Monday, June 6, 2011

Comic NEWS! DC Reboot: Part III

Continuing my blog posting about DC Comics' reboot.

(this whole "commercial move" sure is working on me :P)

Actual reboot?
Not really?
The question is still open until we learn move of it (they're probably waiting for the end of Flashpoint for that)
Anyway, an actual "reboot" reboot doesn't looks like so.

I'm still waiting confirmation on what will happen of the recent characters like Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle (though Didio said he would be back...), Stephanie Brown/Batgirl and not to forgot about others like the ex-Batgal Cassandra Cain.

And if this is actually a partial reboot (due to the Flash messing up the timeline in Flashpoint) why would Superman, WW or Batman get younger?
I think this would be as good time as any to bring back the wrongly departed characters.
Some would love to have Ted Kord back..and as much as I love him, it would only result in a negative counter-action on Jaime Reyes... Plus people keep referring him/mentioning him, he's still very much alive in the heart of the others like Booster Gold. No, I'd love to have back the ones who are truly forgotten. Like the Elongated Man and Sue Dibny or Ryan Choi/The Atom...
Anyway, here's some more upcoming books, we starting to have a better look at this relaunch in September..
Will it actually be a relaunch? Or merely a change of status quo and costumes?


Green Lantern books will be relaunched...following everything Geoff Johns has done since "Rebirth".
(this reboot is sounding less like an actual reboot already, heh?)

4 books will be launched in September.

GREEN LANTERN #1
Geoff Johns has been charting the adventures of Hal Jordan and the GREEN LANTERN Corps since GREEN LANTERN: Rebirth, collaborating with such major artists as Ethan Van Sciver, Darwyn Cooke, Prentis Rollins, Marlo Alquiza and Mick Gray.
This fall, Johns reunites with artists Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy, as the series begins anew with GREEN LANTERN #1 with cover by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. Together they will continue to thrill readers and expand the Green Lantern mythos.
Change is coming. But set aside your fear. It’ll be worth the wait.

Sounds like more of the same, which is a good thing for fans. You can all rest easy now!



GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
When deadly conflicts emerge across the universe, it’s up to Guy Gardner, John Stewart and an elite Green Lantern strike force to keep the peace.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1 will be written by Peter J. Tomasi with art by Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna. The cover to #1 is by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy.

The GLCorps book will continue! 
And John will take Kyle's spot on the GL team book. Oooh.. I kinda prefered him on Earth, on the Justice League rooster..
Same creative team, which is a good thing.



GREEN LANTERN: THE NEW GUARDIANS #1
Who are The New Guardians?
The power of Rage, Avarice, Fear, Will, Hope, Compassion and Love combine to be the most powerful (and colorful) team in the corps under the leadership of Kyle Rayner. Beware their power . . . and their volatility!
GREEN LANTERN: THE NEW GUARDIANS #1 will be written by Tony Bedard and illustrated with cover by Tyler Kirkham and Batt.

A new book for Kyle!
And apart from him leading the "rainbow lanterns", it sounds pretty much in tune with his 90s series (the "Guardians" aspect).


RED LANTERNS #1
Going solo. Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps return in their own series, battling against injustice in the most bloody ways imaginable. This Lantern Corps takes no prisoners, they are judge, jury and executioners!
RED LANTERNS #1 will be written by Peter Milligan with art and cover by Ed Benes and Rob Hunter.

A book for the Reds was expected. And already announced back a while ago in fact.
More Rage kitty, Atrocitus & co.


Detective Comics #1 - A little flip flop here, as Tony Daniel and Scott Snyder swap roles. Previously the writer/artist on Batman, Daniel will now script and draw Detective Comics. The Gotham Ripper is listed as the first new threat.

On the other side of the DCU (or the USA that is..) Bats book will also be relaunched... Looks like Bruce Wayne is back on his own Detective Comics title, which was the home of Dick Grayson for over a year now.


Batman #1 - Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo focus on the solo adventures of Bruce Wayne in his role as the one and only Batman. Readers of Snyder's terrific ongoing run in Detective Comics (starring Dick Grayson under the cowl) will be relieved to see he's still patrolling the streets of Gotham.


So I guess Batman Inc. is now out..or..?
And it will be original to have Greg Capullo on a DC book, which I hadn't seen the art from since the good ol' 90s Spawn :P


Batman & Robin #1 - Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleeson return to B&R, this time chronicling the adventures of Bruce and Damian. This marks the second reboot title for Tomasi, who's also writing September's Green Lantern Corps #1.

Damian Wayne is still canon! :)
I guess DC would have had a problem with Grant Morrison if it wasn't the case.


Batman: The Dark Knight #1 - A second volume of David Finch's written and drawn series with assists from Jay Fabok. This new series is unrelated to the two-issue first volume and sees Batman entrenched in Arkham Asylum.

And...another Bat-book. Do they need so many?
Anyway this looks like another Bruce Wayne title. Is the Batman Inc. still around? Some claim not...but I'm guessing if not DC would have Morrison on another book...?

 

Meet Catwoman. She’s addicted to the night. Addicted to shiny objects. Addicted to Batman. Most of all, Catwoman is addicted to danger. She can’t help herself, and the truth is – she doesn’t want to. She’s good at being bad, and very bad at being good. Find out more about what makes Catwoman tick in CATWOMAN #1, written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Guillem March.

