#the gail simone era

[fantastic-nonsense]

any time I think about these two exchanges I get uncontrollably angry thinking about what we could have had if Dan Didio and the rest of DC editorial during the New 52 era hadn't been so ridiculously awful

"Babs couldn't wear glasses," "Babs can't be a librarian," "Oracle can't be mentioned in ANY context" I hate them. I hate them so much. The Killing Joke can remain canon and be REPEATEDLY focused on but Barbara Gordon can't be a librarian or be recognized as a disabled character in literally any way. What a joke.

#barbara gordon #dc comics #dc fanwank #oracle #batgirl #ableism #dan didio #gail simone #brenden fletcher #cleaning out my drafts #editorial's opinion on Babs in the New 52 era really did boil down to she needs to be hot+young and 'hip'+able-bodied #in short: she needs to be the fantasy men sold themselves as teens while watching Yvonne Craig on Batman '66

[ludi-ling]

I just have to say it's so cool to see X-Men '97 coming out because it feels so full circle as an X-fan. It was my first exposure to the X-Men and Romy. And some 27/32 years later, it's so cool to be experiencing it with some of the same people who were around during my formative teenage fandom years lol.

Btw...what's going on with Krakoa? I'm so out of the loop on current X-Men. The last thing I read/bought was Mr. And Mrs. X LOL.

X-Men 97 is awesome. WORD. Go watch it. NOW. If you liked the original TAS, 97 will blow your socks off!

I have no idea what's going on in Krakoa, except that the the era is wrapping up now, thank God.

The good news is Rogue and Gambit will be leading their own team in Uncanny X-Men come August. It'll be written by Gail Simone and art will be by David Marquez. It sounds like it going to be good, so I'm really excited. It'll be set in New Orleans, so I think we're gonna be in for a treat. From what Gail's been saying on Twitter, it sounds like she's really into Romy and gets them, so this is promising! 😁

#questions answered #X-Men 97 #x men 97 #Rogue and Gambit #Rogue #Gambit #Romy #Remy LeBeau #Anna Marie LeBeau #Fuck Krakoa

[havendance]

Inspired by @upswings' polls, I wanted to do one of my own for Helena. Helena's in much fewer comics so we've got looser standards, going with people who've written a Helena-centric mini or have written a significant number of comics in which she is a player/team member.

Sources:

Joey Cavalieri - Huntress (1989)

Chuck Dixon - Huntress (1994), Robin III: Cry of Huntress, Birds of Prey: Manhunt, Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma, like 50 other bat appearances in various 90s comics

Grant Morison - her JLA membership-era (roughly 16-40)

Devin Grayson - Nightwing/Huntress, the Fear of Faith and Spiritual Currency stories in No Man's Land

Greg Rucka - Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood, a large chunk of her No Man's Land appearances

Gail Simone - Birds of Prey #57-108, Birds of Prey (2010)

Ivory Madison - Huntress: Year One

EDIT: Tony Bedard - Birds of Prey  #109-112, #118-127

#I suspect I know who's going to win... #helena bertinelli #huntress #poll #carthago delenda est #the cooler Gotham antihero #dc #bats + birds + affiliated

[zahri-melitor]

#okay this is a very localized example but#you know that stupid fridge joke tom taylor made with barbara???#people were tweeting gail simone panels of that like 'haha look at this clever reference to that list you made! :)'#and like. i mean i don't know gail simone#and she's definitely done some stuff in her time. for all i know she thinks that's funny#but *i* would have killed him#i would have snapped his fucking neck and stepped over his corpse#glowing faintly with a righteous metaphysical rage as i walked into my supervillain era#and no jury on earth would convict me (h/t @upswings)

Because I need to rant about this and I think putting this over in the original post is just going to be drama: I could not cope, being Gail Simone.

Yes, she's done some shit in her time, agreed. But it is nothing compared to the steaming pile of nonsense she's had to put up with for the past 24 years.

Like. If you've ever read the original "Women in Refrigerators" website (and why haven't you, it's short and damning and there's a reason we all reference it), the fact that anyone would think it's 'funny' to send Gail Simone jokes referencing the trope is disgusting.

