Off the Cuff: Being Serious
Some nights I lose sleep.
I fear that perhaps I’m not really doing enough to solve the problems that face this country (and the world). I wake up wondering, “did I do enough for the SotS community?” And “if not, will Craig ever let me use the company restroom?”
I decided that I just can’t live with this kind of fear anymore. So I’ve taken some new measures these last few weeks. And I can now say, with certainty that SotS is “new” and “improved”.
The first step was to make this blog at least one safe place in the world. There’s no question the biggest problem facing the world today is brain-sucking zombies. It’s so obvious that it really goes without saying. But here at SotS, we take these things seriously. So I’m proud to announce several new policies that should improve this situation:
Of course there are other considerations as well. Namely a total lack of Reece’s Peanut Butter cups in the SotS offices. But I can only address one crisis at a time.
So without Craig’s knowledge I’ve taken the liberty of moving the blog to a super secret location, one that should remain secure (and environmentally friendly). And certainly a place where I can’t foresee any kind of problems developing:
So next time someone tells you that SotS doesn’t take their job seriously, just remember that we’re certifiable.
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Ti’Hat and the Vulcan: Chapter Twelve
“The Voyager Captain seems awfully hesitant to attack the Borg ship,” the Khamish Lieutenant commented.
“The Captain must have a lot on her mind,” the Colonel replied. “Are the fighters deployed yet?”
“All of the motherships have deployed except for Delta Mother. She was the farthest away from the nebula when the order was given.”
“Relay that Delta is to stand by. We don’t a cube sneaking up on us while the bulk of our forces are fighting with smaller ships,” the Colonel ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
“Have the Borg responded to our attack posture?” The Colonel asked.
“No, sir. They know that we are here, I am certain of it. But they are just sitting there, doing nothing. I don’t understand it.”
“Send them a message stating our intentions, Lieutenant,” the Colonel ordered.
“They are not replying.”
“Well then, send Beta and Gamma groups in for attack. We’ll see what they respond to that.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Khamish Colonel watched confidently as the two groups of fighters surged past their motherships towards the Borg ships. She was struck by the ironic beauty of it. There were five thousand small ships in each of those groups, and the great mass moved forward at her order. The Beta and Gamma Motherships looked naked after their fighters went forth, when compared with the Delta ships, who’s full compliment of fighters still surrounded it.
For a moment, the Colonel wished that she could be in her fighter, one of the tiny ships attacking the Borg. Even though she was arguably the most important part of the attacking Khamish fleet, she felt that those who were out in the fighters doing the dirty work were the ones that were really doing the fighting. But when there were Motherships involved, her place was on one of them. She would have to be content with that.
After the battle had been going on for several minutes, the Colonel returned from the viewport to her Lieutenant’s side.
“How are they doing out there?” she asked.
“Very well!” the Lieutenant excitedly replied. “It seems that those smaller cubes can’t even stand up to our bolt guns, when so many are firing at once. Each of the three Scout cubes are damaged about twenty five percent, and they haven’t even been laced yet.”
“What about the larger one?”
“It is proving to be a problem. Bolt-guns are having no effect, just like on a full-attack cube. But this smaller one is much more precise. Casualties around that cube are high.”
“How soon until we can fire with the monofilament cannon?” The Colonel asked.
“A few minutes yet. This cube moves a lot faster than a full cube, and the fighters are having trouble staying close enough to lace it.”
“Colonel!” the call came from the front of the bridge.
“What is it, Lieutenant?”
“Two more scout cubes have emerged from the nebula. They are heading straight for us,” the Lieutenant reported.
“Well? Shoot them!”
“We can’t hit them! They are too fast for our targeting system.”
“What about Alpha Mother? Have her fighters attack the cubes.”
“Alpha is too far away, Colonel. Those cubes are much faster than our fighters, anyway. I am not certain they’d get here in time.”
“How long would it take us to deploy?”
“Too long Colonel. We have already begun the process, but the cubes will be upon us before we get enough fighters out to make a difference.”
“Helm, back off!” the Colonel ordered, rushing to her command station. “Keep trying to hit them!”
“Colonel,” the Lieutenant argued, “If we move, our fighters can’t deploy!”
“Don’t you think I know that!” the Colonel shot back. “Move!”
The younger officer complied, and entered the heading into the computer. The ship shuddered under the impact of several rapid Borg shots. The viewscreen was struggling to keep up with the Scout cubes, which were blazing around the Command ship at an incredible rate.
“Move us towards Alpha Mother. Hopefully their fighters will reach us before we are destroyed.”
“Aye Colonel,” the Lieutenant replied.
“Colonel, the Borg cube has been destroyed. Beta Blue and Gamma Red is on their way to aid us,” the other Lieutenant reported.
