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rinrin-the-shark-teen · 1 year

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I need all of the adults to actually take action of Steve's living conditions from the moment they realize that he has the shittiest parents ever.

After the first round with the upside down Joyce cannot comprehend when Steve tells her not to call his home since there will be no one there. His mom will certainly not take care of him, she barely even calls for important dates. He is always alone, so he will just drive home with all his injuries and make do. Steve quickly understands why neither of the Byers ever goes against her will. She checks all his injuries and makes him a makeshift bedroom in their living room until he is better. She will not take no for an answer. Steve stays for almost a month there and practically has to get a doctor's note saying he is fine now before she lets him go.

Hopper sits him down eventually and makes him explain his living situation. Steve goes in as little details as possible about it, trying to brush it off but Jim is not happy and surely not believing it. He starts building a case at the station if Steve ever needs their help and you know, prepare in case they somehow get worse. Steve will have all the evidence needed to ruin them with proof of child neglect and other much much worse.

Claudia Henderson immediately starts asking for his help as home as an excuse to have him at their place and feed him. "Steve sweetie? Can you come over and help me get the door unstuck? Can you help with the faucet? Do you think we need to repaint?" And then Steve is at their place more and more and coming back home with too much homemade food. He eventually shared it with the Munsons as he cannot eat all of that by himself before it goes bad. She also insists on teaching him how to cook and they eventually fall into a routine.

Wayne Munson immediately brings him under his wing after being Eddie's personal nurse. He asks him to come over to watch games, he calls him son knowing perfectly well the impact it has on Steve if the tears in his eyes are anything to go by. He teaches him how to maintain his car that he loves so much so he doesnt get taken advantage of for being a Harrington. He gets him his own mug to add to the collection and drinks his coffee in silence pretty much every morning with Wayne while Eddie is still snoozing in his room.

Karen Wheeler starts making 3 sets of lunches. She sends him his lunch with Mike, which kills Mike's soul every day. "First Nancy, then my mom and now Eddie? What is it with you Steve?"

Steve by S4 has a whole routine for his week. - Sundays cooking with the Hendersons. They cook together and Steve and Claudia exchange new recipes and try new ones every week. - Mondays are spent at his own place and Hopper comes by after the end of his shift and they just watch TV and chat about their day with a beer in their hands. - Tuesdays is family dinner at the Byers. Steve always brings desert (that he learned from Claudia) even tho Joyce tells him that only his presence is needed. They usually catch up while doing the dishes. - Wednesdays he has a late shift at Family Video with Robin but he always takes time to chat with her parents before they get on their way. - Thursdays is DnD night, so he brings the little gremlins home. Not without a quick chat with their mothers tho. - Fridays and Saturdays are usually nights spent with Eddie, and by proxy with Wayne as well. They have dinner and if Wayne is still up for it they watch a movie. Most of the time he is asleep halfway, but they dont mind. Wayne brings a homey feeling to the place, his soft snores a background noise to their night.

So then the Harrington's come back after everything and they throw Steve out of the house for being a disappointment and achieving nothing in life. They will not just let him live rent free while he wastes away being nobody in this dead town. He is nothing but a shame to their name.

Imagine their absolute surprise when see 4 adults basically fighting in their frontyard over who will adopt Steve. Claudia is begging Steve to choose her and that way him and Dustin can finally be actual brothers. He would have his own room and they could decorate it together and they would always be just a few meters away. Then Joyce is saying that she basically adopted him since 83 and he IS family already. Putting on paper would just be the last step to it. Hopper is saying that he has been taking care of him since the first "disaster" unlike his own parents. He doesnt insist much since they all live together with Joyce now, so she can do the fighting for him.

And then Steve turns to Wayne, waiting for his arguments to be his official son now, but Wayne just casually shrugs and looks at the others. Steve lets go of a small "oh", his heart breaking a little even tho there are literal adults fighting for him right now, he foolishly expected the same from him. and when Wayne notices this, he is very quick to correct him. "Steve, don't get this wrong son. I am not fighting with them because it would be unfair. They are trying their best to make you one of them, but I have an advantage. You will be a Munson sooner or later, no matter who adopts you. My boy will make an honest man out of you, I raised him right after all" and he squeezes his shoulder. Steve just stares at him, face bright red while his eyes begin to water.

#steve harrington #stranger things #steddie #eddie munson #joyce byers #jim hooper #claudia henderson #wayne munson #this got horribly out of control #i had a whole fic planned as you can tell #maybe someday i will actually write it #the sinclairs are also involved in this in the end to get steve justice #should i write this? would anyone read it?