This is a woman who is one of the four central figures of Barbara's post-A Killing Joke characterisation, who was forced into a position by editorial to decide whether to be complicit in destroying Oracle or to walk away and let someone else do it with even less respect (and we know what 'worse' looked like, because Burnside exists). Who was given dictates that she could not reference almost anything from characterisation and imagery she'd helped develop.

Who was stuck being one of the only prominent women writers for DC to point to during periods where there were more men named 'Chris' or 'Tom' writing comics for DC than women. We're not sexist, we've got uhhhh Gail Simone! Who else? We forgot. During periods editorial was doubling down on 'can't we just shut the women up anyway about their complaints', they were leaning on the fact that Gail 'Women in Refrigerators' Simone was still writing for them, as if it wasn't abundantly clear that some of the time she was only doing that to try and head off MORE female characters being shafted.

If she wants to make those jokes herself? I'm not going to get in her way. But the utter gall of thinking it was in any way funny to make those jokes to her? I'm steaming.

[augustheart]

what is the wrong earth?

the wrong earth is an AHOY! comic created by tom peyer and jamal igle starting in 2019 with semi-regular installments since then. the plot follows dragonflyman, a parody of the campy silver age and adam west batman, and dragonfly, a riff on gritty overly dark modern batman, after they're transported to each other's worlds. stranded in a city that's almost--but not quite--the one they've always known, they have to find allies in order to survive. but what or who is behind the interdimensional mirrors that took them away from home? and what happens if one of them finds that the sidekick he lost on his home world is alive and well in another dimension?

is it good?

yeah, it's an absolute blast. even among ones that are well done, it's rare for parodies of past and present mediums of comics to feel friendly and not mean-spirited. this comic genuinely loves the ones that have come before it while still critiquing aspects of them like their obsession with edge, i don't want to spoil too much about the plot, because it's more complex than it seems especially in the followup series. but this is a comic primarily about putting someone in a Situation and seeing how they react to it, and it's always interesting.

what's the reading order for it?

main series:

The Wrong Earth

The Wrong Earth: Night & Day

The Wrong Earth: We Could Be Heroes

The Wrong Earth: Dead Ringers (publishing march of 2024)

specials you can read at any time after the first series:

Dragonfly & Dragonflyman (prequel!)

The Wrong Earth: Trapped on Teen Planet (written by gail simone)

The Wrong Earth: Fame and Fortune (written by mark russell)

The Wrong Earth: Purple (written by stuart moore)

The Wrong Earth: Confidence Men (written by mark waid (read dragonfly & dragonflyman before this one!))

The Wrong Earth: Meat (written by tom peyer (read dragonfly & dragonflyman before this one!))

cool! anything else i should know before i start?

there's some stuff in here that might be triggering to read including child abuse of every kind except sexual, antiblack racism, drug abuse, self harm, and suicide. it's not anything worse or more than what you might find in a lot of cape comics from any era, and by and large they're here in order to have effective commentary on things that often happen without incident or attention in those comics, but your mileage may vary. child abuse and suicide in particular are major themes in dragonfly & dragonflyman and the specials confidence men and meat.

in conclusion:

#the wrong earth #comic rec #reading list

[radiofreederry]

I'm trying to get into comics, any recommendations?

I'm a DC girl so this list is gonna be very DC heavy, sorry.

DC

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely: The book that made me a Superman fan. Beautiful, joyful, self-contained story.

The Flash by Mark Waid: Will make you a Flash fan. Some of the first comics I ever read come from this run. The original run is collected in omnibus format but Mark had a second, shorter run from around 98-2000 that wrapped up a lot of loose ends, and another one around 2008. Those are good too.

The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez: This book probably saved DC, and it's a wonderful read.

Batman by Scott Snyder: One of the best modern Batman runs, although it suffers from the stink of the New 52 at times.

52 by Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and Keith Giffen: Might need some onboarding for this one but it's a great read focusing on some of the second-string characters in the DCU and a triumph of collaborative storytelling. Its spinoff Booster Gold series is great too.

Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross: A surprisingly-accessible refutation of the 1990s trend towards darker and edgier superheroes, it's a must-read for the beautiful painted artwork alone.

Mister Miracle and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, both by Tom King: Tom King's had some big misses, especially Heroes in Crisis, for which as a Wally West fan I should want his blood. He makes up for it when he hits, though. These two titles are his best work.