“The Scouts are coming around for another pass, Colonel,” the Lieutenant reported.
“Brace for impact!”
“Colonel, it’s Voyager! They’ve destroyed one of the cubes!”
The ship shuddered again, and several terminals erupted in an explosion of sparks. The viewscreen swung around to the lone cube, swooping down in front of the Command Mothership. Voyager’s torpedoes entered the picture from above, and collided with the smaller ships. As Voyager entered the picture, the cube was destroyed by a series of phaser shots from the Federation ship. The Colonel lowered her wings in a sigh.
“Signal Voyager our thanks,” the Colonel began. “Make a note: All fighters to be deployed upon detection of a Borg vessel. I don’t want this to happen again.” She turned to her Lieutenant. “Status?”
“We have sustained heavy damage. It will take some time to repair. It will be at least twelve hours before we can go into Warp.”
“What about the battle? How are our fighters doing?” the Colonel asked.
“One scout left, sir. One of the two that have been destroyed already were not laced at all. The bolt-guns were enough.”
“That is good news,” the Colonel replied. “As soon as that cube is down, recall all fighters to their Mothers. Set up fighter patrols after they have returned. We are going to be here for a while.”
—
“It seems I owe you an apology,” Ira began. “Planet-bound sensors picked up the cube almost a cycle ago. Perhaps I was foolish to have questioned you, Mr. Tuvok.”
“An apology is not necessary,” Tuvok replied. “You assistance is, however. In order to insure that the warheads are not disabled by the Borg, someone must go onboard the cube to guard them.”
“But when the bombs go off,”
“The ones who go onboard with them will be killed by the blast,” Tuvok finished.
“There is no way to get them off? I mean, you can’t teleport them off? There has to be something.”
“The Borg could disable the warheads in seconds. The transporters on our shuttle do no have the capability to transport more than two people and one piece of equipment at a time. It would require several minutes to transport the fourteen people required to make certain that the warheads are detonated.”
“So I need to ask fourteen people to go to their deaths.”
“Usum, thousands of people died during the first Borg assault. Many more will die when they attack again. It is highly probable that your world will not survive another Borg attack. The sacrifice of fourteen people would be the logical course of action, if it would prevent the deaths of so many others.”
“Logical, yes, but not easier,” Ira replied. “When the Borg invaded, each person on the planet had a chance at living. If they fought hard enough, they would survive. But finding people who are willing to sacrifice themselves. That is a difficult decision for anyone to make.”
“Death in order to save an entire civilization should not be a difficult decision. If one death will prevent millions, that one must be sacrificed,” Tuvok replied.
“It is hard to find any that are so noble, even among a people who are all good at heart,” explained Ira.
“It does not require nobility, do to what it logical,” Tuvok countered.
“My dear Tuvok,” began Yavitz, who was quietly listening to the discourse between her other and the Vulcan, “sometimes it is indeed difficult to do something logical without some noble spirit. We Bint’Ari are not blesses with the freedom from our burdensome emotions, as you are. And our emotions, strongly influenced by our instincts, influence us to chose the path that will lead to our own survival. Asking someone to defy those emotions would be like asking you to deny your logic. They are too much a part of us.”
“Sir, I wish to be one of those who accompany the warheads onto the vessel.” Unexpectedly, Yipu stepped forward.
“Yipu! I can’t allow it,” said Ira. “You are needed here! Especially when this is over. Order must be maintained when the chaos of the war has subsided, and this is not an ideal time to lose the head of the Guard! There will be other people to volunteer.”
“Usum, I have nothing here. I have no family, for my parents died many years ago and I was an only child. I will never be bound myself. I live for my job, and my job is to defend my people from any danger that might present itself. To die in saving my kind- that would give my life the meaning I have always been looking for. Mr. Tuvok, I will go aboard the Borg ship. And I will find thirteen others who will accompany me. There are many in the Guard who feel as I do, who would gladly die to defend Bint’Ari.”
“That is a noble sentiment, Yipu,” praised Yavitz. “I can see why my other values your advice so dearly.”
“How long until the Borg cube arrives?” Ira asked.
“The Borg have not changed course or speed since we downloaded the information from the Borg transceiver,” B’Elanna replied. “They will arrive in orbit in four of your cycles. We managed to find seven warheads that were close enough to working condition to be of some use. We will have two people watch over each of the bombs until they detonate.”
“That is not a lot of time,” Yipu said. “By your leave, Usumi, I must go and find others who will die with me.”
Ira took a deep breath. “Very well, Yipu. I thank you for your sacrifice.”
With a slight nod, Yipu turned and hurried out of the room.