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dccomicsnews · 4 years

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Review: CATWOMAN 80TH ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Paul Dini, Ann Nocenti, Tom King, Jeff Parker, Liam Sharp, Mindy Newell, Chuck Dixon, Will Pfeifer, Ram V, Ed Brubaker

Artists: Emanuela Lupacchino, Mick Gray, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, Mikel Janin, Jonathan Case, Liam Sharp, Lee Garbett, Kelley Jones, Danny Miki, Pia Guerra, Fernando Blanco, Cameron Stewart

Colours: Laura Allred, Alejandro Sanchez, Jordie Bellaire, Jonathan Chase, Liam Sharp, Alex Sinclair, Steve Oliff, John Kalisz, FCO Plascencia, Cameron Stewart

Letters: Wes Abbott, Saida Temofonte, Clayton Cowles, Jonathan Chase, Tom Napolitano, Tom Orzechowski, Steve Wands, Gabriela Downie, Cameron Stewart

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular: Our gal Catwoman is turning 80 next year (and looking very good, if we meow say), and DC is celebrating with nothing less than with a huge soiree, invite only, packed with creators who mean the most to her and to whom she means the most! Stories featured in this 100-page spectacular include a tail-sorry, tale-that takes place at the end of the Brubaker/Stewart Catwoman run, in honor of artist Darwyn Cooke. Plus, Catwoman is caught by an exotic cat collector, runs into a wannabe thief trying to prove himself as her apprentice, encounters a mystery involving memorabilia from alternate continuities, and of course some Bat/Cat fun.

Positives

In Scott Snyder’s final issue of Justice League, the League set off on an epic battle to “give reckoning to every story, every event throughout history. The ones you know… and the ones you do not”. The implication seems to be that all iterations of DCU continuity through the matters. Everything matters.

This Catwoman 80th Anniversary exemplifies that theme beautifully, presenting us with stories with various different versions of Catwoman as she’s been presented through her history. The current canon version of Catwoman appears, as does the dominatrix prostitute version from Batman: Year One. Even the Catwoman as played by Julie Newmar in the 1966 Batman TV show appears. If you included the pin-ups scattered throughout the issue, just about every version of Catwoman is represented.

As often happens with an anthology book, the stories are not all equal in quality. However, there are no clunkers. Each is at least an entertaining read. However, a few of the stories stick out as especially good ones.

Positives Cont.

“Little Bird” by Mindy Newell and Lee Garbett is a touching story. Years ago, one of Selina’s foster mothers wanted to pass on a Mezuzah onto Selina some day. When Selina sees that it is now on display, Selina makes sure it is returned to its rightful owner. This story shows that even Frank Miller’s street-hardened version of Catwoman has a tender side. She has some treasure pleasant memories in her childhood, even if it was mostly terrible.

Another interesting story by Will Pfeifer and Pia Guerra places a disoriented Selina at a mysterious Bat-Con. This is an odd comic convention where the characters themselves appear to sign autographs or hold panels where fans can directly question them.

There are even some moments of “leaning on the fourth wall” that refer to the Catwoman 80th Anniversary special itself. The special’s cover is visible in one panel as a poster. Also, the “current story line” is referred to as “the one that ends in a couple of pages?”. And it even refers to Tom King’s story in the special when a fan mentions, “I hear she gets pregnant again. And this time the dad is you know who”.

Positives Cont.

Speaking of which, “Helena” by Tom King and Mikel Janin is the real gem of the issue. King’s Batman Annual #2 from 2017 showed vignettes from the romance between the Bat and the Cat over the years, even into the future. However, this story focuses in on their daughter, starting with the discovery of Selena’s pregnancy.

This story show Selena struggling with impending motherhood. Like a cat, Selena is a free spirit and hates to be tied down. However, she feels that a child will do exactly that. However, anyone who knows cats, will also know how strong the maternal instinct is. Selena comes to accept her daughter, happily accepting her new role as a mother.

In an epilogue set after Bruce’s death, Selena is telling her grown daughter that she takes after her father. It’s a touching story of how Selena overcomes her uncertainty and comes to treasure her baby daughter. This sweet tale makes me eager to read Tom King’s upcoming Batman/Catwoman maxi-series.

Negatives

In my review for The Flash #750, I voiced some concern about the overuse of the decade variant covers. These covers are truly beautiful to behold, but it is pretty unfair to completionist fans to do this with a book that already has a hefty cover price. And if you want a full set of covers, that’s ten times the cost.

