Support NeoGAF

[Jet Grind Radio!]

I really should watch Smallville. Especially since I'm into DC now.

 

[Blader]

I really should watch Smallville. Especially since I'm into DC now.

You're really better off without it.

 

[Viewt]

I don't watch Smallville, but I watched Legion last year, and it was a fun episode. I'l give this one a shot.

 

[Blader]

Oh, and Viewt you can do that thread if you want. I wasn't calling on dibs on it or anything, I was just bringing it up.

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

Oh. Well, is it a series that I should watch random episodes in? I'm kinda interested in that Legion episode and the Bart Allen episode.

 

[Viewt]

Oh. Well, is it a series that I should watch random episodes in? I'm kinda interested in that Legion episode and the Bart Allen episode.

I watched the first couple seasons, but got pretty bored with it. Since then, I've only watched episodes that introduce other heroes in the DCU (the Bart Allen episode, the Cyborg episode, etc) or "special guest writer" episodes like Legion. I think the series is mostly new viewer friendly. There are plot threads going around that aren't going to mean anything to you, obviously, but Smallville's not some grand, sweeping story. You'll pick up on things pretty quickly.

And Blader, yeah, I might do that thread tomorrow.

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

I watched the first couple seasons, but got pretty bored with it. Since then, I've only watched episodes that introduce other heroes in the DCU (the Bart Allen episode, the Cyborg episode, etc) or "special guest writer" episodes like Legion. I think the series is mostly new viewer friendly. There are plot threads going around that aren't going to mean anything to you, obviously, but Smallville's not some grand, sweeping story. You'll pick up on things pretty quickly.

Cool. Are there specific episodes you or other people can recommend like those character introducing ones?

 

[ZeoVGM]

Oh. Well, is it a series that I should watch random episodes in? I'm kinda interested in that Legion episode and the Bart Allen episode.

As usual, don't listen to Blader.

My opinion on Smallville is that it's had good seasons, great seasons, and bad seasons. It's your basic "freak of the week" type of show for the first few years, but entertaining. Seasons 2 and 3 get better as they go on and there's some great moments in them both (the 4-part finale of season 2/premiere of season 3, Christopher Reeves' episodes, red kryptonite eps, etc.) while season 4 is pretty lame overall thanks to a terrible season-long arc but it has a couple winners.

Season 5 is my favorite, when they slightly move away from the high school drama/freak of the week stuff and bring in Brainiac (played by Spike from Buffy) and other DC heroes like Aquaman and Cyborg. Season 6 I enjoyed too. But season 7 is like season 4: bad but a few winners (including one of my favorites in the series).

Season 8 was a nice reinvention of the show, pretty much moving to Metropolis, putting Clark at the Daily Planet, and introducing freaking Doomsday of all characters and managing to do him right for the most part. Season 9, the current season, could very well be my favorite if the current quality keeps up. It's been really well done but I won't spoil anything.

For me: (Great) 5 > 3 > 8 > (Good) 2 > 6 > 1 > (Bad) 7 > 4

Overall, Smallville is a good show that can be great at times. But it does have its fair share of stinkers. It's definitely worth checking out for yourself though, so if you do just know the first few seasons are definitely freak of the week stuff.

Best Buy is selling them for $10 each on Black Friday next week so that's the perfect chance to check it out. You can basically get the first 8 seasons/170 or so episodes for $80 which is damn good. I'm sure Amazon will be matching it too.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Looks like an action figure or something.

No.

My Hawkman toy looks way cooler!

SEP090582 GOLD DIGGER TECH MANUAL #9 $3.99
SEP091002 TEZUKAS BLACK JACK TP VOL 08 $16.95

 

[CygnusXS]

I would only really recommend the show to people who are fans of Superman. Judging it purely as a tv show, it really isn't that good. Especially seasons 4, and 6-8. Season 9 has been pretty good though, you know, for what it is.

 

[ZeoVGM]

I would only really recommend the show to people who are fans of Superman. Judging it purely as a tv show, it really isn't that good. Especially seasons 4, and 6-8. Season 9 has been pretty good though, you know, for what it is.

I actually think Superman is pretty boring and never cared about the character but got into the show.

But why are you saying season 8 isn't that good? It was really good though the finale was disappointing.