—
Janeway went to sickbay as soon as she came off duty. After the Borg ships disabled the Khamish Mothership, Voyager and the rest of the fleet had to remain behind until it could be repaired. Janeway ordered that a team of engineers be beamed over to the Command Mother to help in the repairs. After a couple of hours of dispute over having men work on their precious ship, the Khamish relented and the engineering team beamed aboard.
Since there was little for her to do until the fleet was up and running again, Janeway had decided to pay a visit to the mysterious Xytin’Ito. It seemed clear now that she and her crewmates had fled their world when it came under attack by the Borg. Analysis of the damaged part of her ship also showed that it was a Borg scout cube that had collided with the sleeper ship, destroying all but her hibernation pod. Ensign Nikolayevich suggested that the Borg did not destroy the ship because they simply could not see it in the nebula. A Borg scout would have no where near the established sensor capabilities of a Borg cube.
The fact that the Borg seemed to have a strong presence in this area of the cluster worried Janeway. Ensign Kim had already determined that Tuvok and Torres had indeed been to the other two nebulas on their flight plan, and had gathered the required amount of diallosilicate from each of them. But this nebula did not show signs that the shuttle gathered any diallosilicate at all. That left the possibility that the Borg found the shuttle as it arrived, and either destroyed the vessel, or assimilated it along with her officers. That was something she did not want to think about.
So Xytin’Ito became a valuable source of information. Perhaps she knew about the shuttle, or could give them some idea about the Borg presence in this area. There were so many questions Janeway had, and she was not certain how to begin asking them to the young woman who had, in all likelihood, lost her world.
Each of the Doctors were performing various tests on the unconscious woman. The Doctor, as usual, would not interrupt his work until the Captain demanded his attention. The same held true for each of the duplicates, none even acknowledged the presence of Janeway.
“Doctor, have you found anything?” Janeway finally asked. At once, all of the Doctors looked up and began to answer at once. Annoyed, each of the Doctors looked down and returned to their work. The Doctor wearing the holo-projector seemed to be the one they appointed spokesman, and he stepped forward.
“Her brain is beginning to return to a normal synaptic pattern, as best as I can tell. I believe that her irregular brain activity could be attributed to a telepathic link she might possess with another of her kind,” the Doctor replied.
“How could that have caused such a reaction? Was the link forced upon her?”
“There is no way for us to tell that,” he replied. “But the brainwave activity she has been experiencing could best be described as a telepathic overload. When she was put into hibernation, there was a sort of block in the link. When she was awakened, the block was removed.”
“And a flood of telepathic energy overwhelmed her,” Janeway concluded.
“Precisely. I was also able to develop a sedative that would not inhibit that process, and she is recovering faster now that the rest of her mind is not getting in the way.”
“Good work, Doctor. How long until we can talk to her?” Janeway asked.
“I could revive her now,” The Doctor replied “though I would recommend against it. She could use the rest. But I suppose you will require me to revive her now anyway, so if you will wait a moment,” The Doctor picked up a hypo and pressed it to the woman’s neck with a hiss. A moment later, Xytin fluttered her eyes open, and looked around.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“You are onboard the starship Voyager,” replied Janeway. “You are safe.”
“A ship?” Xytin asked. “This room is huge. There is no way we are on a ship.”
“Voyager is significantly larger than the ship you were on,” Janeway replied.
“Larger,” Xytin replied. Janeway could see that she was trying to figure out her surroundings. “You aren’t Bint’Ari. Wait!” Xytin spun off of her bed and backed against a wall. “Your from the cube, you must be. You are the ones who attacked us!” Her eyes filled with panic.
“No, no, we are not the Borg,” Janeway comforted. “We are here to help you, not to attack you. We are not from the cube.”
“You don’t look like the Borg,” Xytin replied, as she eased her stance. “My beloved Ito has shown me so.”
“Who has shown you?” Janeway asked.
“Ito, he is my other,” Xytin replied.
“And you share a sort of link with this Ito?”
“Yes, our minds have been bound. You do not bind your minds with those of your mate?” Xytin looked confused.
“Humans do not have any appreciable telepathic abilities,” explained The Doctor, gesturing towards the captain.
“How terrible for you,” Xytin commented. “What about you? Aren’t you human?”
“I may look human, but I am, in fact, a hologram. I have no means of exhibiting any telepathic abilities,” The Doctor replied.
“A hologram? Fascinating!” Xytin said, completely awestruck.
“I have always thought so,” The Doctor replied.
“So you are in some kind of telepathic contact with this Ito?” Janeway asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.
“Oh yes, constant. It is taking some time to “catch up” on things – a lot has happened since I went into hibernation, and we honestly never expected to sense one another again. With the Borg, and all.”
“Well, Xytin, could you tell me, where was your ship going?” Janeway asked.