Secret Six by Gail Simone: A great off-beat title revolving around a small group of supervillains trying to do good. Wish they'd bring this concept back tbh.

DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke: A love letter to the Silver Age of Comics with gorgeous artwork. Was later adapted into an animated film, which is also very good.

Dwayne McDuffie's original Milestone Comics (incl. Icon, Hardware, and Static), are all very good titles focusing specifically on Black heroes. McDuffie also had a great run on Justice League of America from 2007 to 2009.

Justice League International by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire: A great and hilarious book that offers a much more lighthearted take on the DC Universe. There's a lot of focus on more obscure and minor characters which I always enjoy.

Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollock: If you've seen the TV show, it cribs heavily from this. A lovely series featuring a group of misfits trying to find their way in the world.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World: Brilliant, esoteric, at times close to incomprehensible. A must-read.

The Question by Dennis O'Neil: A wonderfully cerebral and philosophical series. Denny left reading recs in every issue! See also his run on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, which is a bit outdated but still electrifyingly political for its time, and his seminal run on the Batman titles.

Marvel

Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont: One of the greatest comic book runs of all time. Largely defined the X-Men for several generations basically until the Krakoa era. Most X-Men stories on the "greatest of all time" list come from this run.

Vision by Tom King: Hey, it's Tom King again! He wrote for Marvel too. This one's a really good character piece featuring a character who often doesn't get to stand on his own.

Daredevil by Mark Waid: The best Daredevil run, hands down.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko: The original Spider-Man run is still my favorite. Some great Silver Age nonsense combined with great character drama is what put Marvel on the map, and it's on full display here.

Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona: A really good series that's mostly self-contained about a bunch of kids who run away from home after discovering that their parents are supervillains.

Fantastic Four by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: I sing Waid's praises a lot, but damn can he write. The best run for Marvel's First Family.

Others

Bone by Jeff Smith: An epic fantasy adventure starring three cartoon funny animal characters. My favorite comic of all time.

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai: Another epic starring funny animals, this time set in the Edo period of Japan. Mostly episodic, so it's really easy to jump into.

Astro City by Kurt Buseik: Another love letter to the Silver Age, and to superheroes in general. Essential reading.

#asks

[monsieuroverlord]

Full June Solicits are up!

source here

Lots and lots of Blood Hunt-related series.

X-Men #35 -- supersized special issue featuring writers: Gerry Duggan Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, Chris Claremont, Jed MacKay, and Gail Simone. Artists: Philo Noto Mark Brooks, Joshua Cassara, Lucas Werneck, Jerome Opena, Walter Simonson, Leinil Francis Yu & more

Main cover by Pepe Larraz

"THE END OF AN ERA – UNCANNY X-MEN #700!

All good things must come to an end, and as good of a thing as the Krakoan era has been for mutantkind…its time has come at last. The tragedy and triumph of FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X, the madness and mystery of RISE OF THE POWERS OF X…they have all come to their end and led to this moment that will change the future of mutantkind for years to come. Written and drawn by an all-star cast of writers and artists who have shaped the Krakoan Age, this is one milestone no X-Fan will want to miss! Also featuring a story of family by X-Men master Chris Claremont…and a glimpse of things to come!"

Ultimate X-Men #4

writing, art, and cover by Peach Momoko

(I spy a little Rogue on the cover!)

"NEW MUTANTS!

• Hisako and Mei’s classmate, Nico Minoru, has figured out that these two girls possess unusual abilities…

• But they’re not the only ones!

• Hisako’s world gets a whole lot bigger in ULTIMATE X-MEN #4!"

X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1

written by Steve Foxe, art by Netho Diaz, cover by Dotun Akande

"For centuries, Apocalypse tested the mutants of Earth to guarantee that only the strong would survive. Now, as he takes his throne on Arakko, another must rise in his place and ensure the mutants of Earth do not grow weak in his absence! Twelve mutants chosen from the X-Men’s greatest heroes – and villains – will compete for the honor, but only one can become…the HEIR OF APOCALYPSE!"

X-Men '97 #4 (of 4)

Written by Steve Foxe, art by Salva Espin, cover by Todd Nauck

"SINISTER SECRETS COME TO LIGHT!

