"You Can Talk Yourself Into Anything, Can't You?!" - Green Arrow and Black Canary in "Green Arrow #1"

Warning: The following post contains spoilers.

Green Arrow #1

“The End”

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Otto Schmidt

Publisher: DC

I have to admit I’m a relative rookie when it comes to Green Arrow comics. Oh, I’ve been a fan of the character for years, indeed, some of the earliest DC comics I ever read were the trade paperback collections Green Arrow: Quiver by Kevin Smith and Phil Hester, and Batman: The Ring, the Arrow and the Bat by Dennis O’Neil, Greg Land and Sergio Cariello (which, despite its name, is actually about Green Arrow). I’m a huge fan of the character on Justice League Unlimited, Smallville and, of course, Arrow. But, for some reason, it’s only with DC Rebirth have I finally jumped on board collecting Green Arrow each month.

Getting to know Ollie mostly through other media means that I’ve seen him portrayed a number of different ways – the down-to-earth everyman grounding the powerful and sometimes distant League on Justice League Unlimited, the proactive but cynical foil to the optimistic but reactive Clark Kent on Smallville, and as the morally-grey atoner trying to overcome his own darkness in Arrow. All of these Oliver Queens have some differences to each other, but they also have a fair few similarities (beside the whole wearing green and shooting arrows thing) and elements of all three can be found in the Oliver Queen here.

Like in all three, we get to see Green Arrow compared to another hero, in this case Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. In this case, rather than see Oliver as a foil to someone else, such as Clark Kent or Barry Allen, we see Dinah as a foil to Oliver. While the two work well together, they’re quick to clash over Oliver’s methods –

Dinah: Are you insane? First you pay off the cops, now that scumbag? He should go to prison with the rest of them.

Oliver: I’m not paying them off. I’m enlisting them. Tipping them. We’re created a prison factory that creates career criminals… I’m not condemning or rewarding anyone for bad behaviour! I’m encouraging goodness!

Dinah: You can talk yourself into anything, can’t you?!

It’s easy to understand Dinah’s position. It’s likely that a lot of heroes would go easy on the supervisor who gets paid off to turn a blind eye to the Underground Men’s business, since the supervisor makes it clear he needs the money to pay medical bills for his sick son, but at the end of the day (literally), said supervisor is still corrupt and willing to aid human traffickers. As far as Dinah’s concerned, the supervisor is a criminal and should be treated as such. Oliver, however, takes a more morally grey approach. He sees the supervisor as someone who’s made bad choices, even arguably been pushed into making those bad choices by circumstances beyond his control. By bribing him double than the Underground Men are to keep him informed of their activities, not only does Oliver feel he’s helping out the guy and his son – since the supervisor is getting even more money for his son’s medical bills now – but he’s giving the man a chance to atone for his misdeeds. As far as Oliver’s concerned, it’s better to give the supervisor a chance to atone rather than him ending up in prison; something Ollie feels is a “factory that creates career criminals”.

Oliver’s actions with the cops pushes into either further morally grey areas. It’s hard to imagine someone like, say, Batman bribing corrupt cops into helping him. But Oliver is focused on what he feels is the bigger picture. He feels that the Underground Men are a bigger threat to Seattle than a few police on the take, and so is willing to use that corruption to his advantage. It’s an understandable sentiment, but it’s easy to understand Dinah’s shock at Ollie paying off the cops. Police corruption is something they, as crime-fighters, should be fighting against, not using to their own ends.

It’s clear that Dinah sees the world in a very black-and-white way, while Oliver sees more shades of grey. Oliver is willing to make what he sees as small, morally grey choices, such as the aforementioned bribing corrupt officers, because he feels that ultimately it’s in service to the greater good – in this particular case stopping the Underground Men, and in the general sense of making Seattle a better place.

We see more of their clash of ideals later in the comic. Oliver tries to prove to Dinah that he’s “making Seattle a better place” by taking her on a whistle stop tour of all the things he’s done to make help the people of Seattle, not as Green Arrow, but as Oliver Queen, including places for the homeless, children and abused women.

Oliver: People say money can’t buy happiness. But they’re wrong. Because happiness is a shower and a meal and a bed. Happiness is a kid – both three months too early – surviving. Happiness is a ten-year-old with grass-stained knees and a well-oiled mitt. Happiness is a battered woman who no longer has to fear a fist.

Dinah’s counter –

Dinah: I don’t doubt you good intentions, Ollie. But do you realize that your relationship with Emi is the only one in your life that isn’t based on money?

Oliver: That’s not true. I’ve got Henry.

Dinah: He works for you.

Oliver: My C.F.O., Broderick. He’s a kind of mentor, as close as I have to an uncle or fath-

Dinah: Again, he works for you.

It’s clear that this is quite a revelation of Oliver and that he hasn’t ever really thought about this before. Dinah can effortlessly cut through all of Oliver’s bravado, all of his self-conviction. She makes his question and doubt himself, and that’s not a bad thing. In any version, Oliver’s a good person at heart, but his main flaw is that he’s all too often quick to ignore or, worse, self-justify his own failings. Dinah doesn’t allow him to do that, and this will lead, hopefully, to him confronting his own failings and growing beyond them. It’s why Dinah is such a great foil to Oliver, and it’s something I hope to see more of as this series continues.

Comic of the Week - Action Comics #957

Warning: The following post contains spoilers.

Action Comics #957

“Path of Doom, part one”

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Patrick Zircher

Publisher: DC

Synopsis: Lex Luthor has set himself up as Metropolis’ new defender in the wake of Superman’s death. Upon seeing this, pre-New 52 Clark decides that the world needs a real Superman and reveals his existence.

