s powers to take care of every nasty deed in Gotham for a night and continues to trace villains back to their source. This time it’s to Bane and the tables finally turn for Batman as he now has the advantage. Clark on the other hand isn’t adjusting so well, going as far as wearing his costume under his suit to work. In a scene very reminiscent of Superman II he attempts to stop a mugging and is shot in the process.  Batman, floating high above the planet and thinking about his parents, is oblivious to the tragedy.

TITANS #8

The team freaks out when they realize Jericho is most likely possessing one of them and decide to lock down the building. There are 8 of them and it can only be opened if 7 agree to do it. They must each sit through interviews with the computer to answer questions only they know. Some of the answers we get to see are funny, like Raven admitting she watches Gossip Girl religiously, others are obvious like Nightwing answering simply, Bruce. Others are very serious, Beast Boy says his parents didn’t die in a boating accident, Roy says “that wasn’t the last time I used heroin,” and Wally admits to cheating on Linda. Yikes, they’re gonna have a lot to deal with in the coming months it seems. They devise a plan to out Jericho when he reveals himself as not possessing any of them. He fights with uncharacteristically strong powers and completely demolishes the building. Unfortunately this was all a show that only occurred in Nightwing’s mind. Jericho believes him to be the strongest and fought him inside his mind to break his will and truly take over possession of his body.

TRINITY #28

Alfred and those closest to the Trinity find themselves at a cave near Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, where their power is felt the most together (the original JLA cave). A ritual to unchain them from reality leaves them experiencing some of their former personality traits but also looking down on a different scene than they left. It’s the same Harbor but with a primitive village in it’s place. Below, a trial is taking place and a trinity of sorts is presiding. Together they rise above simple punishment and yearn to help those in need instead. Alfred and the Trinity associates are at a loss until they turn around and find a version of our Trinity carved out of the rock face behind them. In the second half the Dreambound are busy breaking villains out of prison for Morgaine. The JSI show up to stop them but are caught unaware when T.V.M. transports the Dreambound and only the four villains they came for away, leaving the rest of the prisoners behind and ready for a fight. Commander Hall is back in costume and delegating authority from the sky. There’s too much for their operatives to handle which is why he’s called in a bunch of scientists for help. Magnus, Morrow, Luthor, Siviana and Irons. They’ve taken to calling the reality shifts “burps,” and Luthor tries to warn them that someone is draining energy from each one. Turns out the one draining it is T.V.M. and when Tomorrow Woman flies in to stop him he uses his powers to chop her into separate bits. It’s quite an odd visual.

So, what did YOU think? What are you excited about and what could you live without?

Geoff Johns has announced he’ll be leaving Justice Society of America with issue #26.

Shocking news from someone who’s live and breathed the JSA since 1999. Here’s some of his goodbye:

It’s hard to say this but officially, I will be leaving the title after JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #26, which is a single-issue story entitled “BLACK ADAM RUINED MY BIRTHDAY.” Following the Black Adam arc with Jerry and I, #26 will be my last issue, Dale’s last and our fantastic editor Michael Siglain’s last. I think we’re going out on one of my favorite stories to date and I’m glad we are all going out on this together.

I’ve been writing JSA nearly my entire career. The book has steadily gained new and old fans and, with the re-launch two years ago, fixed itself as one of the staples of the DC UNIVERSE. Since then we’ve remained one of the top monthly books at DC alongside JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and BATMAN.

So, why is he leaving exactly? He says he has more stories to tell. Coming up in 2009 he’ll be returning to The Flash, writing Superman: Secret Origin and being “obsessed” with making Green Lantern and Blackest Night the best they can be. 

While you can read his work in other areas of the DCU there’s always hope for his future with the JSA, “I’m sure I’ll return to the Justice Society in some form or another some day, but for now I’m passing them off a new creative team,” he wrote. No word yet on who that creative team is but Johns says it’s someone who’s never worked with the JSA before.

I will miss Geoff’s work on the JSA. I’ve read it all and was never once disappointed. It’s sad he’s leaving the book but his work will be enjoyed in it’s other forms. I’ll leave you with this proof as to why Geoff Johns is one of the best writers in the business:

The JSA to me represents everything good about life, work and superheroes. In life, generations past, present and future all provide different viewpoints. There can be something magical when it’s past from grandfather to father to son or from mother to daughter or son to grandfather. There’s nothing more important than family – and family means a lot more than just blood relatives. That’s what my very first book, STARS & S.T.R.I.P.E., was about and that’s what JSA, and life, is about.