As the X-Men gather to celebrate good news, some of their most dangerous foes show up to crash the party – and strike a deadly blow to mutant/human relations in the process! The official prelude to the hit new Disney+ TV show reaches its explosive conclusion here, setting up key plots that will play out in the seasons ahead!"

#marvel #marvel comics #comic book solicits #june solicits #x-men #x-men '97 #apocalypse #en sabah nur #laura kinney #wolverine #ultimate x-men #armor #hisako ichiki

[ftl-faster-than-life]

Do you have any Eobard Thawne or EoBarry comic recommendations for someone who wants to get into them?

Pre-Crisis

The Death of Iris West

The Trial of the Flash

Post-Crisis

The Return of Barry Allen by Mark Waid

Pre Flashpoint The Road to Flashpoint: Reverse Flash: Rebirth by Geoff Johns Flashpoint: Reverse Flash by Scott Kolins Flashpoint by Geoff Johns Post-Flashpoint You can read The Flash #40-47 and the Annual #4 by Venditti and Jenson from the pre-Williams era. However it does some bizarre retconning that has itself been retconned. I'm sure Eobard enjoyed his time in the sun as a dictator of the future, and his manipulative side really shines, but it doesn't mesh with his overall narrative or his narrative ever since and can be ignored. Similarly, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive arc by Gail Simone doesn't really mesh with Eobard's overall canon or Barry’s. But you can read it.

Definitive Eobarry Arcs: Running Scared by Joshua Williamson The Flash Age by Joshua Williamson Finish Line by Joshua Williamson

Read if you really love Eobard: Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Flashpoint by Brian Hitch

#barry allen #eobard thawne #eobarry #reverse flash #the flash #reading list

[dailycass-cain]

Birds of Prey #2 continues off the highs of #1 as it continues the story. But what of Cass within it? Well, here are my thoughts on the issue pertaining to Cass.

So the opening pages feature a flashback with Sin and Dinah which makes me feel really old honestly. Given the last time we saw Sin was quite some time ago (Gail Simone's last run on BoP before the dark times. Before the New 52).

But this flashback feels more akin to near when Gail's first run on BoP was wrapping up. We get a "Pokemon" mention (Sin did love those and even got Barda ironically on them. Those who know well tie into why Barda is fully into helping Dinah with this).

So it's clear writer Kelly Thompson knows her history and even acknowledges that the League of Assassins wants Sin (who were in the first issue).

However, not acknowledged is well on the "why".

With all the weaving she's doing, in this issue (and last). I just feel it makes more sense as to "why" Cass and Barda's reasons for helping Dinah are more clear than say Zealot's (I still want to see this story with her and Dinah) and Harley.

Though if we take this as "years" ago, boy howdy does this open a can of worms with Cass's age again. Like, prior to the New 52 and Cass's reintroduction, she was like possibly in her early 20s (same age as Jason Todd).

Then the New 52 came around, and she was 18. More closer to the age group Duke/Tim/Steph/Harper were in this era for sure. So that bit is confusing in this current DC landscape where she could be in her early 20s again or not.

Eh, this is just me overthinking the history angles anyway. So it isn't too worrisome. 😅 But I do like these nuggets that with characterization Thompson is laying the seeds for long-time readers to enjoy. While letting new readers just enjoy this ride.

This issue is another enjoyment. There's just so much good going on in this issue. Besides the stuff with Dinah, we get a better reason for what Harley brings to the team, interaction with her and Zealot.

Speaking of that, Harley lets slip this issue she "sorta" fought with Cass compared to what we got the last issue. So maybe Cass was just a "bad storyteller".

So who said Cass jobbed "hard" to Harley, well maybe it was more Cass's impression on the scuffle that led her to respect Harley's chaotic nature.

Unlike ANOTHER story in another DC comic last month that had Cass jobbing...

But the stuff with Cass this issue is sprinkled lightly. Unlike the hearty amount last issue, we get pieces and I'm okay with that.

This is a team comic, not a duo ongoing that-- I sorely miss.

ahem*

But the stuff we got here is gold with the slight amount we get. Just more Cass/Barda goodness (which is obvious Thompson knows is gold). More glorious art and fight sequences drawn by Leonardo Romero.