It was bad enough to do this once a month for several months in a row. But now, thanks to the recent upheavals in DC’s release schedule, the Catwoman, Joker, and Green Lantern anniversary specials are all coming out in a single month. I suppose I should be glad that at least DC isn’t bringing them all out on the same week. But please, DC, could you put a moratorium on these decade variants for a few months? My wallet needs time to recover from the beating it’s receiving this month.

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1940s Cover

1950s Cover

1960s Cover

1970s Cover

1980s Cover

1990s Cover

2000s Cover

2010s Cover

Verdict

The Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular is a fine collection of Catwoman stories. This special revisits many eras’ interpretations of the character, bringing them back to life, proving that ever story does indeed matter.

Review: Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular Review: CATWOMAN 80TH ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR Writers: Paul Dini, Ann Nocenti, Tom King…

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ty-talks-comics · 5 years

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Best of DC: Week of July 17th, 2019

Best of this Week: Justice League #28 - James Tynion IV, Javier Fernandez, Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, Hi-Fi, Tom Napolitano

Doom is coming.

Martian Manhunter, J’onn J’onzz, is hearing the whispers of the people. He hears them asking for Lex Luthor to grant their wishes, for power, money, confidence and J’onn is determined to stop him. With Hawkgirl, the two fly to the last place that J’onn traced Luthor’s presence. Luthor, however, was already in J'onn's head and commands him to knock Hawkgirl unconscious so that they may talk.

Elsewhere on Qward, in the Antimatter Universe, the rest of the League stand on the lifeless world looking for The Anti-Monitor. Daniel Sampere has few pages in the book, but he makes the best of every one that he is given. The first splash page is absolutely beautiful as it establishes John Stewart as the head of this mission given his numerous battles with Sinestro and his Weaponeers. The rest of the League also look badass with Batman’s broody darkness flanked by Superman’s big blue hope. Even with the World Forger and the Monitor behind The Flash and Wonder Woman, they stand out as uber-imposing figures with the League.

They find that the planet is lifeless with a message left by the Anti-Monitor in the Weaponeers blood. He warns them not to follow and the team is left at a loss because the being could be literally anywhere in the multiverse. J’onn and Luthor walk around a secret lab/refuge that Luthor had been hidden for a very long time. Luthor explains that his Offers are going out to the worst of the worst and the Manhunter asks why Luthor is telling him all of this, the newly reborn villain replies with “Why not?” because he did broadcast it to the world before his “suicide.”

What makes this most interesting is the uneasiness at watching Lex Luthor, the man who held his sanity and guile above all things, slip into the realm of madness and resignation to his vow of Doom. He tries to convince J’onn that there’s no more need to fight for the greater good given how willing people were to embrace Doom. He says that J’onn’s own desire to save or rehabilitate Luthor is part of his own eventual downfall.

Luthor praises something higher than himself by waxing poetic about Perpetua’s vision of what man and Martian was supposed to be. He acknowledges his own jealousy of Superman after having a conversation with Perpetua at length. Apparently she tells him that humanity AND Martiankind would have been immortal, apex predators, conquerors of the multiverse. He Offers J’onn a choice; to join him or not.

J’onn calls him insane.

Luthor had hoped that things wouldn’t come to this but i left with no other choice than to activate tech that had been in J’onn’s mind since one of their earlier encounters. It slowly undoes the Martian’s cellular structure as Hawkgirl wakes up and attempt to save him. Fernandez has always been good with faces and the way that he conveys her terror at watching J’onn slowly come undone as Luthor grins evilly is masterful. Hawkgirl cries as Luthor absorbs J’onn’s body into himself, the rest of the Legion attack the League and Starman, Shayne and Jarro see the end of the world at the Legion of Doom’s hand.

This book was absolutely stellar. Ending the Apex Predator arc on a very low note was probably the best decision to showcase how much more powerful Luthor is in this form. He’s gone completely mad and yet lucid. He’s sure of his path and even the best that the Justice League has to offer isn't enough to stop his plans from coming to fruition. With the Anti-Monitor keeping away from the League, one has to wonder what it is he’s afraid of or what he’s trying to avoid and what is the horrible end that Starman has seen?

The stakes are getting higher and higher as we continue to make our way to the culmination of everything as the Year of the Villain soldiers on.

---------------------------------------------------

After all of the Doom and gloom, sometimes it’s nice to get back to something simple.

Runner Up: Wonder Woman: Come Back to Me #1 - Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, Alex Sinclair and Travis Lanham

As part of the Walmart Exclusive 100 Page Giants that DC published, each giant gets 15 pages of original story content and two of those have been published in this fun book. Where Tom King’s Superman was dreary, overbearingly awful and melancholy, Brian Michael Bendis’ Batman was interesting and fun, Conner and Palmiotti’s Wonder Woman is awe-inspiring and badass.