 

[CygnusXS]

I actually think Superman is pretty boring and never cared about the character but got into the show.

But why are you saying season 8 isn't that good? It was really good though the finale was disappointing.

I responded in the smallville thread.

So... comics! I didn't buy anything last week nor will I this week. Being flat broke sucks hard. On the flip side, at least now I have an excuse to ween myself off of books that I don't actually like but was buying anyways!

 

[SpiderJerusalem]

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic #47

Adventure Comics #4
Batman Streets of Gotham #4
Flash Rebirth #5
Outsiders #24
Supergirl #47
Superman/Batman #66 (I guess?)
Tiny Titans #22

Amazing Spidey #612
Incredible Hulk #604
Spiderwoman #3
X-men Legacy #229- if this is all Gambit I'm gonna barf

Farscape #1 Alright!

 

[Spike Spiegel]

SEP090017 CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #16 $2.99
SEP090100 ADVENTURE COMICS #4 (BLACKEST NIGHT) $3.99
JUN090180 FLASH REBIRTH #5 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP090148 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA 80 PAGE GIANT #1 $5.99
SEP090136 SUPERGIRL #47 $2.99
SEP090189 TINY TITANS #22 $2.50
SEP090332 INVINCIBLE #68 $2.99
AUG091095 VAGABOND TP VOL 30 (MR) $9.95

A nice, medium-sized week with (hopefully) no surprises. I've been spending way too much on comics lately.

 

[my name is ed]

Anyone thinking of doing a top 10 comics of the decade thread? I've been trying to think of what mine would be recently....whittling it down to ten has been pretty damn hard. :lol

I thought about making a list of the best comics of the decade. Eventhough I've been reading comics for about 7 years, I still think I would miss so many comics. We should definitely have a thread about it though.

I have recently bought:
Desolation Jones by Ellis and JH Williams
Planetary vol 2
American Jesus by Mark Millar and Peter Gross
Sea Guy
I Kill Giants by Kelly and Niimura

American Jesus was bought on a recommendation from a friend. It was not what I expected to be. It has none of that "kicksplode" that Millar loves and read much more like a novel than any of his other work. It's beautiful and almost sweet. The ending is fantastic.

Desolation Jones was really great. JH Williams is an elite artist, and Ellis is typical Ellis. One of those works I could let someone borrow to hook them on comics

 

[ZeoVGM]

My top 10 comics of the decade:

10. Ultimates 3 #1
9. Ultimates 3 #2
8. Ultimates 3 #3
7. Ultimates 3 #4
6. Hulk #2
5. Ultimatum #1
4. Ultimatum #2
3. Ultimatum #3
2. Ultimatum #4
1. Ultimatum #5

Ultimates 3 #5 didn't have the same emotional impact and depth as the others, sadly.

 

[Viewt]

Oh, you. :lol

 

[Blader]

Desolation Jones was really great. JH Williams is an elite artist, and Ellis is typical Ellis. One of those works I could let someone borrow to hook them on comics

It's a shame Desolation Jones will never be finished.

And it's looking Fell will never be finished either. =\ Why do you test my patience Ellis...

 

[my name is ed]

It's a shame Desolation Jones will never be finished.

And it's looking Fell will never be finished either. =\ Why do you test my patience Ellis...

I think my favorite part was when Jones and that girl talk about porn for an extended period of time. After finishing that part, I said to myself, "yup, this was written by Ellis."

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

This week I will be mostly buying -

Adventure Comics #4 - good fun book at the moment, although I'll be dropping once Johns and Manapul leave. Even though I love the Legion since they came back in the Lightning Saga I've never been anything but disappointed by old returning writers coming back to their roots (I'm looking at you Marv Wolfman, you fucking hack). I doubt Levitz is as good now as he was in his prime, and compared to the best writers today, even that can't compare.

Azrael #2 - sticking with this to see where it goes. I hope Bachs stays on board as well, love his style.

Batman Streets Of Gotham #6 - enjoying this book lots since the launch, this is the 'real' Detective Comics, they don't fool me with their fancy titles. Tec is Batwoman, Streets is Tec. All is good.

Flash Rebirth #5 (OF 6) - Man, this is still coming out? I forgot all about it to be honest, don't even remember where we're up to... wait, didn't last issue have Bart and Max re-uniting?