“We were fleeing the Borg. We had hoped to find another world that we could settle on, in order to preserve our society. We only had two ships equipped with the hibernation system though. The other ship was destroyed before we ever went into the nebula. We were our planet’s last hope, until Ti’Hat and the Vulcan came and lead our people to victory over the Borg.”
“The Vulcan? Are you saying that this Ti’Hat and the Vulcan came to your world, and helped you defeat the Borg?”
“My bond-mate is a communications executive. He monitored all the broadcasts that he could during the invasion. He heard so many tales about Ti’Hat and the Vulcan, about how they lead our people to victory after victory. Just prior to the re-taking of Topachan, our capitol, Ito suffered the same telepathic overload that I did, and that is the last he had heard of them until now. Apparently, their raid on the capitol was a success, and every Borg on the planet disintegrated. Now, according to Yavitz, Ti’Hat and the Vulcan are going to help our people destroy the cube that is approaching Bint’Ari as we speak.”
“Another cube? Are you certain?” Janeway asked.
“Well, Ito is certain. It is hard to explain how he knows, but he is absolutely insisting upon it.”
“Janeway to bridge. Is there a Borg cube on long-range sensors?”
“Negative Captain,” Kim replied. “Though the nebula is blocking a large area of space. There very well could be a cube behind it.”
“Move Voyager in a position to scan past the nebula, and hail the Khamish Command Mother and tell them why you are moving. We may have company very soon. Janeway out.”
“Are Ti’Hat and the Vulcan their names?” The Doctor asked, while Janeway was giving the order to Kim.
“I don’t believe so, but that is how my people have come to know them,” Xytin replied.
“Do either you or your mate know what their names are?”
“Ito believes that they are called B’Elanna and Tuvok,” Xytin replied.
Star Trek, Voyager, and related properties are © Paramount Studio, and the author makes no claim towards them.
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April 9, 2008
On the Shelf This Week: 04.09.08
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #19, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written bt Tom DeFalco, Art by Ron Frenz, Sal Bucema, and Impacto
Ah, now this issue brings back some memories. Way, way back, during one of the many times Marvel announced that Spider-Girl was cancelled (and the fans revolted), Arana was just getting her own series. Oh, the hatred! Why cancel one Spider-Girl, only to give another her own book? Well, after three years, Spider-Girl is still with us, and Arana’s title has long since passed. So why not finally have these two come face-to-face? It makes sense that Arana would still be alive in May’s time, only all grown up and much more than a “Spider-Girl.”
I expect this will be a decent popcorn read. Especially if you remember early 2005 like I do when it comes to this mini-feud!
NOVA #12, $2.99, 32 pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, Art by Paul Pelletier, Rick Maygar, and Guru-EFX
It has gotten to the point where this title shouldn’t have to be mentioned. It is so good that you should all be buying it automatically. But when you look at the sales for the book, it is barely in the top 100. 75th in January! You all like good comics, right? This is a great comic! It isn’t a stretch to say that this is the best comic Marvel is publishing right now!
Seriously, if you aren’t reading it, you need to buy a copy this month. This goes double for all of you old New Mutants fans who are wondering what Warlock has been up to all this time. Nova should be top ten in sales every month, no question.
SERENITY BETTER DAYS #2 (OF 3), $2.99, 32 Pages, Dark Horse
Written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, Art by Will Conrad and Michelle Madsen
It may not be on TV, but Firefly in comic form is better than no Firefly at all. Sure, it doesn’t pick up where the movie left off - but I always kind of looked at Serenity as an ending - just so we could all see the ending, in case no other stories ever came to pass. The comics are like icing - giving us things we might have gotten had the show continued on the air (like it should have!). The first issue of this short mini was solid - not unlike the last mini. Dark Horse can keep putting these out as far as I am concerned - I will buy them all (so long as they stay this good!).
TITANS #1, $3.50, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Judd Winick; Art and Cover by Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund; Variant Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
Admittedly, this one is a head scratcher. The current Teen Titans book is fine - and almost all of the old Titans have some kind of profile in the DCU - so why start a new Old New (err, that sounds right) Teen Titans book? It looks like the old crew is getting back together - The Flash, Nightwing, Donna Troy, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Red Arrow, and Cyborg (of course, the latter hasn’t been mentioned anywhere, but who else’s big metal hand is that?). The creative team on this book is solid, so you can’t expect a total dud here, though you do have to wonder where exactly DC is planning to go with this. Titles like this don’t just pop up out of the blue, especially right before a “Crisis.” Might be worth watching.
WONDER WOMAN #19, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Gail Simone; Art and Cover by Bernard Chang
One thing that is really striking about Simone’s take on Wonder Woman is the way she is positioning her “crime-fighting philosophy.” Batman is dark, brutal, and unforgiving. “Evil should be punished.” Superman is the boy scout, the noble, unerring one - the protector above all else. “Evil should be defended against.” Wonder Woman, at least in Simone’s eyes, is way more compassionate. A redeemer. She looks to the souls of those she defeats. The distinction has always been there, but for a very long time, no writer has been capable of really distinguishing for her partners in the “DC Trinity” so well.