Overview: With last week’s Superman Rebirth #1 getting any readers who haven’t been reading the Superman titles – in particular Superman: Lois and Clark – up to speed, Action Comics #957 is able to quickly establish the new status quo.

Firstly, we have Lex Luthor. Lex has been acting like a superhero since helping to save the world in Forever Evil, first by blackmailing his way onto the Justice League, and now trying to become Superman’s replacement. What’s interesting about Lex’s current “superhero” phase is that it’s genuine. It’s driven by all the wrong reasons, to be sure – Lex isn’t doing this out of any sense of altruism or the desire to help people and make the world a better place, it’s just that beating people and getting acclaim for doing so feeds his narcissism. But this isn’t, as far as we know so far, some evil plan to take over the world or destroy the Justice League from within. Lex truly believes he’s a hero –he just has no idea what that word means.

"Lex Luthor has everything under control"

Which is what makes his fight with Clark in this issue so compelling. We understand why Clark is so appalled by Lex usurping the symbol of Superman, and all that it stands for, just to feed his own ego. Lex talks a good talk, but some of it is outright lies, such as:

Lex: I am honoured to have called him my friend.

And the rest feels like Lex simply using Superman’s sacrifice to justify his new position, claiming that Superman “inspired” him, bastardising a eulogy into a boast. Lex talks about the dead Superman, but the subject of his speech is himself, what Superman meant to him, and how he will protect Metropolis from now on.

Lex: I was proud to work with Superman… I stand in awe of what he did on our behalf… Now, though, it’s time for Metropolis to turn to one of its own… Your Superman is here.

Plus Clark has seen this all before. He’s seen Lex stand up in front of Metropolis, in front of the world, and call himself its hero. He refuses to believe that Lex, in any reality, is even capable of doing good, let alone being a successor to a fallen Superman.

Clark: You and I both know what Luthor is, Lois. He destroys lives. Inflicts chaos.

Clark: I’m the man who isn’t buying one bit of the lie you’re selling. You’re evil. A murderer and agent of destruction. I won’t let you do whatever it is you’re trying to do by wearing that shield.

Clark is convinced that Lex must have an ulterior motive. Which he does, but like I said, as far as we know it’s nothing more than fuelling his own ego, Lex does think he’s a hero. Clark’s cynicism and mistrust of Lex is well-founded and probably justified, but the fact remains he is letting it affect his judgement.

Heck, it’s Superman who starts the fight, grabbing Lex’s armour and setting off its automated defences. Lex, for all his arrogance – artist Patrick Zircher gives Lex a fantastically punchable smirk – does comes off as the reasonable one here. Lex believes that this Clark is an imposter – not an unreasonable theory, given the circumstances – but doesn’t immediately treat him like a threat. When we get this exchange –

Clark: Making it look like I attacked you? Tricky as ever, Luthor.

Lex: But that’s exactly what you did.

It’s hard not to agree with Lex, Clark does come across as the aggressor here. We know that Lex will eventually embrace his dark side once more, but it’ll be interesting to see whether it’s Clark’s own paranoia that helps turn Lex back into the monster that Clark is already convinced he is.

Speaking of monsters, Doomsday is back! The build up to his reveal is brilliantly done. In a containment unit stolen by a group of masked thugs from a vault in a building belonging to “Geneticron” – clearly a genetic labs of some kind – we get a slow build-up throughout the issue as Doomsday frees himself, finally confronting Clark and Lex clad in the green containment suit he wore back when first introduced in 1993. It’s a shame that all the great shocking reveals – the appearance of Doomsday, Lex being the “Superman” who takes down the masked thugs at the beginning of the issue and the fact that the Daily Planet reporter covering the event is Clark Kent – were all spoiled by press releases or the cover itself.

Yeah, let’s talk about that last one. The appearance of “Clark Kent” is an intriguing mystery, one of many we’ve got at the moment in the Superman titles. Who is this “Clark Kent”? Does he have superpowers? Doomsday’s healing ability may explain how he’s back from death, but how did he get into that vault? Who is the mysterious Mr. Oz, introduced in DC Universe Rebirth #1 and seen in a cameo here, and what is his connection to the man of steel?

And, of course, the super-elephant in the room. So far, the Clark and Lois from the pre-New 52 have been treated like alternate-universe doppelgangers, and until DC Universe Rebirth #1, it seemed pretty straightforward that’s what they were. Except that according to Wally West in DC Universe Rebirth #1, the New 52 universe is the same universe as the pre-New 52 one, the only different being that ten years were stolen from the universe by Doctor Manhattan. Both DC Universe Rebirth #1 and this week’s The Flash Rebirth seem to confirm that the New 52 Barry Allen is the same man as he was pre-New 52, minus ten years and some of his memories. So why do we have two separate Clark Kents, and two separate Lois Lanes? Shouldn’t they be the same people, just minus the missing years and memories? It’s a headscratcher, to be sure, and hopefully something that will be explored as Rebirth continues.

But what did you think? Did you enjoy Action Comics #957? Excited for the new direction DC Rebirth is going in? Miss the New 52 Superman? Any theories on the mysterious? Feel free to comment below.

Best Line: Lois: Sometimes we need to do what’s right and accept the good – or bad – that comes with it.

Comics This Week - 01/06/2016

This Week:

• The Amazing Spider-man #13
• ·         Batman Rebirth #1
• ·         DC Comics Bombshells #14
• ·         Superman Rebirth #1

Warning: The following post contains spoilers.