Thanks for the memories Geoff and keep up the amazing work.

You can also view and discuss this article at my blog, TheNerdyBird.com.

You’ve always wanted to see your favorite storybook characters come to life. ABC is making that a reality. The network has made a pilot commitment to adapt Bill Willingham’s wildly successful Vertigo comic book series, Fables.

The Hollywood Reporter states Six Degrees creators/executive producers Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner will be writing the script and describes the two as “lifetime comic book fans,” who are also fans of Fables. David Semel will be directing what’s said to be an hour long drama following the fairy tale characters in their exiled home in modern day New York.

Bigby and Snow White will be featured in the show similar to how they are in the comic series but the writers wouldn’t elaborate on which other Fables would actually appear. ”We set up a structure to allow any fairy tale character to show up in any one episode,” Metzner said. Expect the characters to keep their trademark characteristics but don’t worry, you’ll still be able to relate to them. Metzner explained, “They are just like real people in the real world who live and breathe and look just like you and me.”

Rival network NBC attempted to develop the comic during the 2006-2007 season with writer Craig Silverstein but nothing ever came of it. Something tells me they’ll be cursing themselves all the way back to the Homelands.

You can also view and discuss this article at my blog, TheNerdyBird.com

Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with another installment of DoubleDCoverage.  DON’T FORGET new books are out Thursday this week because of the holiday! So let’s get you caught up…

November 19,  2008:

AMBUSH BUG: YEAR NONE #4 (OF 6)

This is my latest guilty pleasure. It’s completely absurd but immensely entertaining. Here DC proves it can and does laugh at itself. The first page makes the best out of a printing error from last issue by presenting us with thought-bubble cutouts to put in it’s place. Then Dan Didio, Keith Giffen and Robert Flemming all get turned into comic characters and Jann Jones gets an anime makeover. For those of you who would enjoy it, Didio bites the dust. It’s actually hard to recap what happens in an issue of Ambush Bug. It’s mainly parodies those aspects of the DCU that when looked at comically  are well, pretty damn comical. We visit Batman’s Secret Space Prison for Embarrassments From His Past, which include Robin, then we make a few stops along 52’s storyline and Renee Montoya uses Argh!yle as toilet paper. Wicker Sue Dibney and Batwoman show up for a short bit until Ambush Bug gets ambushed by the Ambush Bug Revenge Squad. They get distracted easily by their obsessive knowledge of comic trivia. Seriously, why aren’t you reading this?

BATGIRL #5 (OF 6)

Batgirl is racing to save Oracle from her father David Cain so she doesn’t have time for Nightwing’s questions at the start of this issue. She steals the Batwing and brushes him off as easily as a fly. She even out maneuvers and outsmarts Batman and Robin to continue her secret mission that also includes killing Cain. She infiltrates the Birds of Prey’s new headquarters in Platinum Flats to figure out the most likely place Cain will take his shot. Her newly discovered sister Marque is also in the area to murder Cain herself. A fight ensues leaving Marque a sliced achilles tendon (ouch! that always gets me!) and Cassandra with a newly sworn enemy. She makes it just in time to stand in front of her father aiming the killing shot but you know it doesn’t end there. This mini will finish up next month.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #13

Fans of Dr. Kirk Langstrom (Man-Bat) should be very happy, he has a spotlight in this issue. For those of you who’ve had enough of the R.I.P. tie-ins that don’t actually tie-in well, prepared to be disappointed once again.  We’re shown Gotham running amok without Batman around, especially at the Iceberg Lounge. There’s still lots of people hanging around town trying to help in their own way. Man-Bat attacks the patrons as a message to Johnny Stitches hoping it will run Intergang out of town and Batgirl shows up to take Man-Bat up on his previous offer to help. In a very Millar-Wanted-like panel Vigilante blows the brains out of an Intergang bouncer at Stitches hangout and heads in to kill some more. Spoiler is there doing her own spying but stops Vigilante from killing which he’s not too happy about. Batgirl has to get between them in order to give them an offer. See, the whole issue leads up to Cassandra back at the less than tidy Batcave where she’s putting together a group of separate costumes to replace Batman since no one person could possibly ever do the job. One person who isn’t even on her short-list? Dick Grayson. (You hear that DC?)