Like the teleportation between Dinah and a surprise guest star (so close to a Spirit World reunion), Barda/Cass, and Zealot/Harley all converging was sweet.

The other most interesting thing I have to say pertaining to Cass is how she still hasn't unmasked in the series. It feels different to see Cass unmasked in Batgirls 😭and Spirit World.

Here?

She's all business. Kinda very Bruce-like even. It's a little refreshing.

I also dig her web suit in the issue basically being her Batgirl suit with an oxygen mask and backpack. With zero capes on her back to cause harm.

So even though she didn't do much, this still was a fun appearance. Not awing like the last issue, but again this is a team book.

Zealot and Harley needed this issue. Along with Dinah being the singular focus in this arc. I can dig it.

Birds of Prey #2 continues the plot and gives us a tiny bit of Cass to wet our appetites for the next issue: her vs. Amazons.

No off-screen being beat. We gonna get her facing Amazons ON PANEL with WAAAAAY better characterization in the next few issues.

SWEET.

Again, I'm really enjoying this series and really curious about the twists and turns this goes down as it continues. I have curious questions not pertaining to Cass (like Future Maps and her story), and again Zealot/Dinah.

But this is some good stuff.

#cassandra cain #dc comics #my thoughts

[racefortheironthrone]

Hello, I don't know if you saw, but yesterday on YouTube they released a video on the next series of X-Men comics (From The Ashes) that's coming out this summer. It looks like they're just going back to the classic storyline of the X-Men fighting to protect a world that hates and fears them. What I liked about Krakoa was that instead of mutants just struggling to survive, it gave them a place of their own where they could thrive and reach their full potential. However, it seems like no matter what they do, the X-Men always get kicked back to square one.

Yeah, I saw that. I think it's a bit more complicated than "going back to the classic storyline of the X-Men fighting to protect a world that hates and fears them." (To a significant extent, that's just describing the basic premise for the X-Men for most of their publication history.)

Rather, I would describe From the Ashes as evocative of the post-Outback, pre-Blue Team/Gold Team period at the tail end of the Claremont run, but with an aesthetic that's inspired by both the 90s comics (which makes sense, with X-Men '97 only days away) and the Bendis era.

For example, I would describe a scenario in which there is no Xavier School and there are multiple teams spread out from Alaska to Chicago to New Orleans to New York all pursuing different strategies for fighting for mutantkind as "back to basics."

Scott's team based out of Alaska is a more classic mutant rescue team, but it's being led by a visibly older Magneto in an Xavier-like chair, so there's definitely aspects of the "Revolutionary" Cyclops era there too. Kate and Emma's more youth-outreach team is somewhat evocative of the New Mutants or Generation X or Academy X, but the Chicago setting is more reminiscent of Claremont's somewhat controversial Mekanix book. And god only knows what NYX or X-Force or X-Factor are going to be about.

That being said, I am immensely excited about the new creative team. Marjorie Liu aside, women are almost never given the chance to write flagship X-books and here we have both the superb Gail Simone and the equally talented Eve Ewing (who is the first black woman to write a flagship X-book). And Jed MacKay has more than proven in his Black Cat and Moon Knight and Doctor Strange books that he's got an incredible knack for taking classic characters in compelling new directions.

I know you might be concerned about the marketing pitch, but this is not a team that's going to churn out meaningless nostalgia-bait fluff rather than tell real stories.

#xmen #xmen meta #from the ashes #gail simone #eve ewing #jed mackay

[fantastic-nonsense]

This is a bit arbitrary, but is Oracle’s existence public knowledge pre-Flashpoint? As in, does the average citizen know of Oracle? I’m reading up on Barbara because I’ve only read her pre-Crisis Batgirl stuff so far, but I’m kind of… iffy about the BOP book because of the writers.

No, Oracle's existence wasn't public knowledge. Babs' identity was completely secret until halfway through Ostrander and Yale's Suicide Squad run and even after that most of the heroing community didn't know who she was, much less the general public. Birds of Prey as a book largely functions on the reality that the team is, essentially, a covert ops team led by a figure whose existence isn't public knowledge and whose identity is somewhat unknown even to the larger heroing community. As we move through the post-Crisis timeline, Oracle's existence largely stays secret from the public but most of the heroing community knows that she exists and works with her. She even had a stint where she worked closely with the JLA during the Watchtower era.