Welcome to Comics This Week, where I take a somewhat spoilery look at the comics that I picked up this week.

The Amazing Spider-man #13

“Power Play part 2: Civil War Re-enactment”

Writer: Dan Slott

Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli

Publisher: Marvel

Synopsis: Peter takes the day off from running Parker Industries to spend a day with new Spider-man Miles Morales, but it all goes south when Tony Stark turns up, leading to a fight between him and Peter.

Overview: With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War in cinemas, Daredevil facing the Punisher in Season 2 of his Netflix series and Civil War II as Marvel’s big summer event in comics, 2016 will probably be remembered as the year of heroes fighting heroes. And here we have another hero vs. hero fight – the Amazing Spider-man vs. the Invincible Iron Man, with the Ultimate Spider-man on commentary.

In fact, given how Marvel’s big tent-poles this summer both in the comics and movies are both based on the idea of heroes fighting each other, it’s kind of surprising to see one of Marvel’s flagship books with lines like:

Bystander #1: Why are they fighting each other?

Bystander #2: It’s what super heroes DO now.

Regent: A superhuman conflict detected within the city… I don’t understand. Where are the villains?

Which seem almost a meta mockery of the concept. This kind of self-parody would be expected in a comic like Deadpool or Howard the Duck, but it’s a little odd to see that kind of biting-the-hand humour here.

The humour in this comic is great all around, with Peter, Miles and Tony (in full-on lovable jackass mode) all getting great lines, and even supporting characters Harry, Betty and Mary-Jane getting a hilarious scene where they very quickly work out that billionaire industrialist August Roman is New York’s newest superhero, the Regent.

Of course, as readers, we know that, a) 99.9% of all billionaires in superhero comics are either superheroes, or, more likely, supervillains and b) Regent is the latter. What makes Regent an interesting antagonist is that not only has he convinced New York that he is the former, but he seems to honestly believe he is a hero, the only who can protect humanity from superhumans, whether they’re superheroes or supervillains. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes, especially since if the collateral damage and fallout from Civil War II is anything like the original Civil War, it could be argued he has a point.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, Regent is still a bad guy, as shown by his attack and subsequent capture of Miles. It’s nice to see that despite their arguing and fighting, Peter and Tony immediate stop and put aside their differences once they realise Miles is in trouble.

Speaking of ol’ Shellhead, Tony works as a hilarious foil to Peter, acting condescending and insulting about Peter to Spider-man, and even attempting to headhunt him away from Parker Industries, having no idea who Spider-man really is. What makes it funnier is Miles constantly attempting at act as peacemaker between the two, before finally giving up and walking away and leaving the two to it, snarking that he’s ashamed to be a Spider-Man and that he needs a new identity. (Is it a just snarking? Or is Slott foreshadowing a new superhero identity for Miles? Is it possible that Marvel think having two characters called Spider-man in the same universe at the same time might be confusing and are planning Miles to take on a new name? Let the speculation begin!)

Oh, and just as a sidenote: welcome back to Spider-man, Mary Jane Watson. Good to have you back, it’s been too long. Please stay. And get back together with Peter.

Yeah, I admit it. I ship those two hard.

Best line: Miles: One’s a Skrull. And the other’s… a jackass.

Batman Rebirth #1

“Batman Rebirth”

Writers: Scott Snyder & Tom King

Artist: Mikel Janin

Publisher: DC

Synopsis: While trying to stop the latest attack on Gotham from the Calendar Man, Bruce takes Duke under his wing – but not as Robin, as Bruce wants try “something new”…

Overview: We come to it as last. DC Rebirth, the event that’s been talked about and discussed for months, is finally here. And it’s time for the Rebirth of probably DC’s biggest star, the Batman, and it’s…. pretty good.

There’s not much to say about it, plot-wise. The above synopsis is pretty much all there is to the story, with Duke joining up with Batman as he attempts to stop the Calendar Man. The Calendar Man has a machine that speeds up the seasons, so that it’s a different season each day; spring on Monday, summer on Tuesday, etc. When it becomes spring again, spores that Calendar Man has hidden across Gotham will hatch, killing “everyone”. Why Calendar Man is doing this? Never explained. Where he got the spores and how exactly “everyone dies” if they hatch? Never explained. Where he got a machine that speeds up the seasons and how it does this (does it just change the weather? It’s implied it’s literally speeding up the seasons, but unless it’s making the world orbit and tilt faster – which would mean that the spores would be the least of anyone’s worries – it’s unclear how that exactly works)? Never explained.

And it doesn’t matter one bit.

Batman Rebirth #1 isn’t about the plot. It isn’t even about the characters, although Bruce gets some nice interactions with Duke, and a great scene with Lucius, where it’s heavily hinted that Lucius knows that Bruce is the Batman.

The fact that Bruce takes meetings like this should be a clue.

No, Batman Rebirth #1 is all about the theme. And the theme is, unsurprisingly, rebirth. This is most obvious with the idea of the seasons changing throughout the story, coming back to spring, which coincides with a literal rebirth for the Calendar Man. Yes, in one of the best reinventions of Julian Day since Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale turned him into Gotham City’s own Hannibal Lector (minus the eating people – that Killer’s Croc’s thing) in The Long Halloween, Snyder and King introduce the idea that Calendar Man isn’t just a man obsessed with dates of the year but, in Bruce’s words –

Batman: Julian Day’s body ages with the seasons. A true “Calendar Man”, he dies in winter, molts his skin, and is reborn a young man in his prime.