Supergirl #47

Tiny Titans #22 - For the missus (and me, lol)

Phonogram 5 - severely let down this wasn't out last week, can't wait for this issue. If you like modern indie music, this is a comic for you.

 

[Kagari]

Invincible #68 for me.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

Reckon I'll pick up Deadpool this week. I can't resist the Internet Meme character.

 

[Tucah]

Adventure Comics - Really looking forward to this one. I love the series (although I don't know how much longer I'll stick around once Johns is gone), love Superboy Prime and love Blackest Night.

Flash Rebirth - The delays are really killing this one for me. I just want the Flash monthly to start up.

Maybe I'll pick up the first Invincible trade, always looked interesting and it's a relatively small week for me.

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

"It's Prime time!

I've been saving that."
:lol

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

Alex Luthor got it right, the box in front of us focuses our rage.

 

[Viewt]

Flash Rebirth was fucking epic. Loads of stuff happened:

Spoiler

- New costumes (Liberty Belle is Jesse Quick again, Irey West is the new Impulse, Wally's new duds)
- Prof. Zoom killed Barry's mom
- Prof. Zoom is going to kill Iris Allen
- Jay Garrick's SONIC BOOM

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

Flash Rebirth was fucking epic. Loads of stuff happened:

Spoiler

- New costumes (Liberty Belle is Jesse Quick again, Irey West is the new Impulse, Wally's new duds)
- Prof. Zoom killed Barry's mom
- Prof. Zoom is going to kill Iris Allen
- Jay Garrick's SONIC BOOM

I love the whole predestined timeline alteration thing.

 

[Skittleguy]

Hah, I'm dumb...

->

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

good stuff with flash. actually, isnt the wally the same one he had years back when he first tapped the speed force?

 

[Viewt]

Hah, I'm dumb...

->

:O

I didn't even notice that!

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

R-really? I noticed that right off.

Also, it's kinda annoying that all the stuff Johns had a hand in this month had that stupid "best writer" "sticker."

 

[FoneBone]

Alright... I admit it. As one of those bashing the apparent retcon with Barry's heretofore-unmentioned tragic past, I should've had more faith in Johns.

 

[ZeoVGM]

Reckon I'll pick up Deadpool this week. I can't resist the Internet Meme character.

That isn't until February.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

:O

I didn't even notice that!

Most (all?) the Rebirth covers have been takes on old ones.

 

[Viewt]

Most (all?) the Rebirth covers have been takes on old ones.

Yeah, I recognized most of the others (the one with Barry running off of film was the easiest to spot). I guess I just hadn't really thought about it.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Wow, Flash: Rebirth 5 was just awful. Ugh. I love Johns but

Spoiler

Jesus Christ, what a shitty retcon. Adding tragedy to a hero's origin, who didn't need it in the first place is lame.

I don't think I can stomach any more of it, with how one note Prof Zoom is written, the stilted dialogue, shitty retcons, and the mediocre interiors. He got rid of Hunter Zolomon to bring back this guy. : |

Oh and talk about a let down with Wally's new costume.

Spoiler

It's just his old shiny Speed Force costume from the 90s.

 

[wenis]

Ugh Spiderman:The List was kind of a letdown. Definitely nowhere as good as wolverines and punishers :lol

I enjoyed the latest Gotham Streets and the latest Merc With A Mouth was great as usual...

Starting the next Cowboy Ninja Viking. Looks good

 

[mjc]

I've got a soft spot for the first three or four seasons of Smallville, even if most people think it was horrible.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

:O

I didn't even notice that!

Haha, I got the reference, but I didn't get that it was the beam crushing the guy until I saw them side by side.

Just got through the Marvel books I bought this week, DC pile is next:

Thunderbolts #138: The good - Sepulveda's character designs fricking rule, and Parker knows how to write a fun book. The bad - I always find Parker's characterization kind of shallow and cartoonish. It hurt Agents of Atlas for me, and I can see the same kind of thing happening here. The first story arc sounds like it's going to be fun though, so I'll at least stick around and see where things go.

Dark Avengers #11: The advertised SHOCKING DEATH FOR REAL was kind of a non-starter here.

Spoiler

Molecule Man gave them all ironic Twilight Zone-style deaths, gee, I wonder if it'll stick.