In terms of her secret identity: the Bats know that Babs is Oracle, and the Birds know that she's Oracle, and various individual heroes (like Ted Kord and certain members of the Justice League that she regularly works with) know that she's Oracle, but there's still several people who have no idea that Barbara Gordon and Oracle are the same person (much less that she used to be Batgirl).

By the time we get to Blackest Night/Brightest Day in 2010, Babs decided that too many people knew about her existence as Oracle and way too many people out of that group knew that Oracle was Barbara Gordon. So she faked Oracle's death to the larger superheroing community in a very mid and weird BOP plotline called 'The Death of Oracle', leaving only a select number of people (most of the Bats and the BOP) aware that she was still alive. This canonically had major consequences for several heroes who were relying on her intel and were in the middle of dangerous assignments when she went dark, but also wasn't properly explored as much as it could have been since a) The Black Mirror, which Babs co-starred in, was also happening at the time and b) the reboot happened shortly afterwards.

In terms of Birds of Prey the book, Vol. 1 (1999-2009) is pretty solid the entire way through:

Funnily enough I consider Dixon's Birds of Prey run to be one of his Top 3 comics. There's a reason an all-female team title written in the early 2000s survived long enough to be handed over to another writer and it's because Dixon made it work. Babs (and her relationships with other characters) is his one exception when writing women and I still don't know why 20 years later. There are definitely still significant amounts of Dixon Flaws™ that shine through in that run, but he's one of Babs' best writers and is still probably the best Dick/Babs writer we've ever had–largely because he's one of the few writers who actually gives a fuck about Babs as a character separate from her relationship with Dick. Which is weird because it's Dixon, but it's still true.

Gail Simone's run is well-written with good plotlines and has better treatment of the characters overall. It's also extremely racist at times (specifically anti-Asian) and occasionally veers into weirdly immature "high school mean girl bickering" interations. She writes an excellent Babs, but I think she was also dealing with a lot of external and internalized misogyny as one of the only major female writers at DC and as someone who got to where she was because she played somewhat nice with the "good old boys' club." Her work on BOP is not without significant flaws, but it's also a really fun read and I recommend it.

I wouldn't really bother reading BOP Vol. 2 (2010-2011) unless you're a completionist and every post-Flashpoint iteration of the team has been either "decent concept, bad execution" (the New 52 book) or "this is just bad, pull it now" (every version of the book since). If you remove Oracle from the equation and pretend like post-Flashpoint's watered-down Batgirl!Babs is a suitable replacement, you've already lost a fundamental aspect of what made the book work in the first place.

#barbara gordon #asks #barbara gordon meta #dc comics #batgirl #oracle #birds of prey

[lesbianmarrow]

idk if i still have xmen followers LOL but if youre wondering about my thoughts on the announcements for the upcoming xmen books they are as such: i will read literally anything dr eve l ewing writes and her being paired with carmen carnero on art is soooo good, i'm glad shes not being pigeonholed into just writing poc focused books at marvel and i'm looking forward to seeing her take on kitty pryde. gail simone uncanny is probably gonna be great and although the character lineup for that team seems kinda underwhelming i'm sure it'll be a fun story. jed mackay xmen i could take or leave, ryan stegman is not an artist i particularly enjoy and although i think mackay is a great writer i suspect this book wont really be for me, but i am very glad to see kwannon on this team, i'm really glad shes an important character post-krakoa. i dont get the sense of there being an overarching drive for this era yet, it feels like these books will just be establishing where the xmen are at and kind of just treading water, which is fine for a little while, but i hope by 2025 the xmen will have some kind of strong sense of purpose again cause im not really seeing it here

#syl posts

[farsight-the-char]

Lets take a look:

X-MEN  Written by Jed MacKay  Art by Ryan Stegman Release Date: July 10 KRAKOA IS NO MORE…BUT THE X-MEN FIGHT ON!   From their new base in Alaska, the X-Men raise a flag of defiance! Join CYCLOPS, BEAST, MAGNETO, PSYLOCKE, KID OMEGA, TEMPER (formerly OYA), MAGIK and JUGGERNAUT as they assemble against new forces, battling for the destiny and philosophy of the mutant species. Mutant business is their business. 