Later on in the comic, we get to see this, with a wonderfully creepy scene of Calendar Man ripping his way out of his old, used-up, dead husk. It’s a fantastic twist on one of the less-known, goofier villains in Batman’s rogue’s gallery, and here’s hoping we get more stuff like this in King’s upcoming Batman run and Snyder’s All-Star Batman.

Besides the “to every thing there is a season, turn, turn, turn” symbolism (great, now I’m going to have that song stuck in my head for days), there’s a fair bit more in this issue tying into the idea of the overall DC Rebirth. In the aforementioned scene with Lucius, we learn that Lucius has restored Bruce’s ownership of Wayne Enterprises, and his family fortune. While this can be seen as simply Snyder restoring the status quo that his run changed, a kind of “putting the toys back into the box” moment as he hands over to Tom King, Snyder and King use this moment to reflect on the cyclic nature of their relationship, and it’s not hard to see the parallels drawn to the cyclic nature of superhero comics.

Bruce: How many times have we done this? I lose a fortune. You save it. How many times?

Lucius: Too many, Mister Wayne.

Bruce: But we’ll do it again, won’t we? It’s like a calendar. Seasons. It always comes around again.

Because that’s the nature of superhero comics, and it’s especially noticeable at the moment with DC Rebirth. The nature of ongoing superhero comics is that the story will always never be truly over – no matter what happens, there’s no “the end”, just “to be continued!”, “what happens next?”; “on the next exciting instalment!”. Things change, but sooner or later most things circle around again. Bruce Wayne loses his fortune, he regains it. Bad guys are defeated, but will always return to cause more havoc. Characters die, and/or are wiped from continuity, and they return. It’s a cycle, and it’s this that Batman Rebirth #1 is all about. The New 52 was one turn of the wheel, DC Rebirth is another.

It’s easy to get cynical about this. It’s all too easy to think that just because nothing lasts forever in comic books that the changes don’t matter. But just because the wheel is ever turning, it doesn’t mean the wheel is simply being turned back. The idea behind DC Rebirth is that it’s as much about moving forward as bringing things back from the past, and Batman Rebirth #1 addresses this as well, both with Bruce literally unveiling a new (so far unnamed) superhero identity for Duke Thomas –

Batman: I’m not training you to be Robin. I’m trying… something new.

And symbolically, once again the Calendar Man.

Duke: Every time he comes back, he comes back slightly different… He’s a different person, but he retains all the memories he had last time. He’ll come up with new ideas… He comes back better every time.

It’s clear by now that this is the basic idea behind DC Rebirth. Will it ultimately turn out that way? It’s too early to tell, but I think that Batman Rebirth #1 and Superman Rebirth #1 (see below) are a good start.

Best line: Lucius: I once tried to talk your father into coming into the business. Told him being a doctor drives you crazy. Whatever you do, people just get sick again. You make no progress. He looked at me for a bit, got real quiet, stern almost… Finally, in a dark voice, he said “You’re right, Lucius, I am crazy. But the sick need someone crazy enough to believe they can be better. So what else could I be?”

DC Comics Bombshells #14

“Love Stories”

Writer: Marguerite Bennett

Artists: Laura Braga & Mirka Andolfo

Publisher: DC

Synopsis: In a trio of short stories, Mera meets the Bombshells-verse version of Arthur Curry, we learn how Zatanna got involved with the Joker’s Daughter and Harley Quinn reveals what’s happened to this universe’s Joker…

Overview: DC’s Bombshells have had a meteoric rise, starting as a series of themed variant covers back in 2014, their popularity led to another run of variants, statues, a ton of other merchandise and a digital comic, which is now getting physical reprints. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. On top of the important fact that all its main characters are female, they’re interesting, likable and well developed. Plus it has a great look, combining beloved DC characters with a pulpy, Dieselpunk aesthetic.

The online DC Comics Bombshells comics are published as short, digital chapters, with three of them combined to make one issue of the physical comic. That’s very obvious here, with “Love Stories” being three completely separate but thematically linked stories.

The first story concerns Mera, who, left powerless and captured by the minions of King Nereus after the Battle of Britain, escapes and makes it to a remote island off the coast of Ireland, where she’s nursed back to health, and falls for, lighthouse keeper Arthur Curry.

It’s a rather sweet love story. The Atlantean princess falling for the kindly lighthouse keeper is a clear reference to the Silver Age/current origin of Aquaman, with Mera in the role of Arthur’s mother Atlanna, and Arthur himself in the role of his father, Tom Curry.

Beyond the romance, the story is about Mera’s desire to return to her friends, and to the war, while Arthur tries to convince her she needs time to rest and heal. This first comes up in Arthur’s response when Mera coldly brings up Ireland’s neutrality in WWII.

Arthur: We joined a different war. We gave all we had when last we were called. We have little else to give, until we are better healed. As you have little else to give, until you are rested and strong again.

It’s a nice speech, and shows Arthur’s main reason for trying to convince Mera not to rush off back to battle, beyond his obvious attraction to her.

The second story in the comic is the darkest. We see that in 1936, Zatanna was running a speakeasy in Berlin, provide a safe haven for those persecuted by the Nazis. Her speakeasy is raided by Nazi goons, who are equipped with a ring that disables Zatanna’s magic, and threaten her with execution.

Zatanna is “saved” by Joker’s Daughter, who’s the very person that led the Nazis to her speakeasy in the first place. It’s here the comic takes an even darker turn, as we skip forward a few months to see that Joker’s Daughter has been keeping Zatanna “safe” from the Nazis, but it’s clear she’s little more than a slave. There’s clear sexual overtones to this, and not in a titillating, ooh, lesbians kind of way. It’s made perfectly clear that Joker’s Daughter is a twisted, depraved individual, and that if Zatanna was ever with her by choice, that’s long gone now.