Simone is, of course, on a roll on Wonder Woman. This is the second part of an arc, but it is never too late to give it a shot. Simone usually builds slow - in a few months, this book is going to be one of those titles you shouldn’t be missing.
SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #23, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art and Cover by Patrick Gleason and Prentis Rollins
The regular team is back this month, and not a moment too soon. Everyone needs a break from time to time, but the last arc (the fill-in) really left a lot to be desired. This arc sends the Corps out to deal with the remaining Yellow Power Rings from the Sinestro Corps War. Of course, it won’t be as easy as that, since Mongul wants the rings for himself. It is unclear where this title is going to go once Final Crisis hits full swing, so this might just end up being a filler arc. It has the makings of a decent read though, so it is worth checking out. The last fill-in arc aside, Tomasi and crew have done a fantastic job on this book. There is no reason to expect the quality to start to dip now.
DARK HORSE
SERENITY BETTER DAYS #2 (OF 3) $2.99 Now: $2.59
STAR WARS EPISODE VI RETURN OF JEDI PHOTO COMIC TP $9.95 Now: $8.44
STAR WARS TALES O/T JEDI OMNIBUS TP VOL 02 $24.95 Now: $19.99
DC COMICS
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #16 $2.99 Now: $2.69
BATMAN DEATH MASK #1 (OF 4) $2.99 Now: $4.99
BOOSTER GOLD #8 $2.99 Now: $2.69
COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 3 $2.99 Now: $2.69
GEN 13 #19 $2.99 Now: $2.59
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #7 $2.99 Now: $2.69
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #23 $2.99 Now: $2.69
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #14 $2.99 Now: $2.59
NUMBER OF THE BEAST #1 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.59
SIMON DARK #7 $2.99 Now: $2.59
SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #14 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TINY TITANS #3 $2.25 Now: $1.99
TITANS #1 $3.50 Now: $2.99
WONDER WOMAN #19 $2.99 Now: $2.69
IDW
FX #2 (OF 6) $3.99 Now: $3.49
MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #19 $2.99 Now: $2.69
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #556 $2.99 Now: $2.69
CIVIL WAR CHRONICLES #10 $4.99 Now: $4.39
FALLEN SON TP DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA $13.99 Now: $10.99
FANTASTIC FOUR #556 $2.99 Now: $2.69
HEDGE KNIGHT 2 SWORN SWORD #6 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.59
LAST DEFENDERS #2 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #10 $2.99 Now: $2.59
MARVEL ZOMBIES HC DEAD DAYS $29.99 Now: $23.99
NOVA #12 $2.99 Now: $2.59
WHAT IF TP CIVIL WAR $16.99 Now: $213.99
WOLVERINE #64 $2.99 Now: $2.69
WOLVERINE PREM HC DEATH OF WOLVERINE $19.99 Now: $15.99
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or its staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
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April 8, 2008
On the Shelf in June 2008
DARK HORSE COMICS
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Page 30 - Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods #1, $2.99, 40 Pages
Written by Rob Williams, Art by Steve Scott and Michael Atiyeh
Last month we saw the first part of the movie adaptation solicited - this month sees the beginning of a brand new original Indiana Jones comic mini. Not a bad idea at all - Indiana Jones really hasn’t seen much exposure in comics, at least not recently. There were about 8 stories in the mid-90s published, also from Dark Horse, and a 34 issue Marvel run in the 80s. Seems like a lot, but Indiana Jones seems like the sort of concept that could be the basis for almost continuous stories. I suppose readers just got bored. This Indiana Jones story is more traditional, with Indy facing off against the Nazis once more. No doubt if you are excited about the movie, you will buy this one up.
Page 34 - Fear Agent #22, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Rick Remender, Art by Tony Moore and Lee Loughridge
Finally Dark Horse has stopped monkeying around with the mini nonsense, and officially made this series ongoing (dropping the confusing arc numbering in the process). Perhaps a sign that the creative team is finally serious about getting this book out on time? Don’t get me wrong - Fear Agent is nothing short of amazing, but the constant delays have added an element of frustration that this book doesn’t need. Dark Horse is celebrating a “Fear Agent Month,” what that means is a little uncertain, beyond a variant cover and an extra page in their Preview solicits, but if it leads to more sales on this book, who am I to complain?
It can’t be said enough - you need to be buying this title. If you call yourself a sci-fi fan of any sort, you owe it to the genre to read Fear Agent.