Deodato does a great job as always, and Bendis does alright, but this book has been stick in second gear since issue #6 and I came away from this issue thinking it was still there. Not bad at all, not great either. Just kinda there. They did reveal that Victoria Hand is a raging hot

Spoiler

lesbian who has lesbian relationships with her hot lesbian girlfriends. B00bs!

Mighty Avengers #31: This issue veered betwen great fun and downright silliness as Dan Slott goes over the top with his Mary Sue love-on for Hank Pym. Clint Barton even flat out says "God, I love you" to him. And apparently being good at math gives a skinny teenage boy the ability to destroy multiple giant robots with a single thrown penny. But if you pretend all that didn't happen, you got a fun old school crazy romp with gigantic guys fighting with laser swords while sci-fi caveman USAgent runs after commies and everybody fights everybody. Overall probably the best issue of Slott's run. Sean Chen needs to get somebody to show him how to write some Chinese though. I mean come on, man. One of the signs even accidentally said "incorrect what" if you read it a certain way.

 

[mosaic]

So, pardon me for being out of the loop, but is Superboy Prime the same kid from Superman: Secret Identity?

 

[Viewt]

So, pardon me for being out of the loop, but is Superboy Prime the same kid from Superman: Secret Identity?

Very interesting question!

If you read Kurt Busiek's intro for Secret Identity, he explains that it's his idea for what would've happened to Superboy had Crisis on Infinite Earths never occurred, and he'd been able to just mature on his own. Obviously, since Crisis did happen, Secret Identity amounts to little else than an Elseworlds tale, completely out of continuity. Still a really great book, though, with fantastic Stuart Immonen art. It's one of my favorites.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

So, pardon me for being out of the loop, but is Superboy Prime the same kid from Superman: Secret Identity?

I think the way DC continuity works these days, the answer is pretty much that if you want him to be, then yes, he is.

 

[mosaic]

I think the way DC continuity works these days, the answer is pretty much that if you want him to be, then yes, he is.

Well, if that's the case, they need to put Secret Identity back in print! The copy I never returned to the library is collecting "please return me" notices!

 

[Bowser]

Stopped by the shop and picked up

SEP090402 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612 $3.99
SEP090410 DARK REIGN LIST AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ONE-SHOT $3.99
SEP090918 TMNT #1 FULL COLOR ONE SHOT $3.25

I haven't really been following Dark Reign and know basically nothing about it besides that Norman Osborn is controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. or H.A.M.M.E.R. or whatever and made super heroes register with the government or something. Am I going to be completely lost with the The List: ASM one shot?

 

[Viewt]

Stopped by the shop and picked up

SEP090402 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612 $3.99
SEP090410 DARK REIGN LIST AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ONE-SHOT $3.99
SEP090918 TMNT #1 FULL COLOR ONE SHOT $3.25

I haven't really been following Dark Reign and know basically nothing about it besides that Norman Osborn is controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. or H.A.M.M.E.R. or whatever and made super heroes register with the government or something. Am I going to be completely lost with the The List: ASM one shot?

It was actually Tony Stark that made everybody register, but you've got the gist of it. Osborn's in charge and he wants to put the squeeze on Spidey. You'll be fine, especially if you've been reading ASM anyway.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Wow, Flash: Rebirth 5 was just awful. Ugh. I love Johns but

Spoiler

Jesus Christ, what a shitty retcon. Adding tragedy to a hero's origin, who didn't need it in the first place is lame.

I don't think I can stomach any more of it, with how one note Prof Zoom is written, the stilted dialogue, shitty retcons, and the mediocre interiors. He got rid of Hunter Zolomon to bring back this guy. : |

Oh and talk about a let down with Wally's new costume.

Spoiler

It's just his old shiny Speed Force costume from the 90s.

I just finished reading it - I didn't think it was awful, but I did kind of find myself reading through it quickly. I just don't think I care that much, and the "single villain theory" is just kind of...enh. Also -

Spoiler

I liked Jesse better as Liberty Belle. The new costume is meh. Other than that I thought the costume changes worked, particularly between Wally & Barry, it reminds me of the differences between Hal Jordan & Kyle Rayner with the new & old school looks. I do NOT like Jay Garrick as "hat guy" though. I think there may be less grist for Johns to work with here in differentiating the Flashes than with the Green Lanterns.