Zatanna: I’m one more toy. One more token. One more stolen piece of art. A homo magi for your collection of fetishized erotica.

Joker’s Daughter: Have I ever made you do anything you didn’t want to do?

Zatanna: … Not in the beginning.

OK, so that line isn’t actually overtly about anything sexual, but the parallels to an abusive relationship are easy to see.

We end this story in 1941 with Joker’s Daughter having Zatanna and John Constantine thrown in a Jewish Ghetto, with a chilling villain speech (see Best Line below). While we see that, despite everything, Constantine still has hope (ironic, seeing that his main DCU counterpart is the ultimate cynic), and that this is clearly not the last we’ll see of the Mistress of Magic, this story is still surprisingly bleak for DC Comics Bombshells, a book that, despite being set in one of the darkest and bloodiest parts of the 20^th century, is usually fairly lighthearted and optimistic.

In the final story, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy break into the Cabaret of the Joker’s Daughter, while Harley fills Ivy in on backstory. The flashbacks to Harley’s past are great, and I love the idea that Harley and the Joker were basically this universe’s Bonnie and Clyde.

This creepy little horror story is my favourite in the comic. The Joker can be a pretty scary guy at the best of times, and having him as an evil spirit using the black arts makes him even creepier. He’s as manipulative as the main universe’s Joker (or, given the recent relations about the Clown Prince of Crime, should that be Jokers?), attempting to seduce Harley Quinn back to his side, so he can possess Poison Ivy’s body and live again. Plus, as a fan of the 1989 Batman movie, I loved his line:

Joker: How about a dance in the moonlight?

Which I assume is a nice little nod to the catchphrase of that movie’s Joker:

Joker: Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

We also learn that he is the “master” of the Joker’s Daughter – no big surprise there – and we get foreshadowing of some interesting plotlines to comes, including an appearance in the flashback of a vampire Batgirl, who Harley says did “something” to the Joker.

DC Comics Bombshells is a fantastic series, and issue #14 is no exception. While it’s largely an issue dedicating to setting up future plotlines, it has some great character moments, and a beautiful final panel that serves as a fitting end to these “Love Stories”

Best Line: Joker’s Daughter: There is no nobility in poverty, my little dove. There is no mercy in hell. Good people become the very demons that torment them. You think yourself one of the righteous. But I will see you become like me. I will see you in my reflection. And you will see me in your darkest dreams.

Superman Rebirth #1

“Superman Rebirth”

Writers: Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason

Artist: Doug Mahnke

Publisher: DC

Synopsis: Clark breaks into the tomb of the Earth Prime Superman, looking to resurrect the fallen hero somehow, when he runs into this universe’s Lana Lang for the first time…

Overview: RIP Clark Kent, 2011 – 2016. Or rather, Superman is dead, long live Superman. In case you didn’t know, the last issue of Superman saw Clark, who was already dying from events in his own books, Justice League and JLA, sacrifice his life to save the day. However, he wasn’t the only Clark Kent in the world.

During DC’s 2015 event comic Convergence, we caught up with the Clark Kent from before the New 52, the one readers had been following (give or take a few retcons) since 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. This Superman was still married to Lois Lane, who was now pregnant with his child. The Convergence: Superman two-issue tie-in (written by legendary Superman writer Dan Jurgens – a.k.a. one of the writers behind the famous Death and Return of Superman arc) saw Lois give birth to a son, Jonathan Kent, and Convergence ended with Clark, Lois and Jon heading back into Crisis on Infinite Earths, attempting to use their knowledge of future to prevent it from ever happening.

The runaway success and very positive fan reaction of Convergence: Superman led to a follow-up miniseries, Superman: Lois and Clark, also written by Jurgens. While it didn’t really explain how they got there, it revealed that Clark, Lois and Jon were now on Earth Prime – the current, New 52 reality – and had been for at least 5 years. Pre-New 52 Clark (who I’m going to refer to as just “Clark” from now on, or this going to get confusing fast) was still a superhero, just working in secret, unknown to the world at large, or even other superheroes.

Superman: Lois and Clark was even better received than Convergence: Superman, and sometimes even did better than the other Superman titles, so it decided that in DC Rebirth, the Pre-New 52 Clark would be the main Superman again, hence the death of his Earth Prime counterpart.

It’s interesting to read Superman Rebirth #1 pretty much back-to-back with Batman Rebirth #1. In Batman Rebirth #1, as I discussed above, the plot kind of takes a back seat, as Snyder and King are much more interesting in dealing with the themes of DC Rebirth itself. Whereas Superman Rebirth #1 is much more plot-driven. It pretty much acts as a #0 to both the upcoming Superman and Action Comics books, laying the New 52 Clark to rest – literally – and getting anyone who hasn’t been following Superman: Lois and Clark up to speed on this new/classic Clark.

I have to admit, I’m going to miss New 52 Clark. As much as I’m happy to see the classic Clark back, as he was the version of Superman I started reading about, and I’m always a big fan of Lois and Clark as a couple, I did really like the New 52 Clark and it’s sad to see him killed off.

Although speaking of things I’m going to miss, I really wish Clark was keeping the beard. I know this probably seems odd, but I actually really like Superman with a beard. I liked it when New 52 Clark had a beard, I liked in it Man of Steel when Henry Cavill’s Clark had a beard, and I like it on this Clark. Especially on this Clark, since he’s meant to be an older, more experienced Superman, one who’s going to be older and wiser than most other heroes in this universe (at least for now), and I think the look the beard gives him adds weight to that.