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #19

A new arc begins with the Phantom Stranger and Hal Jordan investigating corruption at a hospital called Arcadia. A very nervous Dr. Bernard Treves leads them on a tour of the facility explaining human trials for a fertility drug went ahead even though initial tests showed the drug passing from the mother to the fetus. The eight children that survived suffered severe deformities and can’t communication emotions. Phantom Stranger explains it wasn’t the cover-up that brought him, it was a type of magic he’d never seen before. The most severely damaged child, Cora, began writing four months ago in bizarre languages and hasn’t stopped since. The most significant item? She’s written the Green Lantern Oath on the wall. Her notes describe disasters around the universe and Hal recognizes one of the languages as being from the planet Kahlo, a distant Oan territory. The Guardians send Hal to the GL of that sector, Orlan, who’s busy dealing with the destruction of their pleasure city Kymera. A plant native to that world, the Belamort, is addictive and in high demand. It feeds off its host in a type of symbiosis and in return sends a chemical into the pleasure center of the  brain. Orlan explains he has not touched the plant since he became a GL and believes rival smuggling syndicates are responsible for Kymera’s attack. For a brief moment Hal’s ring seems to malfunction and Orlan must save his life. Back on Earth Cora has a seizure and while in her hospital bed her heart monitor relays the message “If I die, everyone dies.” Looks like this is gonna be a good one, pick it up.

THE FLASH #246

Wally brings the kids to the Hall of Justice where Linda is being cared for by Doctor Mid-Nite (he’s been showing up a lot lately) after the bee attack by Zazzala.  At her bedside Wally remembers his time courting Linda, how difficult it was and how many times she’s been in danger because of him. He also remembers a time he asked the Spectre to make everyone forget that he was the Flash and it backfired. Batman thinks there’s more behind the attack and sends Wally to find out more about what Amanda Waller is up to.  He finds a video file of her speaking to the President about a transmitter that taps into interdimensional energies they’ve rewired with Kryptonian metal. She says the device can slow time but Wally realizes it could be a door to the Speed Force. He rushes back to be with Linda whose condition has worsened significantly, so much so that he resorts to calling the Spectre for help once again. Unfortunately he already had his answer ready and it doesn’t look good for Linda, not to mention Iris and Jai who’ve just been abducted by Queen Bee. Only one issue left for this run of the Flash series.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: MAGOG 

Lance Corporal David Reid hasn’t had much of a part to play in the JSA up until now. Sure he’s the great-grandson of Franklin D. Roosevelt who put together the team in the first place but we don’t know all that much about what kind of man he is. We find out in this special one-shot. We already know David was raised from the dead by Gog who replaced his damaged arm and eye and now calls him Magog. The part of the JSA that’s still following Gog through Africa come across a river poisoning countless villages. Gog karate chops the river to divert it and they all continue to the source. The team goes to work beating up the bad guys but Magog seems on the verge of a harsher brand of justice before Gog steps in and turns those responsible into water which in turn purifies the poisoned river. Magog hears a transmission from his old military  unit Task Force Epsilon and takes off to help them. He quickly turns to that harsher brand of justice after remembering the long line of heroes before him and discovering members of his old team tortured and on the verge of death. He then finds the rebel leader responsible and lasers the guys arm right down to the bone and takes out the knee caps of everyone else. He later shoots the leader point blank and leaves the others in a ditch. We also get a Starman secret origin back-up in this issue. Thom explains to a doctor in the Sunshine Sanitarium in Opal that he was born in deep space and his mental problems have been a long-term problem. We get to see three Legion Brainiacs fitting him with his map of the Multiverse uniform, mention of Barry Allen and the Tornado Twins and the beginnings of the Lightning Saga. He ends by telling the doctor he needs a letter of recommendation for a job and a shovel. I miss crazy Thom.