Before the book starts, we're treated to a title page that's just a splash of Wonder Woman posing like a badass, goddess of muscle and beauty. It showcases Hardin's talent for shots of nice landscapes and backgrounds, but also an understanding of what Diana is all about; regality, strength and a love/respect of nature.

We begin with Diana and Steve Trevor enjoying a day at the beach. Within just a few panels we see just how much these two love each other with both of them making cute quips and Steve preparing their picnic lunch. Steve tells her that he’s going to be testing an experimental aircraft that he’d been working on, but he wishes that he had more time off with her. Steve drops her off at her house after a good swim and the two make out before he has to leave.

She and Etta Candy, who’s living in Diana’s house until her apartment gets repaired, watch the news and get word of a huge fire that’s trapped several firefighters and animals. Wonder Woman races off to save the day and in an epic shot, stuns the firefighters who were starting to get very distressed. Floating above them all, Wonder Woman looks amazing, a beacon of light in a dark situation, ready to help in any way that she can!

After making plans on how to get everyone safe, she displays an ability that has either been long forgotten or is new from Conner and Palmiotti as she talks to the animals to calm them down. I don’t actually know that she’s talking to them or if she’s just able to tell what they’re thinking by looking at them, but it’s an absolutely amazing ability that I hope gets used in the normal continuity of books too. The backgrounds in most of these shots looks great though. The harshness of the fire contrasted with the hopefulness of Wonder Woman’s presence gives me a warm feeling. The sight of the trees burning and the embers wafting away almost makes it feel like it could be touched.

Wonder Woman uses an entire tree to slap her way through the forest with the firefighters strapped to the backs of moose and bears. After extinguishing the flames she celebrates with the firefighters that she’s saved with drink before heading back home. Once she arrives, Etta tells her that Steve’s plane was lost somewhere near the Bermuda and it’s up to the two of them to save him.

The latter half of the book involves them being sucked into a weird storm that destroys the Invisible Jet and leaves Wonder Woman without most of her powers. They arrive on a strange island where some of the animals talk back and others are HUGE masses of death.

While not featuring the world ending stories of Year of the Villain or City of Bane, it’s nice to take a step back to simple rescue missions. Whether it’s saving the man that she loves or an entire department of firefighters, Wonder Woman does what she can for everyone. She gets along with everyone, everything and definitely comes off as the most compassionate of the Trinity. Conner and Palmiotti wrote this simply enough, but also injected their brand of comedy to give things a bit of levity, especially when Etta wakes up and finds that she can talk to crabs.

Chad Hardin deserves a ton of credit for his art too. His lines are thick, his focus on anatomy is apparent and his faces are very expressive, showing all manner of sadness, joy and shock. With Alex Sinclair’s coloring, things are given a lot of depth. This helps a lot in seeing how bad the forest fire is, how far Etta and Diana fall after the jet breaks and most importantly, how jacked Wonder Woman is.

Of all of these reprints, this might be the one I’m looking forward to the most. High recommend!

#comics #dc #dc comics #justice league #year of the villain #martian manhunter #hawkgirl #lex luthor #batman #john stewart #james tynion iv #javier fernandez #daniel sampere #wonder woman #steve trevor #etta candy #amanda conner #jimmy palmiotti #chad hardin

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gokinjeespot · 7 years

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off the rack #1149

Monday, January 30, 2017

It's the Chinese Year of the Rooster folks and there's a cock in the White House. We are living in interesting times indeed. I am trying my best not to get riled up by the d-bag but it's difficult. The empathy I feel for others means I cannot ignore the affect the changes have on everybody. I just hope we all get through these difficult times relatively unscathed.

I'm going to have a fun Sunday on February 5. I'll be at the Walkley Arena for the Capital Trade Show where my partner Chris and I will be flogging old comic books. Then it's Super Bowl 51 with two gun slinging quarterbacks. I am cheering for a high scoring affair.

Civil War II: The Oath #1 - Nick Spencer (writer) Rod Reis, Raffaele Ienco, Szymon Kudranski & Dono Sanchez-Almara (art) VC's Chris Eliopoulos (letters). Didn't see that coming. While it makes sense to appoint Captain America as the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (again) the surprise is that I don't think it's Steve Rogers under the mask. I don't particularly like the new political landscape that the Marvel U is headed towards but it does make for some easy enemies for the good guys to fight with. Nick put in a lot of rah, rah patriotism in this book so it was a tough slog trying to get through it but the payoff at the end is worth it.