The plot of this issue revolves around Clark’s first meeting with New 52 Lana Lang, at New 52 Clark’s grave. (Which looks very similar to Superman’s grave in Metropolis at the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but that could just be me.) It’s an emotional moment. We see Lana’s grief as she comes face to face with a doppelganger of her dead friend, a man even wearing his symbol. Indeed, she initially mistakes Clark for New 52 Clark in the dark, and it’s a real tear jerker as Clark has to explain that he’s not exactly who she thought he was. But it’s worth noting how heartbreaking this must be for Clark, as well. Here, for all intents and purposes, is Lana Lang, one of his oldest and best friends, but to her he’s a complete stranger.

Lana: What makes you think seeing someone else suddenly wearing THIS and pretending to be Superman wouldn’t upset me, hmmm?

Superman: I’m NOT pretending to be anything. I know it’s confusing, but I am Superman, just not the one you know and care about.

I like the interactions between Clark and Lana in this book and would like to see more of the pair interacting as we go on. The two initially butt heads, as Lana wants to bring New 52 Clark’s remains back to Smallville, as she promised him in Superman #51, whereas Clark believes it’s only a matter of time until New 52 Clark is resurrected, telling Lana about his own death and rebirth to prove he sort of knows what he’s talking about.

Yep, it’s flashback time. We get an abridged version of the classic Superman vs. Doomsday fight from Superman #75 and it looks gorgeous. You know, in a brutal, hero and monster beating each other to death kind of way. Plus the flashback to Clark’s resurrection means we get a brief return of the classic 90’s Super-Mullet! Sort of.

If you’ve never heard of Superman’s mullet, it was an attempt to make Clark look up-to-date and hip for the 1990s and, like most attempts in comics to give characters new hairstyles to make them look up-to-date and hip, almost instantly looked dated (see Dick Grayson’s ponytail for another example). Which is probably why the artwork in this issue hides the fact that it’s a mullet, making it look just like Clark has long hair. But the Super-Mullet shall never be forgot!

Also he had guns. Big guns. Because it was the '90s, that's why.

On the subject of remembering things, we get an interesting bit of foreshadowing for possible future storylines, as Lana reveals that she somehow knows the location of the Fortress of Solitude.

Clark: How do you - -

Lana: I don’t know how I know – but ever since he died I just know, okay?

It’s an intriguing little thing, and despite being quickly brushed aside in this issue, I’ll wouldn’t be surprised if Lana’s new knowledge becomes very important down the road.

Ultimately, Clark discovers that he can’t resurrect New 52 Clark the same way he was resurrected, and leaves Lana to mourn and bury her friend. But the issue does end on an optimistic note – seeing that New 52 Clark has built statues to Martha and Jonathan Kent as well as to Jor-El and Lara, Clark builds a statue to New 52 Clark to go with them and decides that this Earth will have a Superman again.

Clark: All that tomorrow is missing… is Superman.

And I, for one, am very much looking forward to that tomorrow.

Best Line: Clark: I just wanted you to know that two young Clark Kents on two different worlds were very lucky to have Lana Langs in our lives.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition Trailer

I love this movie, and I'm really looking forward to the Ultimate Edition! The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Extended Editions were awesome, and I'd love to see more superhero films get extended editions as well.

(Super) Men Are Still Good - DC Rebirth & Batman v Superman

(Super)Men Are Still Good

DC Rebirth and Batman v Superman

Warning: This post contains spoilers for both DC Universe Rebirth #1 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Hope and optimism. These are, according to Geoff Johns, the words at the forefront of DC Rebirth, DC’s new initiative. It all kicked off last Wednesday, the 25^th May 2016, with the 80-page one shot DC Universe Rebirth #1, written by Johns himself.

Above: Geoff Johns

The one-shot saw the return of Wally West, the former Flash and Kid Flash, a character that was thought be have been completely wiped from continuity in DC’s 2011 reboot, the New 52. The character of Wally West – or rather a character called Wally West – had returned before in the New 52, in the pages of Flash, but this was a completely new Wally West, with a different backstory, look and personality.

But the Wally West that returned in DC Universe Rebirth #1 was the original Wally West, the pre New 52 Wally, the character that first appeared in The Flash #110 back in 1959. This is the Wally that was president and only member of the Blue Valley Flash fan club, the original Kid Flash, the man who took up the mantle of the Scarlet Speedster when Barry Allen sacrificed his life to save the multiverse, the man who was a member of the Teen Titans, the Titans, the Justice League Europe, the JLA and Justice League Elite (although we don’t like to talk about that last one), the man who married Linda Park and had two kids. And with Wally’s return comes a shocking revelation that changes the New 52 universe. The Wally West currently appearing in The Flash is not the pre-New 52 Wally’s alternate universe counterpart, but a distant cousin. Because the universe of the New 52 is not, as previously believed, a separate continuity from the pre-New 52 universe, but the same universe – minus ten years.

Somebody has stolen ten years from the universe, and as a result things are now different. Relationships between heroes, both friendship and romantic, are weakened or missing, seasoned veterans are now relative rookies, and heroic legacies have been wiped from existence – including Wally, the Kid Flash turned Flash, himself.

This in itself is some pretty meta stuff. First and foremost, it addresses – in universe – changes, often unpopular ones, which were made in the New 52 reboot. Characters that were married – Barry Allen and Iris West, Clark Kent and Lois Lane, for example, now never were. Green Arrow and the Black Canary, one of the most iconic relationships in the DCU, was removed from continuity, the two characters barely – if ever – interacting in the New 52.