RANN/THANAGAR: HOLY WAR #7 (OF 8 )

Adam Strange shares a secret plan with Sardath to get help from the outside while the space heroes are trapped inside a force field on Rann. Starfire and the Weird contact Lady Styx for help as a last resort and only because Synnar the Demiurge is their common enemy.  Lady Styx decides she’d rather bring them into the fold instead but the Weird uses his powers and grabs her heart to force her to cooperate with them or die. Comet and Adam search for Synnar’s power source and find a Borg Cube. Ok, it’s not a Borg Cube it’s a satellite. The power is coming from trillions of people set up like living batteries inside these satellites. If they’re disconnected, they die. Deacon Dark questions Synnar momentarily and is shocked to discover all of this was only the first step in his grand plan. Finally Hawkman and Adam make the connection that they’ve both met Synnar before and realize they may have a chance at saving Rann. The Weird volunteers for what appears to be a suicide mission to make that happen and the group begins their strike against Synnar. One more issue remains for this mini.

ROBIN #180 

Robin mentioned Batman being missing and this issue isn’t labeled an R.I.P. tie-in. I’m amazed and thankful. Most of the Gotham P.D. is still on strike following the arrest of two crooked detectives and the street gangs are going wild. Robin finally finds some familiarity in the guy dressed up as Red Robin while he’s kicking the crap out of him but before we find out who that is he’s got to get an injured Spoiler to safety. While in the Batcave he tries to determine who could be behind Scarab and Jaeger’s recent attacks. At first it appears to be Red Robin but Tim hears him speaking to someone else. Red Robin is revealed to be the General (Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong) and it’s not until it’s too late (explosives are like that) he realizes Anarky (Lonnie Machin) is behind everything. Though he still doesn’t know how deep Spoiler’s involvement goes.

SUPERGIRL #35 

Number “5” in the interconnecting New Krypton story focuses on Kara and her parents. She’s barely begun her new secret identity as “Linda Lang” and her mother tells her it’s over. Her father steps in to calm things down and Kara let’s them know there’s a lot about her old life with them she doesn’t remember. He makes some very good guesses about her arrival on Earth which explain away some of the more bizarre storylines Supergirl has had the last few years. Does her blood crystallize in the oxygen? Oh, that’s just kryptonite poisoning. It’s probably not the greatest explanation but it’s decent. They put her in a regeneration cabinet to purge the radiation. While inside she has flashbacks of her father trying to talk sense into the Council about their community’s imminent demise. They do not approve building space ships while their force field’s source is still working. The source? A Brainiac robot skull. She was placed in a rocket to escape but Brainiac tried to hitch a ride and her takeoff was a little rough resulting in a nice blanket of Kryptonite to take her all the way to Earth for 30 years. Kara now remembers it all and is seemingly healed although she still has to make some choices as to which world she wants to belong to. In this issue we also see Reactron (Major Benjamin Krull) in an isolation chamber built by the military who offer him some upgrades plus a new Super woman is revealed to possibly stand in for Kara. Unfortunately while this was a great issue for Supergirl it didn’t do a lot to progress the New Krypton storyline itself. That being said, these things needed to be addressed before the story moved on anyway so I’m giving it a pass.

SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL: MAELSTROM #2 (OF 5)

Superman takes Supergirl on a camping/training trip to a planet where their powers are useless. They fight a few animals but apparently the plant life on this planet is also dangerous. Kara sounds like a normal teenager bickering with her brother instead of her Uncle Kal, she still doesn’t see the point of the exercise. She gets frustrated and goes off into the dark by herself getting surrounded by more creatures. Maelstrom stands before Darkseid on Apokolips and kills four of his Gladiortrons, one of which has the awesome power to shoot flaming skulls out of his hands. She fails to impress Darkseid and he orders her to the slave pits where she mocks a Ralph Wiggum impersonator and tries to start a revolt and fails again.

TANGENT: SUPERMAN’S REIGN #9 (OF 12)

Led by Batman, the JLA  stuck on Tangent Earth storm Harvey Dent’s (Tangent Superman) computer system looking for information. Turns out he found the location of Lola Dent who was thought long dead. Back on New Earth, all the nations capitols have been attacked and their leaders kidnapped by Tangent Superman. He proceeds to let them know he’ll be taking over the world but none of them take it sitting down. Most of them don’t even believe it’s possible with Earth’s protectors around. Superman hears that an aircraft carrier has gone quiet and sends Vixen out to investigate seeing as how this is the most likely location of the missing leaders. Superman, Power Girl and Guy Gardner arrive only to be shot at by planes under the control of Tangent Superman, the last of which carries a nuke that detonates on top of them. The back-up History Lesson continues with Tangent Guy Gardner explaining Tangent Manhunter’s origins. She was a survivor of a war where she was orphaned and badly hurt and now hunts down those who deserve to be punished, mostly war criminals. There seems to be more to Tangent Guy as it’s pointed out he’s got a lot of muscle for a “geek.”