Kamandi Challenge #1 - Part One: Dan Didio (writer) Keith Giffen (pencils) Scott Koblish (inks) Hi-Fi (colours) Clem Robins (letters) Part Two: Dan Abnett (writer) Dale Eaglesham (art) Hi-Fi (colours) Clem Robins (letters). He's the last boy on Earth and he's going on a wild adventure to find his parents. One of Jack Kirby's creations is getting a round robin of comic book creators to excite fans like never before. Each part of the story will be done by a different team that will end with a cliffhanger that the next team must find a way to resolve. I have a nagging feeling that this stunt has been done before but I can't remember when so I'm going to tag along to see who does what. I'm not a fan of Kamandi but I want to see who all are going to be involved on the creative side.

Loose Ends #1 - Jason Latour (writer) Chris Brunner (art) Rico Renzi (colours). The cover says that this 4-issue mini is a southern crime romance. They got that right. We're looking at a trailer dwelling war vet whose friend gets him mixed up in running drugs. You can expect that the vet and the friend get into a heap of trouble and they do. I like how Sonny and Rej each wind up where they do at the end of this first issue so you bet I'm going to keep reading. Not much romance so far but I'm sure Jason will get to that.

Star Wars #27 - Jason Aaron (writer) Salvador Larroca (art) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Yay Yoda. Root for him I will.

Batgirl #7 - Hope Larson (writer) Chris Wildgoose (art) Mat Lopes (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). Part 1 of "Son of Penguin" introduces Ethan Cobblepot and I don't care if there is no reference to him anywhere else in the DCU because he's going to be a great adversary for Barbara Gordon. I like how Chris draws her older than Rafael Albuquerque did. This is going to be fun.

Briggs Land #6 - Brian Wood (writer) Mack Chater (art) Lee Loughridge & Jeremy Colwell (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). I really like Grace Briggs. The risks that she is taking will hopefully keep her people safe. Brian has crafted a story fit for cable TV.

Totally Awesome Hulk #15 - Greg Pak (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Nolan Woodward (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Greg continues to feature heroes of the Asian persuasion in this story about Amadeus hanging out with Jake Oh, Kamala Khan, Cindy Moon, Shang-Chi, and Jimmy Woo. It does play on some stereotypes but I think it's okay because they're true for these guys.

Odyssey of the Amazons #1 - Kevin Grevioux (writer) Ryan Benjamin (pencils) Richard Friend (inks) Tony Washington & Tony Avina (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). This 6-issue mini has a lot of women but not a wonder one in sight. Kevin features Diana's sister Amazons in a tale worthy of Homer. If you like classic sword and sorcery, you'll like this.

Dead Inside #2 - John Arcudi (writer) Tony Fejzula (art) Andre May (colours) Joe Sabino (letters). The plot thickens like congealed blood and murder suspects start to emerge. Linda has plenty to deal with inside the prison but she's surprised when she gets home after work by a sight I did not expect to see. This mystery is crazy good.

Inhumans vs. X-Men #3 - Charles Soule & Jeff Lemire (writer) Javier Garron (art) Andres Mossa & Jay David Ramos (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). There are three more issue to this mini but it seems to me that Charles and Jeff have already come up with a solution to the Terrigen cloud that would end the war. The mutant Forge has built a machine that can collect the Terrigen gas and compress it into a solid in this issue. Wouldn't that solve the problem of the gas killing the mutants? Works for me.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #6 - Joshua Williamson (writer) Howard Porter (art) Alex Sinclair (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). All is well that ends well. Both teams join forces to defeat Eclipso and Max Lord is at the mercy of Amanda Waller. Batman sees the light and gathers another team together to fight evil forces. Get ready for a new Justice League of America #1 hitting the racks on February 22. DC is sure spreading Bats pretty thin these days.

Skybourne #3 - Frank Cho (writer & artist) Marcio Menyz (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). The identity of the bad guy was a nice surprise. I like Frank's comic books because they're simple stories about good versus evil that are beautifully drawn.

Hulk #2 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Nico Leon & Dalibor Talajic (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Waiting for Jennifer to Hulk out is one of the things I like about the new book. She has a lot more self control than I have. The scary thing about the eventuality of her losing control is that this new Hulk will be an uncontrollable creature of rage but we'll have to wait and see what happens. Until then I'm enjoying Jen's life so far.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #13 - Robert Venditti (writer) V Ken Marion (pencils) Paul Neary & Dexter Vines (inks) Alex Sollazzo (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Now that the planet Xudar has been saved, what now? It's time for a bedtime story that's what. This is a nice interlude issue before we launch into the next story. I've been enjoying this team book now that my loyalty to the Avengers has waned. We'll see if Robert can keep me hooked with his next adventure.