The New 52 also made characters younger, less experienced, and characters that had grown throughout the years from teen heroes or sidekicks into experienced heroes in their own right were now teens again (Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven, for example), or wiped from continuity. While, as I mentioned above, some character wiped from continuity in the New 52 relaunch had begun appearing again – Wally West, Donna Troy, Stephanie Brown, Ted Kord – their past histories were erased and they were often given completely new backstories and personalities, so they might have well have been completely new characters.

But DC Universe Rebirth #1 isn’t just about getting meta about the last five years.

Wally: A darkness from somewhere has infected us. It has for a long time now, I think. Even before the Flashpoint.

It’s no big secret that comics can be dark, and this is often tied to the Dark Age of Comics, a period between the mid-80’s and mid-90’s where “dark”, “gritty” and “realism” (“realism” in this case often just meaning “cynicism”) were the keywords of the day. Comics with darker, more violent antiheroes became popular, both due the idea that true art is angsty (Watchmen, the Dark Knight Returns) or because violent antiheroes are “cooler” (Youngblood, Cable, Blood Pack, heck, anything by Rob Liefeld). Despite the “superhero reconstruction” or “superhero renaissance” in the mid-90s, with stuff like Kingdom Come, Flex Mentallo, JLA, and John’s own JSA, kicking off what’s considered to be the post-Dark Age, “Modern Age of Comics”, it’s easy to see that modern superhero comics are still often rather dark and violent, to the point where some readers consider the Dark Age of Comics to never have actually ended.

In DC Universe Rebirth #1, Johns makes a stand for hope and optimism against the fear and cynicism the Dark Age represents. Pandora’s dying words, aimed at the “somebody” who changed the DCU, and Wally’s warning, embodies this sentiment:

Pandora: Skepticism. Doubt. Corruption. All things your cold heart believes in. But in the end, there was hope. And the heroes of this universe embody it. Their hope, their devotion, their love for one another will vanquish what you’ve done. It may be over for me but they will prove you wrong.

Wally: There’s going to be a war between hope and despair. Love and apathy. Faith and disbelief.

And to represent the Dark Age, we have the “somebody” who stole those ten years, that has weakened the DCU, that represents the scepticism and doubt and, it’s implied, to have infected the DC with darkness.

Doctor Manhattan.

Doctor Manhattan is a character from the 1985 DC comic Watchmen. It is, together with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns (we’ll talk about that in a bit), one of the comics credited with bringing about the Dark Age of Comics. Now, to say that these works are wholly responsible for bringing darkness, realism (and/or cynicism) into comics is absolute bobbins. “Dark” superhero comics didn’t begin with Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns – for example, the transition of Batman from the smiling, light-heartened Caped Crusader made famous by Adam West into the brooding Dark Knight of modern day owes as much to the 1970s Batman writer/artist team of Denny O’Neill and Neal Adams as it does Frank Miller. But it is true that these two works are iconic, not just in themselves, but as a representation of everything DC Rebirth opposes. That scepticism, that cynicism, that darkness that has been a major part of DC, and comics in general, since Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns arrived.

That’s not to say that Geoff Johns dislikes these stories, or wants to see them forgotten. But DC Rebirth’s mission statement is made clear. It’s time to move beyond the darkness. It’s time to bring back hope and optimism to the DCU.

Earlier this year, DC released Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It’s easily one of the darkest superhero films DC has ever released, possibly one of the darkest superhero films of all time. It’s a sombre, often melancholy film that deals with subject matters such as fear, anger, alienation (literally, in Superman’s case), despair and the feeling of helplessness. It shows us a Superman feared and sometimes even hatred by the public and a hero whose positive actions can have far-reaching, unforeseen negative consequences. It shows us an older, jaded Batman, broken by twenty years of fighting the never-ending fight against Gotham’s criminals, the loss of Robin, and the arrival of Superman, something more powerful and possibly destructive than he ever could have imagined.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a deeply polarising film, savaged by film critics and dividing both fans of the comics and general audiences. Now, it’s worth mentioning that I love it. I will happily go on record and say that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is my favourite film of all time. Yeah, I love it that much.

Above: Pure awesomeness.

One of the things that was often talked about, and what largely formed the bulk of the film’s criticism, was the film’s tone. Critics of the films derided the film as too dark, too cynical, too depressing. Critics argued that the movie should have been happier, brighter, and have more characters smiling and joking. Now, that wasn’t the only criticism of the film, and I’m not trying to say that anyone who dislikes the movie is wrong. Film, like all media, is subjective and I don’t believe anyone who hates Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is objectively wrong, any more than I believe I am objectively right for loving it.

With DC Universe Rebirth #1, and by extension the whole DC Rebirth initiative, being all about bringing hope and optimism back to the DCU, it’s been noted a fair bit online the apparent different in tone of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released just a few months before DC Universe Rebirth #1, a film that’s full of it’s heroes feeling despair and cynicism. Some articles online have gone so far as to suggest that DC’s new mission statement of hope and optimism has been influenced by the negative reactions to the apparent darkness and cynicism of their movie universe, or even as Geoff Johns’ own reaction to it.

Of course, the problem with the idea that this is Geoff Johns reacting to the “darkness” of DC’s films is, well, he helped make them. Johns was the Chief Creative Officer for DC Comics, an executive producer on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and as instrumental in shaping the feel and tone of the DC Extended Universe as Zack Snyder. And with the arrival of DC Rebirth, with Geoff Johns dedicated to bringing hope and optimism back to DC, his influence becomes even more obvious.