DC COMICS
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Page 67 - Trinity #1, $2.99, 340 Pages
Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, Art by Mark Bagley & Art Thibert
For those of you who thought that DC might finally quit with the weekly stuff after Countdown ended - well, that theory can be put to rest. Trinity is the latest step in that direction, featuring the obvious team-up of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
First you have to point out the good - the writing team of Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza. Busiek especially has been producing some of the best Superman stories in years, and Nicieza is no slouch when it comes to crafting a good story. If this project is to be a success, DC put it in capable hands.
The bads? Well, there are plenty. The art team they have selected features some good names - Mark Bagley for starters - but it is rotating. Each issue is going to have a different look, in some cases, a very different look. That isn’t insurmountable, but it is a problem off the bat.
Secondly, just what does this title bring to the table anyway? We already have Superman/Batman - the only difference in this title is Wonder Woman. And we already see the three of them in the Justice League of America. This title brings nothing new to the table, and in fact is the exact opposite of what was behind the initial success of 52 (something DC’s weekly books haven’t yet managed to duplicate). There really isn’t a hook here to really overcome the third major strike against this book - event fatigue. Readers felt betrayed about the way 52 wrapped up and let down early by Countdown. Will they really embrace another weekly, especially with event fatigue at an all time high, and getting worse by the week?
The writing team might still overcome it all - it is worth watching, at the very least.
Page 69 - Reign in Hell #1 (of 8), $3.50, 40 Pages
Written by Keith Giffen, Art by Matt Clark and Stephen Segovia
Books like this will go one of two ways - great, or unreadable. It is a quirk of the subgenre I suppose, but there are very few magic-based Superhero books that are just plain average.
Art, though, plays a big part in the success of books like this - especially the coloring. Too often art teams opt for this muddy dark red color palate. Sure, it fits the tone of the book, but it makes it nearly impossible to see what is going on. However, this isn’t really a concern we can have until we see some preview pages. Keith Giffen is a real asset as a writer here - it is kind of exciting to see what he will do with some of these characters.
Page 75 - Superman #677, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by James Robinson, Art by Renato Guedes & José Wilson
Nothing against James Robinson, but this is horrible news! Having never been a real Superman fan (the character is great, but the comic has rarely held my interest for long), I was blown away by Kurt Busiek’s recent work on this title. He elevated Superman from the occasional bored read to a must-have-in-the-stack book. Of course, news of his departure has been floating around for a couple of months, but mow that it has hit the solicits, it is all the more real. Busiek is really going to be missed on this book.
What will James Robinson bring to the table? Well, his past work at DC has focuses on the Golden Age, with his award winning Starman series and his acclaimed The Golden Age. Will that translate well to Superman? Possibly - he is an old, storied character with origins in the Golden Age. As unfortunate as Busiek’s departure is, Robinson has enough credibility to continue to give the title a chance.
Page 79 - Robin/Spoiler Special #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Chuck Dixon, Art by Rafael Albuquerque and Victor Ibanez
So, is she Stephanie, or not? In Robin #174 (out in May), we are supposed to get the answer. All signs point to yes - beyond the recent hints about Stephanie’s return (in Booster Gold, Dan Didio’s column, etc), her eventual return was telegraphed from the moment of her death. Beyond the fact that deaths seem to have little meaning in comics these days, Stephanie was never treated like she was dead for good.
Many people talk about what makes a good comic death, and a bad comic death. Stephanie’s “Death” was a mixed bag. It has been bashed as being an example of “Women in Refrigerators” - but I have to call shenanigans on that one. Sometimes, heroines are tortured and killed - that isn’t always misogyny. Yeah - comics are a male dominated industry, and there are plenty of examples of women being objectified, but the idea that Stephanie’s death was somehow sexist is completely ridiculous. This example really wasn’t all that different from Jason Todd’s death. Actually, her manner of death, while tragic, was actually pretty powerful. Stephanie made a horrible mistake trying to prove herself, and she took it upon herself to try and repair the damage. She failed, but her effort (and failure) made plain Batman’s own culpability, his failings as a mentor to both her and Robin.
That actually was a decent start. If a hero is to die, it should be for a good cause, and the impact of that death should be felt deeply. But right after that story, she was almost forgotten. Batman moved on as if she didn’t exist - Tim Drake did as well, after a ridiculously short mourning period. Batman didn’t finally realize his paranoia and selfishness until Infinite Crisis came along, and didn’t do a thing to memorialize a heroine who lost her life for Gotham. While her death was powerful, it had absolutely no impact on the other characters in Batman’s universe. So while this does seem like a typical comic resurrection (again), it doesn’t lessen the impact of her death, because it had none at all. As a fan of Spoiler, I therefore welcome it!