Saga #42 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Fiona Staples (art) Fonografiks (letters). And fade to black. No, really. It's hiatus time again but this issue didn't leaving me screaming profanities about the long wait until the next issue hits the racks. There is a new character introduced who I will be very interested to find out more about.

Doctor Strange #16 - Jason Aaron (writer) Chris Bachalo with Cory Smith (art) Al Vey, John Livesay, Victor Olazaba, & Tim Townsend (inks) Antonio Fabela & Java Tartaglia with Chris Bachalo (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Dormammu is finally going to get his chance to kill Doctor Strange after he has been weakened by his fight with the Empirikul. Jason does find a neat way to save Stephen however. The next bit of nastiness involves someone close to the Doc. Oboy.

Wonder Woman #15 - Greg Rucka (writer) Liam Sharp (art) Laura Martin (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). Part 1 of "The Truth" finds Diana in a mental hospital. How she got there has yet to be explained but I'm sure I can handle it.

Punisher #8 - Becky Cloonan (writer) Laura Braga with Iolanda Zanfardino (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). That little old lady toting the double barrelled shotgun from last issue is named Ethel. She looks scary but she's not what you think. The change in art took some getting used to but it isn't bad enough to make me bench this book. I do have a couple of complaints though. If you're going to call a motorcycle a Harley, don't show what looks like a BMW logo on the gas tank. Also, draw the bad guy from the chest up when Frank says that he opened up his guts, not a full body shot that clearly shows an abdomen without any wounds at all. I don't know if the art had to be rushed after Steve Dillon passed away unexpectedly but that's just shoddy editing.

Action Comics #972 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Stephen Segovia (pencils) Art Thibert (inks) Ulises Arreola (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Trust Dan to come up with a non-violent way to stop Lex from being executed by the bad guys. It also served to show what possible futures are in store for this new Superman. DC has managed to revive my interest in this iconic character.

Daredevil #16 - Charles Soule (writer) Goran Sudzuka (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). We find out why Daredevil put out a hit on himself to lure out Bullseye. There's some soul searching this issue which leads into the next storyline. I liked how Charles sets it up.

Detective Comics #949 - James Tynion IV & Marguerite Bennett (writers) Ben Oliver & Szymon Kudranski (art) Ben Oliver, Gabe Eltaeb & Hi-Fi (colours) Marilyn Patrizio (letters). The finale of "Batwoman Begins" is a very good prelude to Batwoman's solo book which hits the racks on February 15. It looks like James and Marguerite are going to have a Raymond Reddington and Agent Keen thing going on between Kate and her dad. That's got me interested.

Infamous Iron Man #4 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Brian must have a thing for mother and son stories. He did it in International Iron Man where he introduced Tony's biological mother. Now he's showing us Victor's mom. I really do believe that Doom has reformed and I hope he stays a good guy.

Spider-Man/Deadpool: Monsters Unleashed - Joshua Corin (writer) Tigh Walker (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The boys save Toronto eh.

Thanos #3 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Mike Deodato (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's the Imperial Guard of the Shi'ar versus Thanos. A perfect opportunity to give a history lesson on the life of the Mad Titan.

Spider-Woman #15 - Dennis Hopeless (writer) Veronica Fish (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Jessica subdues the new Porcupine and finds out who put the hit out on her friend Roger. Now she's gunning for the Hobgoblin but he's protected by an army of super villains. I hope little Gerry doesn't become an orphan.

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hsews · 6 years

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Since the Korean War was fought in the 1950s, these soldiers would be now 90 years old at the very least, meaning all those many people asking Trump to bring their remains home would be at least 110 years if not older.

Illustration: John Shakespeare

Photo:

What else did he really mean us all to believe in the address? – Louise Whelan, Chatswood

Frankly, only time will tell if the achievements of Trump and Kim’s meeting will grow over time to outshine his meeting with the Kardashian Kim.

At least with the original Kim meeting, one American was set free after a number of decades for a first offence, an act of humane clemency which, if they ever heard of it, may inspire greatly the imprisoned and economically deprived masses in North Korea, some of whom will have been waiting since 1948 for the freedoms that Europe and Japan have enjoyed since 1945.

Surely our recent record of humane treatment of refugees could not suffer by offering refuge to Kim refugees, as long as they managed their alleged political influence a bit more discreetly than their neighbours. – Garry P Dalrymple, Earlwood

What else could we expect from a lying braggart but mendacious bluster? So it was with Trump’s post-summit press conference, a nauseating, hour-long, self-congratulatory rant.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

Photo: AP

Only two things were achieved by this meeting, and neither were mentioned by Trump. First, a murderous and dictatorial international pariah secured legitimacy and security for his regime without giving up a thing. Second, a shallow conman secured a gold mine of self-promotional material to con his way towards a second term.