Because here’s the thing – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, like DC Universe Rebirth #1, is a film about hope. A film about why we need to move beyond anger, beyond fear, beyond cynicism and embrace hope, optimism and our belief in both our heroes, and ourselves. This is, as far as I can see, the core theme of the movie and it’s summed up in two lines.

Alfred: That's how it starts, sir. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men... cruel.

Bruce: Men are still good. We fight, we kill, we betray one another, but we can rebuild. We can do better. We will. We have to.

Because that’s the message of the film. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice shows us a Superman paralyzed by indecision, a Batman blinded by rage and paranoia, and a Wonder Woman who’s turned her back on mankind. But these are presented as obstacles that our heroes have to overcome to save the day. Clark must come to peace with the idea that he can’t save everyone, but that doesn’t make what he does meaningless. Batman must learn to see Clark as human, not just as a potential threat, and learn to trust again. Diana must decide to stand with humanity, and believe in their potential again. And… well, they do.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is, as much as DC Universe Rebirth #1, a rallying cry of why it’s time superhero stories came out of the darkness and cynicism, and embraced hope and optimism again.

Now, to some people this idea might seem bizarre. After all, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, one of the prime examples of dark, gritty comics, is one of director Zack Snyder’s favourite comic books, and it was one of the biggest inspirations for this film, with BvS even going so far as to use the exact dialogue from the comic. But while there’s a clear influence of The Dark Knight Returns in BvS, it’s worth noting that often that influence, particularly that exact dialogue I mentioned, is sometimes used so it has a completely different context in the film. The part of the film most influence by The Dark Knight Returns is in the fight scene of, well, Batman v Superman.

Batman: It’s way past time you learned… what it means to be a man…

This is a line directly from the Batman v Superman fight in The Dark Knight Returns, and it’s also used, more or less, by Batman during the fight in BvS. But the context is very different. Because here’s the thing. Superman comes to Gotham in TDKR as an all-powerful, alien being, an “other”, and as a representative of a corrupt US government, dedicated to bringing Batman down. In BvS, Clark comes to Gotham to ask Batman to help him save his mother, Martha Kent, who’s been kidnapped by Lex Luthor. Superman here isn’t some government stooge, or all-powerful alien who has no idea what it’s like to be human, he’s a man, scared for his mother’s life. His only hope is that he can reason with Batman, that the pair can find common ground and work together. But Batman by this point is so caught up by his feelings of rage, despair and his desperate need not to feel powerlessness that he isn’t listening. In many ways, Batman has become the Frank Miller Batman, the Dark Age Batman, taken to the extreme. His unyielding, righteous anger has become a blinding rage than makes him unable to listen to the voice of reason. His ability to be prepared for any threat has become twisted into paranoia, making him so obsessed about the potential threat of Superman going rogue that he’s blind to the actual threat of Lex Luthor using this very rage and paranoia to manipulate him. Batman has embraced the darkness and cynicism and become, as Alfred as warned him, cruel. He gives Superman a savage beating even as Superman still tries to reason with him, leading to Bruce's darkest, lowest point, about to kill a helpless Clark even as he begs, not for himself, but for his mother’s life.

Enter Lois Lane.

Lois is, throughout the film, the one person who hasn’t given up hope. She still believes in Clark as a person, and the hope Superman inspires. Her belief in Clark and the truth leads her to be the one to uncover Lex’s plot and, just at the last moment, arrives in time to explain that “Martha” is Clark’s mother. It’s at this moment that Batman realises that Clark is not just an alien threat, he’s a person. He’s reminded of the innocent he was, realises just how far he’s fallen. And then he and Superman does what seemed impossible, the thing that Lex Luthor never expected the pair to do – they work together. Martha Kent is saved, because of Lois never giving up hope, and because Bruce can learn to overcome his darkness and his cynicism.

At the end of the film, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman put aside their differences and work together to stop Doomsday, Clark heroically sacrificing himself to stop the monster. The film ends with Superman dead and Lex, while imprisoned, ranting that something very big and very bad is coming. Dark days are coming and yet… there is still hope. Remember Bruce’s line?

Diana Prince: A hundred years ago I walked away from mankind; from a century of horrors... Men made a world where standing together is impossible.

Bruce Wayne: Men are still good. We fight, we kill, we betray one another, but we can rebuild. We can do better. We will. We have to.

This is the same man, who, earlier in the film, said this:

Bruce: Twenty years in Gotham, Alfred; we've seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?

Seeing Clark’s humanity, Lois’ belief, Diana’s willingness to step in and fight even for a world she doesn’t believe in, and Clark making the ultimate sacrifice to save the day has changed him. The ultimate cynic has found hope again. The final shot of the film is Clark’s grave, as the dirt begins to rise, hinting at Clark’s resurrection that, let’s face it, DC isn’t even trying to hide.

Above: Official Justice League concept art. 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t a happy film. It’s not all jokes and laughs. But it’s not a cynical film, either. If anything, like DC Universe Rebirth #1, it’s a criticism of cynicism. It’s a film that argues that anger and fear just makes us cruel, that hope and belief can save us and, even when the world seems darkest, there is still hope. At the end of the day, men, and supermen, are still good. This is the message of DC Rebirth, the message of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and possibly the whole message of DC Entertainment, whether in comics, on TV or on film, for a long while yet. I have hope.

Wally West

Suicide Squad – Comic-Con First Look (Official)