Page 90 - Manhunter #31, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Marc Andreyko, Art by Michael Gaydos
It’s about time! It has been a long, long time since DC announced that Manhunter would be spared the cancellation axe. Fans waited, and waited, and waited - and it seemed to many that Manhunter had just been swept under the rug. Could it be that DC dashed hopes that this title would be another Spider-Girl by simply telling people it would come out, and letting time calm the angry masses?
Thankfully no. Manhunter is finally back in June, and it looks like it is going to pick up right where it left off. Of course, Manhunter would never have been in trouble if it was getting the sales to stay safe - which means that not nearly enough of you were reading this title. This is the best chance you will ever get to correct that mistake, and finally show that as an informed comic fan, you appreciate quality in your comics. Buy this issue!
Page 112 - The New York Four, $9.99, 176 Pages
Written by Brian Wood, Art by Ryan Kelley
Honestly, knowing Brian Wood’s style, it is kind of a surprise that he hasn’t been all over Minx before this. He seems to be the logical choice to tell a story aimed at this market. The preview pages seem kind of neat - a story combined with a tourist guide to downtown New York City. There are some preview pages available out there that are well worth a look.
Page 115 - Madame Xanadu #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Matt Wagner, Art by Amy Reeder Hadley
Not a bad idea here. This character has popped up here and again in the DC Universe, most recently in Countdown, but she had a fairly decent role in the outstanding Day of Vengeance mini. Of course, this is a Vertigo series, so it is going to fall into that odd gray continuity area currently occupied by John Constantine. This series looks like it is going to delve into her her medieval origins, which seems an appropriate timeframe for a series like this. Could be good.
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Page 152 - A Red Mass For Mars #1 (of 4), $3.50, 32 Pages
Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Ryan Bodenheim
The whole “If you like All-Star Superman, you’ll love A Red Mass For Mars!” thing seems a little off to me - it is really kind of hard to see what a far future sci-fi epic has in common with a book like that. Regardless, this looks kind of interesting. Just about every sci-fi book warrants at least some attention these days, and this one seems like it might be worth a look. The art seems pretty fitting for the story - could be a real visual treat.
Page 154 - Vix #1 (of 3), $3.50, 32 Pages
Written by Rantz A. Hoseley, Art by Matthew Humphreys
I can’t say I am too familiar with either Rantz A. Hoseley or Matthew Humphreys, but this one seems kind of interesting. Of course, in general, your standard “young girl gets superpowers” story is a little played out, but this one seems a little different. Maybe it is because the heroine isn’t a hyper-sexualized floozy, but that is just one of many reasons. This one might have some potential.
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Page M11 - Ultimate Origins #1 (of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Butch Guice
Yikes - an Ultimate event mini. It is always scary to see these, because really there hasn’t been a good one yet. Bendis as the writer does give this book some hope - he is the one writer who you can almost always count on to tell a good story. And since he has been there since the very beginning, he is an ideal choice to tell a story like this. I am not entirely sold on the idea that there is a grand conspiracy behind the whole Ultimate Universe, but as long as a good story comes out of it, it shouldn’t matter too much.
Page M12 - Ultimate Spider-Man #123, $2.99, 32 pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen
Of course, when speaking of Bendis, it does always come back to Ultimate Spider-Man. This issue begins a brand new Venom arc, and a story that promises to tie back into the old Ultimate Spider-Man video game story that Bendis helped write. Or maybe even a little more than that, “adapts” has been used as well, so it is possible that the story is going to be completely reworked (at least the Venom parts) and inserted into the current Ultimate Spider-Man continuity. Not a terrible thing really - the story for the game was a little shallow, as game stories often are, but with some work it could make for a good read.
Page M24 - Eternals #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Charles Knauf and Daniel Knauf, Art by Daniel Acuna
An Eternals ongoing huh? Could be interesting. I honestly expected to see an Inhumans ongoing before this, but it is an interesting surprise. Marvel promises that this series will follow up on the Neil Gaiman mini, as well as an upcoming Incredible Hercules issue. If you liked the Knauf’s on Iron Man, this should be a good series to check out. It won’t quite be Neil Gaiman, but the style should be better suited to a mainstream Marvel ongoing title. Worth checking out.
Page M27 - Guardians of the Galaxy #2, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, Art by Paul Pelletier
Abnett & Lanning have been rather coy about who is actually going to make-up the Guardians, but from the cover and solicit text of this issue, it seems pretty obvious that Groot and Rocket Raccoon will indeed be members. That is outstanding news. Nova was the shining star of the first Annihilation event, and these two have been the same for the second. With Annihilation: Conquest finally behind us, at this point, the Nova series should be on fire once again, and this series will no doubt be just as good. Marvel’s cosmic universe is going to have a great summer. Let’s just hope that the top editors don’t see its popularity and decide to wreck a good thing (Like we have seen so many times in the past). This series and Nova will continue to be awesome so long as Abnett & Lanning are left alone and allowed to do their thing.