Selina is back in her own title! Finally!
And a thieve again?


Nightwing #1, a new ongoing series written by Kyle Higgins with art by Eddy Barrows, finds Dick dealing with the return of Haley's Circus to Gotham City – the same big top attraction that he once performed under with his parents. In DC's official announcement, the publisher confirms that Dick's time as the Dark Knight is still relevant. It reads, "After a tenure as the Batman of Gotham, Dick Grayson resumes his mantle as Nightwing! As Dick embraces his identity, Haley's Circus, the big top where he once performed with his family, returns to Gotham – bringing with it a history of murder, mystery and superhuman evil. Nightwing must confront friends and enemies from his past as he searches for the source of an even greater evil."


Alright. This is the most mysterious one so far.
Is that former-first Robin Dick Grayson, "rebooted" as Nightwing? (for the first time or not)
Is that a Dick Grayson who's never been Batman sidekick?
Is that in-continuity with the last few years, Dick back to the Nightwing persona after being Batman recently?
Or is that, I dunno, the second firner Robin - Jason Todd??
Confirmed: So it is Dick!


The highly-anticipated new series from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder begins in BATWOMAN #1.

The modern Batwoman is back! As expected!
(finally her own title!)


Swamp Thing #1

The Swamp Thing? So I take it the whole Brightest Day is still canon?
And Constantine will be back too I presume?

You know what.. I'm starting to think this isn't a reboot but just a relaunch, issues being renumbered and costumes redesigned.... and nothing more.

We still need to confirm which Blue Beetle we'll have, if anyone is resurrected/erased. And I'm finally starting to accept this whole move.

UPDATES:


Dick isn't the only former Robin to be returning to the big time though, as the one and only Jason Todd gets an ongoing title of his own. Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 will be written by Scott Lobdell and drawn by relative newcomer Kenneth Rocafort. In it, Jason Todd finds himself as a leader of a team of antiheroes – including "Green Arrow's rejected sidekick Arsenal and Starfire, a former prisoner of intergalactic war."

Well, with the above confirmation that Nightwing was Dick...Jason Todd is now back as the Red Hood again!
And on his own brand new original title!
With a "cured" Red Arrow/Arsenal! (best part of all these relaunches so far)
And Dick's ex too? What will Dick Grayson think of that?
Jim Lee designs are kinda...fun here apart from Roy Harper's ridiculous baseball cap.


BATWING #1, written by Judd Winnick and illustrated by Ben Oliver.
Batwing is a series that spins right out of Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated storyline. This is the first time that we have an in-continuity black character wearing the Batman costume," said Batman group editor Mike Marts. "Grant has provided us with so many new characters and concepts. He's really just been a fountain of ideas and energy for the Batman group of titles. We have so many different cool things to choose from what Grant creates, and we go with what we think is going to provide readers with the most story and the most excitement. And with this, Batwing won out.

Awesome!
On one hand: MORE BATBOOKS?? Really??
On another: MORE BATBOOKS!! Really!
A quite different type of character! (though part of me would have liked Nightrunner instead/as well)
And this confirms that Batman Inc's still canon! Yes, because...


In the wake of our announcement of a historic line of new #1’s within the Batman family, many of you noticed that while several of the titles and characters spun out of the Batman, Inc. storyline, there was no mention of that series itself - but there’s a reason for that: Grant Morrison’s BATMAN, INCORPORATED series will return with a new issue #1 in early 2012.

Grant Morrison had this to say about Batman, Incorporated:
“Batman, Incorporated will continue through to Issue #10 and August’s shocking season finale that changes the Batman status quo yet again. The series will take a brief hiatus while I work on a major new project to be announced shortly. Batman, Incorporated returns next year with me, Chris Burnham and Batman: Leviathan, the epic 12 part conclusion to my 6 year Batman saga. Don’t miss it!”
Looks like Batman Inc. is still alive and kicking!
Just, not relaunched right now. But in early 2012 instead (January perhaps?)
Pheew...we can rest easy now. Looks more and more like this "reboot" is actually just a sort of "One Year Later" event, with lots of costumes being redesigned.
But wait!!


The Birds of Prey are Gotham City’s covert ops team, taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. Mystery novelist ands comics writer Duane Swierczynski teams up with Jesus Saiz for BIRDS OF PREY #1, the first issue of the hard-hitting new series.

New shuffle of the team. And only based in Gotham again now.
Katana gets her 1000th costume redesign. Black Canary is...decent, I guess. And is that Poison Ivy?
And if she's out of this book, where's Gail Simone now? Well...



And finally Batgirl #1, written by Gail Simone, with art by Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes (good creative team). If you would trust any one writer with the proper handling of Barbara Gordon, wouldn’t it be Gail Simone?

The most controversial one...
I mean... Oracle is over? But they put Simone on the book to put readers at ease?
Will the change from wheelchair to crime fighter be adressed? Just a quick retcon? Is there something more to this?
By now, Barbara Gordon has been Oracle for a much longer time than Batgirl actually. (in actual comic book publication time). Oracle was such a positive and unique figure amongst comics... do they really wanna throw it out?
Couldn't they have made Birds of Prey Charlie/Misfit into the new Batgirl instead?? (what's gonna happen to Steph or Cassie??)
And what's up with this awful over-complicated costume design?

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