Maybe he'll sort it out as he goes, but as of right now I'm not really looking to get the main series when it hits. I'm kind of getting a vibe here like I got on Johns' run on the current JSA restart - the good intentions were there but the ideas just weren't and his best creative energies were being put elsewhere.

But I was never big into Flash either and my favourite out of all of them is Jay, so take that for what it's worth.

 

[Blader]

Johns isn't making any sense with how he's writing Zoom.

Spoiler

- Prof. Zoom is going to kill Iris Allen

I'm not sure why this was the cliffhanger.

Spoiler

We already know Zoom kills Isis. He has already done it.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Bought a bunch of Blackest Night stuff too . Yes, I got all the rings. Muhaha I am a blue/indigo lantern. I think I've enjoyed these tie-ins more than anything else in BN so far:

Green Lantern Corps #42: Rawk! Yes, this is the 'death' issue. Haven't been reading this book at all, but read good reviews of this issue so I bought it. Dang, maybe I should have been getting this all along, it was frickin' epic. All the lanterns vs. Kryb's dead babies was seriously fucked up, but Kilowog telling off all the dead lanterns was great. Yes, Gleason's art randomly devolves to 'binder doodle' levels in random panels, but by and large it looked good, especially those scenes of the hundreds of Black lanterns closing in on the surrounded greens at the power battery. I'm almost surprised they left the events of this issue to this book, the attack and ending are a bigger deal than anything that's happened anywhere else in Blackest Night. Good stuff, I might go track down the issues that led to this.

Booster Gold #26: *Sniff* Ted Kord is my favourite character ever, so this was the only 'dead character' return in BN that really got to me. This was a great issue for Kord fans, giving you the funeral scene that never really happened anywhere else. Good to see him back, even if he's an evil corpse. He got a sweet black lantern costume. Haven't bought this since Jurgens' first or second issue, but I'll be back next month.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #10: I bought the first issue of this series and kind of liked it, but then I got out of comics for a while and never got back into this book. Andy Clark is an amazing artist waiting to break out into a lucrative cover career, though exotic aliens aren't his forte. He might be better suited elsewhere. Tony Bedard does an awesome job writing the Brainiacs, but the rest of the characters just feel like background by comparison. It doesn't help that the cast is kind of lacklustre, they should use more 'name' space characters here - guest star Adam Strange does more talking than the rest of the supporting cast combined. The book's cliffhanger was great though, I hope it sticks.

Spoiler

Brainiac 2 becomes a yellow lantern, and likes it. It would probably be a good thing for this book if he stayed that way for a while.

Overall impression was positive, I'll check out the next issue.

Outsiders #24: Well, I guess they can't all be good. This book was just kind of there, going through the blackest night motions. The way the fight scene kicked off was kind of WTF, as was the way the characters reacted to the black lanterns. And it's weird seeing Katana's Japanese family dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. It's like seeing French guys running around in lederhosen to signify their ethnicity. Probably won't pick up the next issue.

Adventure Comics #4: Haha, I loved this. Gerry Ordway was a perfect fill-in for this story, and Superboy Prime going on the internet for spoilers to the next issue like a frantic fanboy was lol. Also: "This box, it's a conduit for the rage of the people of this Earth." Line of the week. :lol I didn't know Geoff Johns could be this funny. Dangit, he should be staying on this book for longer! /obligatory weekly 'only 6 issues' complaint.

I think I'm liking Blackest Night more now. I sat down and re-read the issues of the main series that have been released so far, and it reads better all together. And the tie-ins from other series have been fantastic, after the so-so Bats/Supes minis. It's clear the people doing those books all got together and were on the same page, something that rarely happens with events. The way they all had the same kind of intro was pretty cool. Looking forward to more next week.

 

[Splatt]

ASM #612 - Yay! The public of Marvel are, once again, portrayed like a bunch of idiots! Whoohoo! Anyway, besides that little stupidity, it was a good first issue. What made me laugh the most was the stupid retcon they did (ginger bread aleee!). Seriously, wtf :lol Why can't Peter be an alcoholic. Think of all the potential story with out-of-his-mind drunk Spidey. Heck, you could give a whole new ongoing to Jeph Loeb with that idea. It'd sell like crackers :lol

 

[Viewt]

Put up the "your favorite comics of the decade" thread. Check it out here.