Page M28 - Hulk: Raging Thunder, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Jeff Parker, Art by Mitch Breitweiser
Strange - I was just thinking about Thundra! From the presentation, this seems less like a Hulk book and more like a Thundra story, though they probably called it a Hulk book to generate sales. I wouldn’t mind seeing Thundra get a higher profile in the Marvel Universe again, though if Thing isn’t involved in some way after this story, it won’t be nearly as good.
This issue is also going to feature a reprint of an old Thundra story, for those of you who have no idea who she is. This is the kind of thing Jeff Parker can handle well - so overall this should be a good issue to check out.
Page M29 - Skaar: Son of Hulk #1
Written by Greg Pak, Art by Ron Garney
It is kind of sad to think that once anything and everything Hulk-related was a must read. But somewhere around the mid-point of World War Hulk, that all changed. This is a huge reason I fear Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy getting too big - for some reason, Marvel will take outstanding titles and get event happy with them, over edit and micromanage, and end up killing a good thing. This happened to the Hulk. It is only natural that another Hulk-related title at this point might cause you to roll your eyes. Not so fast.
First off, Greg Pak is writing - a great start. To boot, it looks like this story is going to be set on Skaar, linking it to Planet Hulk and not to World War Hulk. Another great sign. Ron Garney’s art should be another boon - he handled Hulk well almost a decade ago, and having him on a title like this seems a natural fit.
This title has the makings of a quiet hit. Recommended.
Page M47 - Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1 (of 3), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Christopher Yost, Art by Takeshi Miyazawa
As time goes on, I think more and more that Secret Invasion is just one event too many. Event fatigue has been an issue for a long, long time, but this one seems even more contrived and implausible than Civil War. Seriously - the minute they discovered that there were Skrulls infiltrating Earth, wouldn’t they just call 3-D Man and be done with it? Problem solved!
This team-up was OK during Civil War - could have been better. This time around, the fact that both teams actually have a Skrull on their rosters adds an element that could be a real spark for this latest collaboration. This is one of the few Secret Invasion stories that really looks somewhat promising.
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Page 326 - Hero by Night #4, $.99, 32 Pages, Platinum Studios
By D.J. Coffman, James Patrick, and Jason Embry
It is often difficult to recommend small press titles, because they are so difficult to come by. Well, not so much hard as inconvenient. Any Marvel or DC book you will readily find on the shelf, but with smaller press, you often need to ask your shop owner to order a copy for you. Yeah, it is one tiny step, but it is a degree of forethought most consumers don’t want to bother with. Who doesn’t like rolling into their local comic shop and just grabbing something off the shelf, or clicking on a box on the screen?
If you are going to sample a small-press book, it should be worth it. Well, Hero by Night is one of those books. As an added incentive, June’s issue has been discounted to a mere $.99. Hero by Night is worth checking out at full price - but perhaps the discounted issue will be enough to get you to make the leap. Check this one out, you won’t regret it. I’ve enjoyed Coffman’s work since back when he was working on Yiryumah!, it is great to see him in print.
Craig’s Top Five of the Month
5 - Ultimate Origins #1 (of 5), $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics - This has all the signs - it could be the first decent Ultimate Marvel event.
4 - Hulk: Raging Thunder, $3.99, 48 Pages, Marvel Comics - Should be fun.
3 - Madame Xanadu #1, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC/Vertigo - Vertigo is due for another long term winner. This character should fit well with the Vertigo style.
2 - Robin/Spoiler Special #1, $3.99, 48 Pages, DC Comics - It better be Stephanie.
1 - Manhunter #31, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics - The long wait is finally over.
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or its staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
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Off the Cuff: Is Google really Brainiac?
Google has become powerful because of its ability to find, store, and sift data with amazing speed. In many ways the internet is successful thanks to these very abilities. But that doesn’t mean everyone likes to be virtually “stalked.” And that’s exactly what’s happening in Pittsburgh where a couple is suing Google for showing their home on Street View.
But Google may be in line for even more trouble - according to the Smoking Gun, Google has been filming Street View on private property. That sounds like something that people will be upset over. Plus, if they’ve done it once, you can guarantee that they’ve done it several times.
This raises an interesting philosophical question. Google’s always been about collecting information. But just how much information is too much?
Do we have Brainiac 5 on our hands? Have we learned nothing from Hal or the T-1000?
As our society continues to collect, retrieve, and sort data these questions will only become more common. And in a way, I think they will drive the popularity of characters like Brainiac.
So next time Google refers to you as “Kal-El”, you might want to just turn your computer off and go play outside.
*edited: changed Brainiac 5 to Brainiac. Mostly because I’m a moron.
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