I like Mckay, decent team, might be good.

..

UNCANNY X-MEN  Written by Gail Simone Art by David Marquez Release Date: August 7 OUTLAW HEROES ONCE AGAIN, THE X-MEN EMBARK ON A NEW MISSION!  Making themselves at home in the Big Easy, the X-Men protect a world that hates and fears them! Join ROGUE, GAMBIT, NIGHTCRAWLER, JUBILEE and WOLVERINE on explosive super hero adventures. Uncanny as ever, the X-Men are back to saving the day mutant-style! 

New Orleans adventures with the Darkholmes (Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler), with Logan and Jubilee along for the ride. Will be Fun.

....

EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN  Written by Eve L. Ewing  Art by Carmen Carnero Release Date: September 4 MUTANTKIND’S TWO GREATEST TEACHERS MOLD THE NEXT GENERATION OF X-MEN!  KATE PRYDE has returned home to Chicago following the war with ORCHIS. Having stepped away from the world of mutantdom, she is nevertheless called back into action as she crosses paths with a trio of new young mutants, BRONZE, AXO and MELEE, who clearly need training and guidance. Unfortunately for Kate, EMMA FROST thinks so as well! 

Looks Fun, but I do not like Kitty is going by "Kate" again.

..............

Will probably trade-wait Adjective-less and Uncanny, and might get Exceptional.

.....

Storm and Phoenix are probably going to be great.

I am concerned what they are going to do with "NYX". Probably just the New York X-book, probably where Marvel is going to shove Laura.

#jean grey #ororo munroe #laura kinney #uncanny x-men #adjective-less x-men #exceptional x-men #wednesday spoilers #marvel #xmen

[zahri-melitor]

Okay, as I finish the era-defining runs on Robin, Nightwing, Birds of Prey and Batgirl that 2009 closed out, I had a solid think about who I really enjoyed writing these, because that’s like over 580 issues of material, annuals, minis and one shots included.

Reflections on best writers for runs of Tim’s Robin series:

Look we have to acknowledge Chuck Dixon. Nobody was doing it (writing 2/3 of the entire Bat office material simultaneously) like Dixon, for almost a decade. To ignore the impact of Dixon on Tim and Tim’s comics is to miss the foundation almost everything else is built upon. Love him or hate him, he’s all about the supporting casts and environments. Special shout outs to Robin I, Robin III, Robin #33, Robin #34, Robin #49-52 (look it contains Shiva), Brotherhood of the Fist, and Robin #67, among many others.

Adam Beechen. Gonna call it. This was a solid entertaining run. It also contains Bruce parenting Tim, which you know what? We all needed this. We DESERVED this. (Unfortunately the run is marred by Evil!Cass but there isn’t a single perfect run anywhere in Tim’s books). It has Robin #156. It has Robin #163.

Bill Willingham, #132-141. Yes, I am very specifically restricting this to a small chunk of Willingham, but this bit was genuinely interestingly written and contains the best material for Tim in Bludhaven.

I cannot be normal about Robin #183, thanks Fabian Nicieza. It’s just. Beautiful. Read Robin I, Robin #50-52, and Robin #183 back to back to back. I have, and clearly so did FabNic as he wrote it. This is what long form storytelling and callbacks are about. This is how you tie off a series after 18 years of material.

Reflections on best writers for runs of Birds of Prey:

Gail Simone. GAIL SIMONE. Queen. She turned the perfect pair (Babs and Dinah) into a trio (Babs, Dinah and Helena) and she gave the Barbara & Helena relationship the desperately needed work it deserved to progress it from a tangled bilateral deep dislike to allies to best friends. (I also loved them despising each other. Because the reasons on both sides were so meaty. But the progression of moving past that was equally good).

Chuck Dixon. Do you need inadvertently very queer stories about 007!Dinah and her handler, Barbara? Do you need Dick/Babs in your life? Do you want the queerest art anyone has ever drawn for Babs, probably drawn specifically as a fuck you to Chuck Dixon (Birds of Prey #21 my beloved)? You want Chuck Dixon.