Everyone else is a loser. The art of the deal indeed. – Michael Hinchey, New Lambton

I think of my old school motto – res non verba – when Trump claims his handshake with Kim is history-making. Such political handshakes offer great photo opportunities but have an unproductive history. Handshakes are a beginning but also, too often, the end. – Ron Sinclair, Bathurst

Talk is cheap.There will be likely many a twist and turn before Trump and Kim arrive at a quid pro quo agreement .Any talk of a permanent paradigm shift is presumptuous as both are erratic ego-driven leaders. – Steve Ngeow, Chatswood

The blurry line between friends and enemies

Donald Trump is carving a new path through the world order inspired by the adage to keep your enemies close.

So allies are now backbenchers and the new ministry is made up of strong men and bad guys: Putin, Kim, Duarte, Xi for a start.

Trump is on a slippery slope with delisting voters and demonising minorities. – Robert Caraian, Crows Nest

It’s come to this. The leader of Canada is a very, very bad man. The leader of North Korea is a good one. – Max Staples, Wagga Wagga

An interesting few days in the world of Trump. On one hand Justin Trudeau, who has brought a humanity and balance to his country, and on the other a leader who has only brought terror and death to his people.

It is to be hoped that Trump and Kim can continue their friendship because, by the end of the year, it’s likely the only friends the US will have in the world will be Russia, Israel and North Korea. – Charles Hargrave, Elizabeth Bay

Trump is so out of his depth. It is so much easier to be presidential in a meeting with a weakling impoverished nation than be an equal participant among equivalent nations of wealth and influence at the G7.

I truly pray for the impoverished North Koreans that actual change can come of this meeting but I can’t help but feel that it’s all window dressing and egomaniacal posturing on both sides. – Rebecca Semple, Abbotsford

While we rightly focus on the appalling human rights abuses in Kim’s North Korea, the Australian media has been almost silent on the atrocities for which the Americans have never atoned during the Korean War itself (“Remember who Kim is and his victims”, June 13).

In a remarkable 2017 book, NSW Supreme Court Justice Michael Pembroke chronicles the grotesque almost total obliteration of North Korea, its infrastructure and millions of people with more bombs being dropped on that one small nation than in the entire WWII Pacific campaign.

As we all hope for this summit to actually mean something, let our media and government also call on the Americans to own up to what Pembroke concludes were crimes under international law. – Bruce Donald, Waverton

Any graphologist will tell you that Trump’s brutal, heavy signature is evidence of his egocentric, aggressive and cruel personality. By contrast, Kim’s tippy-toeing lightly upwards suggests he is enormously optimistic, even perhaps away with the fairies.

The scary thing is that the world’s future hangs on the actions of these two men. – Nedra Orme, Neutral Bay

A hairy call

US President Trump and his hair.

Photo: AP

Please tell me I am not the only one alarmed that the responsibility for making sure that the world does not end up in a ball of flames and rubble has been left in the hands of two men sporting such weird and unfathomable hairstyles. Does not the hair maketh man? – Cristina Corleto, Stanmore

I reckon the summit between the US and North Korea has been very successful. There have been literally millions of photos, mentions and column inches in the media of Trump and even the possibility of a Trump apartment complex on a North Korean beach. A very successful summit, indeed. – Hilton Symes, Hamilton (Vic)

I hear President Trump has given orders to remove maple syrup from the breakfast menu. – Julie Robinson, Cardiff

Bully boys meet, pose, pander and sign a vapid document. Kim plays Trump and gets a concession. Tune in for the next instalment of world reality television when the narcissistic protagonists need another high. – Deb McPherson, Gerringong

William Shakespeare’s report on the meeting would have been the most prescient: “It is a tale told by an idiot (two actually) full of sound and fury and signifying nothing.” – David Goss, Woonona

For sale: prime NSW real estate sites

How long will it be before the NSW government decides to sell off Government House and the Conservatorium of Music (“Museum site was marked for housing”, June 13)?

Think of what could be built there. I suppose it will be a decision of cabinet made commercial in confidence and nobody has the right to see the business case. – John Bracey, Forestville

Is anyone really shocked that the NSW government’s Powerhouse Museum business case involves the sale of prime Parramatta real estate so the state government can build two super-towers on our riverbank? In return for the land sell-off it’s been revealed that Parramatta gets half the museum for double the entry fee.

