Batman Season 5 Teaser

Legion of Super Heroes Season 2 Teaser

Now this is a teaser! The characters look better all grown up. With two Supermen (one's a clone. Kon-El, anyone?)

Heroes Season 2 Special Promo

Not much of a teaser as a feminine wash commercial. Still. I'm excited all over again.

Legionnaires

Just finished watching the two-part Sun-Eater arc (season finale) of the Legion of Superheroes. Great fun. Napakakulay. With new appearances of Shrinking Violet, Ultra Boy, Matter-Eating Lad and long-haired Sun Boy. Can't wait for the second season. And by the looks of it, it's going to be kick-ass.

Gotham Knights

Last Wednesday I finished the 1st draft of a particularly difficult project - to celebrate, I spent the next three nights watching Batman Animated series season 4 . I've had the DVDs for months now but haven't gotten around watching them. Here are the episodes I loved:

• Sins of the father - the season started with Batman minus Robin (Dick). This episode was the origin of the next Robin (Tim Drake) whose story had a Jason Todd feel to it. Tim was the son of a criminal who was murdered and Batman saved him from the goons looking for the loot that Tim's father stashed somewhere. Batman got injured and Tim saved him, brought him to the Batcave - well, events of course led to Tim becoming Robin. This episode had heart - Bruce is a big softie when it comes to orphans. Further into the series, I liked the detail that Batman worked with Batgirl more since she was better trained and well, bigger, than Tim.
• You scratch my back - Nightwing (!) and Catwoman worked together -- fun!!! Catwoman double crossed Nightwing but Nightwing and the Batgang were expecting it.
• Joker's Millions - What if Joker didn't need to steal anymore because he became richer than Bruce Wayne (in a legit way)? It was the only thing that could have stopped his criminal activities but that would be too easy, right? I never would have thought that Mark Hamill was the voice of Joker till I saw the credits. Harley Quin and Ivy were also in the episode - having both of them together is always funny.
• Old wounds - Dick tells Tim why he left. Batman wanted to beat up a Joker-minion in front of the minion's family. Dick wouldn't have anything to do with that. To complicate things, Dick and Barbara were going out without knowing about each other's secret Bat-related commitments. Of course when Dick found out that Batman had knowingly put his girlfriend in danger... (yes, he blamed Batman for anything and everything).
• Legends of the Dark Knight - three kids were telling each other Batman stories: one of them was a silver age story - the illustrations/drawing/art (whatever you call it when its cartoons) and dialogs were silver age!!! The other story as from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns - the final showdown with the mutants. (And the story where a kid pointed that Robin was a girl) This got me to sit-up from bed and pay close attention, and rewind, and watch it again.
  
• Girls' Night Out - Batman was out of town. Batgirl and Supergirl worked together to bring down Livewire. Harley and Ivy were also in the mix - so yeah, more fun!
• Mad love - Harley Quin's story - why is she obsessed with the Joker? (In this episode, Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill) said, "May the floss be with you!" It was a joke. You have to watch the episode to get it.) Now I know why Thor loves Harley. Paul Dini did an absolutely great job in characterization. She wants to be better but she couldn't help but give in to her psychosis. I liked it that Batman sympathized with Harley and that you knew he wanted to help her become better.
  

Speaking of... Here's the Joker in the next Batman movie (*excited!*)

Kids

I get worried for the kids in the comics that I read … for their safety and their development (academic and morals). It must be the child advocate in me but it challenges my suspension of disbelief. I get these irritating rational thoughts:

“How is Tim Drake doing in school? Is he still going to school? Is Bruce making it a point to at least ensure that he is home-schooled?”

“Why is Cassie living alone – she’s a minor!! And Supergir--- oh wait, she’s an alien, K lang magwala sya.”

“Who is the legal guardian of Rose? And Eddie!”

“Where the hell is Batgirl? Why is nobody looking or worrying about her? Oracle should have at least tried to look for her especially after being used by Deathstroke!”

Do not get me started on Spoiler and especially with Marvel's the New X-men (Kids are dying and even if they are mutants - somebody should have sued the ass of Xavier school!).

Shit... been working too hard.

Tales To Astonish

Nicked from Newsarama.

Warren Ellis on what to expect from Astonishing X Men: Second Stage.

"Oh, the usual, you know. Raping your childhoods, using my position to destroy everything you love, displaying opinions you may not agree with and writing with my own voice and personality. All the things people hate in commercial comics these days. And yet, all the things I am specifically hired for. It's a funny old world."

More here.

Metal Gear Solid

METAL MEN #1
Written by Duncan Rouleau;
Art and Cover by Rouleau

From Grant Morrison's heavy metal wisdom. If that's not enough, check out Rouleau's art that is as detailed as an integrated circuit. And the writing, oh man. Funny, quirky, purely consuming.

Slick.

I don't remember much of the Metal Men's books but they've made quite an impression on my early funny book reading years. And their (temperamental) resurrection in the pages of 52 just made me want to pick up anything Metal.

Rouleau's first issue is less sinister, more adventure clever. This is easily one of the best team book debuts. No sitting around on their asses looking at superhero pin-ups. This launches straight into temporal jumping action, periodic table banter, and an ominous cliffhanger.

If you're not buying any DC titles and have been burned by the fractured storytelling of Countdown (I have) or the insulting silliness of Amazons Attack! or the numerous cross-overs, then at least get this (and maybe Green Lantern). It will bring your faith back in comic books and its uncanny ability to make you smile. *****


MIDNIGHTER #10
Written by Keith Giffen;
Art and Cover by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story

Consider this Midnighter #1. Ennis' run was fun for the first 2 issues. BKV's was a great filler. Gage's was just dull; a shame really since Leon's art was refreshingly high-strung.

Giffen's issue starts with a reference to Ellis' Authority run. A woman Midnighter saves from thugs jumps out a window in fear of what he stood for. "You killed God!," she screams before she takes her own life.

Jenny drops by and sets Midnighter off to discover his secret history, his pre-meta identity.

I scratch my chin. Interesting. Definitely a new direction for what seems like the Batman or Wolverine of WildStorm. ****