They let some other people write this for fills but we all know it wasn’t the same.

Reflections on best writers for runs of Nightwing:

Peter Tomasi. There’s absolutely no question. The run respects Dick as the adult hero with connections across the community. It gives a Dick who has grown up enough to not just instinctively push assistance from Bruce away. It’s full of continuity nods. (I have to SCREAM about Dick catching the falling baby at the end of Freefall. Tomasi taking the falling/missed catches imagery and transforming it by: giving Dick the hobby of skydiving; AND letting Dick make the catch that haunts his nightmares? It’s a beautiful reframe)

Hello again, Chuck. Frequently heavy handed, repetitive in how much Dick wants his independence, but also full of Babs/Dick, teamwork, Dick & Tim moments, a properly rounded out supporting cast, and the origin of Dick’s escrima sticks. He wouldn’t be the same hero today without his now iconic weapons.

If I were going to nominate a third, I GUESS I’d pick out a few parts of Devin Grayson’s run, actually, and I give you #75-#83ish, #100, and #107-111. #75-#83 gives you the most interesting part of the Chief Redhorn downfall story and Blockbuster trying to take Dick’s life apart before everyone starts dying (and contains stand out issues #76 – Amy Rohrbach’s house being blown up – and #81 – Dick in hospital, Cass taking on Slade), #100 just does a lot of interesting retrospective work with Dick (even as it cements in Grayson’s Romani canon, and whether or not that’s good in your opinion is up to you), and I actually quite enjoyed the mob arc of #107-111? It’s silly, but also it’s not the worst way Dick’s ever punished himself.

Reflections on best writers for runs of Batgirl:

Kelley Puckett. Next question?

Oh you want me to elaborate? Puckett created our girl who can take on anyone and win. He made her vulnerable. He gave her her aesthetic. He developed her complex relationship with both David Cain and with Shiva. He gave her speech and friends and the vulnerability to desperately want to protect people and learn. Cass isn’t Cass without Puckett’s work.

Probably Dylan Horrocks? Horrocks is very good with emotional moments for Cass. He wrote the ‘loyalty to the Bat’ scene and ‘Soul’ and also the argument with Babs over reading, which I’m sorry, is still one of those moments in Batgirl that takes my breath away because it’s so in character for both Babs and Cass, even as it hurts.

#dc #z canon read throughs #tim drake #barbara gordon #dick grayson #dinah lance #cassandra cain

[smashpages]

An X-Men era ends, and a new one begins, this summer

Gerry Duggan, Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, Lucas Werneck, Joshua Cassara, Chris Claremont, Gail Simone and more contribute to an oversized issue celebrating 700 issues of ‘Uncanny X-Men.’

(cover by Pepe Larraz)

#x-men #uncanny x-men #marvel #comics #comic books #pepe larraz

[geekcavepodcast]

"Uncanny X-Men" Hits Milestone 700th Issue

X-Men #35 is set to be the final act of the Krakoan Age...and the 700th issue of Uncanny X-Men. To celebrate, the 35th issue will be giant-sized and feature stories from writers Gerry Duggan, Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, Chris Claremont, and Gail Simone and artists Phil Noto, Joshua Cassara, Lucas Werneck, Jerome Opeña, Stefano Caselli, Walter Simonson, Leinil Francis Yu, and more. The comic will also give readers a glimpse into what's to come in this summer's new X-Men titles.

"All good things must come to an end, and as good of a thing as the Krakoan Era has been for mutantkind… its time has come at last. The tragedy and triumph of FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X, the madness and mystery of RISE OF THE POWERS OF X… they have all come to their end and led to this moment that will change the future of mutantkind for years to come." (Marvel Comics)

X-Men #35 (Legacy #700) features a wraparound cover by Pepe Larraz. The issue goes on sale on June 5, 2024.

Image via Marvel Comics - Pepe Larraz's Cover of X-Men #35 (Legacy #700)

#x-men 700 #x-men 35 #krakoan age #x-men #uncanny x-men #uncanny x-men 700 #pepe larraz #gerry duggan #kieron gillen #al ewing #chris claremont #gail simone #phil noto #joshua cassara #lucas werneck #jerome openo #stefano caselli #walter simonson #leinil francis yu #marvel comics #TGCLiz