What family can afford $150 tickets? It’s cheaper for a family of four to take a train from Western sydney to visit the Powerhouse in Ultimo.

This should be the start of a great cultural tourism economy for western Sydney. Instead what we are being offered is a second-rate hatchet job. – Suzette Meade, Toongabbie

The NSW government selling off iconic sites for development? Well I never, what will they think of next? – Janine Burdeu, Mona Vale

Life in the slow lane

Will the proposed $2.6 billion F6 extension consist of two-lane tunnels in each direction only so that in years to come the NSW government will have an excuse to contribute a further $8 billion to the private contractors to add another single lane on either side (“New toll: costly catch for motorist on F6”, June 13)?

After the same debacle with the M5 it is incomprehensible that this road format was even considered, let alone approved. Not only does it allow no capacity for growth, the inherent disadvantages of a two-lane tunnel in the event of a breakdown or accident should be obvious to even the most moronic politician. – John Collins, Loftus

The joy of reading

Reading wars (“Phonics wins reading wars, research finds”, June 13)? Only in academia. Those at the coal face have been using a blend of strategies for nearly four decades in my time in teaching.

Best practice by those teaching the initial stages of reading know those that need what strategy and when. A basic understanding of letter/sound relationship combined with a solid core of sight words and the children, in a majority of cases, “get it”.

Watching them take to reading is one of the great joys of teaching. – David Woodward, Warners Bay

So refreshing to hear that phonics is now recognised by one of our university research teams as a significant aid in the teaching of reading.

So boring to hear that this war just goes on and on. Fifty years ago, as a remedial reading adviser, I was asked to talk to a gathering of local infants teachers.

At the conclusion, one approached me and said in hushed tones how she appreciated the emphasis I had placed on the teaching of phonics as part of a balanced reading system but she stressed that she used phonics very discretely as she recognised the distaste that the system was viewed officially at that time.

If those people who regularly, historically, attack phonics took time to more fully understand how much of the English language follows simple, logical, understandable rules. – Ed Raftery, Davistown

Turning teeth green

Why would Byron Bay residents want fluoride in their water (“Minister won’t force towns to add fluoride to water supplies”, June 13), after all, how damaging can a diet of kale be to one’s teeth. – Peter Miniutti, Ashbury

Stop the NRL clock

The NRL wants free flowing football so, not unexpectedly, it looks for someone other than itself to blame and this time the referees cop it (“Penalty blitz to end as NRL overhauls sin-bin system”, June 13).

Maybe, the NRL could make the effort to discover what the fans want. Near the top of their wish list is their desire to see 80 minutes of action. Stop the game clock every time the ball is out of play.

Admittedly, that’ll require some adjustments, not the least the need for games to start earlier, perhaps half an hour, if current finishing times have to be maintained. – Col Shephard, Yamba

Suffer the children

Another report about dysfunction in the child protection system (“System ‘failing’ children”,June 13). Unfortunately we have seen these reports for decades and nothing changes.

No system can protect children until we get on top of substance abuse. That is where the emphasis should be and unfortunately until it is nothing will change for the kids involved. – Greg Loder, Springwood

The first straw

Plastic straws are on the EU’s environmental hit list.

Photo: AP

Whenever I see words like “fashionable”, “virtuous”, “trifling” used in relation to our environment I feel fury and despair (“Banning plastic straws won’t save the oceans”, June 13). Our environment is not a boutique issue, it’s our only home. Replacing plastic straws falls in the category of “every little action counts” as does declining a plastic shopping bag, taking my own coffee cup to a cafe and leaving plastic-wrapped meats and veg in the shop. – Sue Young, Bensville

Days of rest and recreation

All this fuss again about the significance of the June and October long weekends when the reality is that they simply mark the beginning and the end of the official ski season (Letters, June 13). – John Truman, St Leonards

With suggestions we should abolish Labour Day, due to unions having low memberships these days, perhaps the same can be said about Christmas Day and Easter public holidays. With so few people attending church surely these religious days, and maybe even Sundays, can be relegated to being just another ordinary work day? – Con Vaitsas, Ashbury

Our culture is evolving

I think the point that is missing is that we are living in a cultural melting pot (Letters, June 13). A new Australian culture is evolving with contributing influences from all the many cultures that constitute our society. Western culture is at its basis but we all need to recognise we are a part of a new Renaissance and should revel in the wonder of it all. No thanks to Malcolm but we live in exciting times. Enjoy. – John Grinter, Katoomba

Stars in his eyes

Now that’s a film (“Hogan to star as himself in new film”, June 13)! – Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga

Hoges might end up being the only person to watch it. – Mustafa Erem, Terrigal