TERRA #2 (OF 4)

Terra wakes up and freaks out about Doctor Mid-Nite performing tests on her. So freaked out in fact that she runs around naked for a while yelling about it.  Again, I’ll say this feels like a warm-up for Palmiotti and Connor’s Power Girl series. You can bet it’ll be just like this times ten. In this midst of the visual distraction Terra says she remembers the second Terra and that human physiology cannot sustain transplanted Terran DNA. Also, she has an aversion to people touching her. A subway collapse draws the girls attention to Silver Banshee trying to take possession of a stone artifact. The young man who has it now runs only to trip and fall on the third rail electrocuting himself. As a result an ancient Sumerian god named Gorsedd, Hate Caster the Furious, is released from the stone. Terra tricks Banshee into working with them to destroy the god seeing as they now know his name. Speaking of names Terra finally reveals hers to PG, it’s Atlee. The bad guy from last issue Richard Faulkner is getting used to his newfound abilities and taking with girlfriend Veronica about what to do with them. Oddly enough, even after ruthlessly murdering a group of men he’s considering being a good guy. Veronica’s got her own agenda, she wants him to take her to the glowing lake that gave him his powers. In Markovia we get a quick glimpse of Geo-Force fighting Deadcoil and his Coffin Spawn until Terra shows up to help.

TRINITY #25 

Justice Society International break into the League’s headquarters for a chat and are of course met with resistance. The League includes Green Arrow, Fire, Lex Luthor, Orchid, Ranger and Vibe. Not only that, they’ve been hiding Barry Allen who was long thought dead (ahem). He used to be part of the JSI but started to doubt their methods and after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Faust he lost the ability to run. He stayed hidden and created the League. Meanwhile Morgaine comes to her senses and realizes it benefits her to continue working with Enigma to complete the spell. Upon arrival in Opal City Tarot experiences rapid reality changes and is picked up by Charity who was expecting her from a card reading of her own. The second half of the issue gives us Alfred trying to rally  those closest to the Trinity to make them aware of the change in reality and fight to bring them back.  Thomas Tresser (Nemesis), Richie Grayson, Lois Lane and Kara Zor-El (Interceptor) join and head off to find one more addition to their quest. Donna Troy.

November 26, 2008:

BATMAN #681 

So, did the Bat actually bite the dust? I don’t know and neither does anyone else. Unfortunately the ending to this widely anticipated arc was not what anyone expected in that it didn’t exactly have an ending. It seemed like R.I.P. was meant to be an all-encompassing and life-altering series but instead it was a really strange and confusing Batman arc. The issue opens with Batman buried alive, which actually made me think I missed an issue. He flashes back to a time after Nanda Parbat where he discusses his experience with a monk who confesses to poisoning his tea with “his Dark Master’s compliments.” In a shot straight out of the Princess Bride, Bruce admits to switching their cups while the monk blinked. Classic Batman, prepared for any eventuality, that is the mantra of this issue. The Joker kills one of the members of the Black Glove in order to become it’s newest finger then shows them all they’ve been had. Bruce used an old radio from that shopping cart a few issues back to rig a signal from his Penthouse cave to lock down Arkham and proceeds to dig himself out of his grave. Jezebel tells Bruce the Black Glove are basically a bunch of rich people with too much time on their hands. Bruce internally admits he did fall for her but a second later knew she was part of a trap. The Joker, driving an ambulance to get away, is knocked off a bridge by Damien driving one of Bruce’s cars with Alfred in the passenger seat. Here’s where it gets confusing. While chasing after Hurt, he tells Batman he’s his father Thomas Wayne and that Bruce was supposed to die in the alley that night with his mother but Chill lost his nerve. Batman denies this and accuses Hurt of being Mangrove Pierce, star of “The Black Glove.” Hurt denies THAT saying he skinned Pierce and wore him to John Mayhew’s party. Hurt instead says he’ll slander the Waynes and Alfred unless Batman agrees to serve the Black Glove, which he still talks about like there’s someone above him we still don’t know. Of course Batman says no and attaches himself to the helicopter (piloted by a man in a cape and cowl) Hurt is using to get away. Batman punches through the glass and the next thing we see is the helicopter exploding over a body of water. Internally, in his Black Casebook, Bruce wonders if he’s opened himself up to a pure source of evil suggesting he might have found the Devil waiting at the edges of his reason. Robin tries to act like Batman might not have just died in front of Commissioner Gordon, Talia takes revenge on Jezebel with some Man-Bats and Nightwing is left holding a cape and cowl. Six months later we see Le Bossu torturing a cop and are told no body was ever recovered. The Bat signal flashes through the window at them. In the epilogue we learn Zur En Arrh came from the day Bruce’s parents were shot. Thomas Wayne says, “The sad thing they’d probably throw Zorro in Arkham.” 

For more on Batman R.I.P. check out “Batastrophe” here on GEN and my blog TheNerdyBird.com.

BIRDS OF PREY #124

Calculator informs the Silicon Syndicate of him and the Birds whereabouts leaving them open to attack. Kilg%re is the first to arrive via the internet. He can reshape machines like clay and turns the Aerie One into his personal Transformer. When more villains show up, so do the Calvary. Green Arrow, Speedy, Black Canary and Manhunter. Quickly the Syndicate realizes they aren’t going to win and retreat but not before Gizmo fries Calculator. The Joker finds his way back to Oracle and finds her determined and ready for a fight. He loses his knife to her escrima and starts shooting his “Lass Laff” gun until she busts that too. She gets him close enough and lands the blow of the century on his mouth. Oracle has hurt him in one of the only ways he can probably be hurt. She’s taken his smile. When he realizes what she’s done he goes absolutely bizerk beating her and throws her down the stairs. Misfit teleports in and stands her ground with the Joker until he runs off after learning the others are on their way. The Silicon Syndicate is annoyed their plans didn’t work but apparently Gizmo’s gun can rebuild what it takes apart and he decides to rebuild Calculator. They offer him the Joker’s vacant seat. Back at the Birds headquarters Oracle is already on the mend, too bad the Joker is too. A dental surgeon and his assistants were found dead. Although he has his smile back she takes pleasure in the knowledge that it will never be his again. She’s definitely darker for this experience. It seems they’re gearing up for the cancellation though, Oracle announces they’re leaving Platinum Flats after they end the Syndicate.

BLUE BEETLE #33

The illegal immigration issue has reached a fever pitch. “A Day Without Immigrants” rally is held to raise awareness but not everyone is happy about it. Death threats have caused Jaime to call in the Teen Titans for help. Paco and Brenda are still being held by Mari and Paco starts confessing to the bad things his did to Brenda when they’re younger because he thinks they might not make it out. They get lucky when the guy Mari thought was coming to pick her up was actually coming to put her down. Now she’s the hostage. An attack at the border by the magnetic gang and Robin and Peacemaker have a really great rapport working together there. Paco and Brenda find Jaime and let Mari fill him in on the fact that Doctor Polaris is her father. She also says he created multiple diversions to keep them off his back. Blue Beetle finds him at a testing facility in New Mexico and the Scarab senses high intensity monopole emissions. Don’t worry, Jaime didn’t know what they were either. Doctor Polaris says they’re magnets with a single pole and he not only created them but he injected himself with them. In addition to his powers they create an invulnerable skin around him and lots of other bad stuff for BB. He blasts at BB and the Scarab says he’s deceased. Uh oh. 

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: THE KINGDOM 

So far these JSA KC specials have been outstanding. This one is no different. We open with Gog telling everyone the sixth day is a day of rest. He said they could stay and fast with him or go out into the world and spread his word. Gog’s “gifts” really start to show their true nature now. Not having night terrors anymore, Sand has lost the ability to save those in terrible danger and now he feels there’s something wrong with the Earth. Damage has turned into a narcissistic ass (“This is what a God looks like.”) who can’t stop talking about himself or looking in a mirror. While listening to his press conference Stargirl decides enough is enough and goes for help. At his clinic, Doctor Mid-Nite suffers not being able to diagnose and save lives like he did when he was blind. Citizen Steel, not one of the “gifted,” is wishing he was while visiting his nieces and nephews because he can’t feel anything. Continuing his storyline from the backup of the last JSA special, Starman is at an employment office. He confided in Mr. Terrific that he has a mission in this er