Ooops. Accidental weird double post.
Anyone out there read JMS’s Midnight Nation? I like his other works on Amazing Spider-Man and Rising Stars, but I’d like a recommendation or two before plunking down my hard earned 30 pesos on the TPB.
Midnight Nations was excellent. I was living with one of my brothers when that was coming out and he liked it so much he would dig through my stash whenever I’d come home from the comics store so he could read it. That’s two “yea” votes for picking up the TPB in one post.
You might also want to pick up JMS’s Rising Stars if you haven’t already. That’s another really good book.
As far as I can tell, all the power loss crap has been ignored. In the wonderful super-hero/detective strip “Alias”, A) Byrne’s Spider-Woman has been Karen Paiged (she’s a drug addicted near prostitute). Jessica Drew decided to rescue her and crossed paths with the heroine of Alias. Jessica used bio-electric blasts to knock her on her ass.
Great book
Gah, Jessica Drew? Do you have issue numbers or trade paperback titles handy? I know next to nothing about Alias, is it still running and worth picking up?
'nother couple of questions, if no one minds my ressurecting the veritable “Great Old One” of threads, again.
- How many people know Batman’s secret identity, right now? I was leafing through a comic at the book store today, and it not only had Wonder Woman knowing who Bruce really was…but they were dating!
http://www.home.pon.net/phoebeg/omg.gif
(Not that I’m objecting, or anythin’, I…just didn’t see that one coming. )
- Did anyone else find Gordon’s last line in Batman #614 a little…disturbing? Admittedly, my personal ethos is a little skewed towards callous pragmatism, and I’m the first to admit it, but that particular bit of dialogue…good lord.
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Well, I know Batman’s secret identity, but I don’t think that counts.
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As it has been over a year since I picked up any Bat-title, I will pass on commenting.
Well, to start with, all the members of the original Teen Titans know who Batman is, thanks to Robin.
Let’s see. Also, all the members of the Eternal Seven JLA know each other. (Bats, Wonder Woman, Superman, GL, Flash, Martian Manhunter, and Plas)
But don’t forget, he’s just an urban legend.
Re-Batman’s Secret Identity
Alfred Pennyworth
Jean Paul Varley/ Azrael
Silver StCloud-one of the very few people to realize that Bat’s ID could be deduced by studying the bare lower half of his face
Is Hugo Strange still dead?
Various writers have also taken the stance that Commissioner Gordon has known for a long time. OTOMH Miller gives Gordon a few internal monologues about that in DK. He’s just been very careful not to tell anybody or do anything to confirm his theory.
Re-Gordon
Say whuh? Could you quote the line in question for those of us who haven’t read that issue and don’t want to search through the whole thread to see if somebody else already quoted it.
There was a period during that stupid “He’s an urban legend” thing where it was point-blank stated that the original Titans did NOT know Dick’s identity. Then it was changed that they knew Robin was Dick but that they didn’t know Bruce was Bats.
:rolleyes:
The theory was that Dick was Bruce’s ward and all the Titans thought that Bruce funded Batman or something.
There aren’t enough :rolleyes: in the world to express my feelings about that one.
Hell, the whole urban-legend idea was just plain stoooopid to begin with. One of Bat’s primary goals is to terrorize criminals, right? Which is scarier? “Some psycho in a bat-suit with super powers will beat the snot out of you if you so much as look to snatch a purse” OR “There’s this guy who may or may not exist. And he may or may not beat you up. If he exists at all, that is.” How many kids were ever scared out of necking in cars because of the “hook-man” urban legend?
Anyway, that said, they really did need to do some retconning about Dick. Wolfman had him FAR too carefree with his ID in Titans. Hell, the HIVE, most of Brother Blood’s minions, the Terminator, etc all knew that Dick=Robin.
Regarding Gordon, most writers seem to think he and Bruce have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” thing going. Gordon knows. Bruce knows that Gordon knows. Gordon knows that Bruce knows that Gordon knows. But they don’t talk about it.
Fenris
I’ll put it in a “spoiler,” just to be safe.
To start with, the Joker has apparently murdered Dr. Thomas Elliot, a childhood friend of Bruce. This has pissed Batman off somethin’ fierce, and he’s decided just to kill the Joker this time. (“Tonight, The Joker dies by my hand!” says he)
He battles his way through Harley Quinn and Catwoman, ruminating the whole while through. He catches up with the Joker in an allyway, and proceeds to pummel him into the ground, intending to “splatter his brain across the pavement.”
But Gordon finds them first. After shouting for Bats to stop, he actually fires a few warning shots, before getting close enough to Batman to jam his gun in the crook of his neck.
He uses the standard “Don’t Become a Vigilante” speech (Speech #10, I believe. The old “If you do this, you’ll become just like him. I’ll be the one leading the charge to hunt you down,” etc.). It works, and Batman, gazing at the blood covering his hands, decides not to kill the Joker. So, far, pretty normal stuff. But then, and I quote…
Batman: “How many more lives is he going to ruin?”
Gordon: “I don’t care, as long as it’s not ours.”
:eek:
Now, that last bit is the part that gets to me…I can see not wanting to sacrifice your ideals for personal gain, or even your own welfare. But not being willing to sacrifice them to ensure the safety and well being of others? It just…leaves the impression that none of these guys really cares about anyone but themselves.
Which might explain the last panel of the comic, which showed some guy who looks like the Unknown Soldier flipping two-face’s double headed coin, and saying “He’s innocent…get it?” But he might just be refering to another plot point that I didn’t catch.
Sure shoots hell out of that story where Wally and Dick go driving to New Orleans, or wherever, though, doesn’t it? Wasn’t Dick his best man at his wedding?
Thanks Ranchoth
I’m not sure it needs a spoiler either. But, my reply will include what I’ve just learned from your box, Killing Joke, and probably plenty of other places as well.
WTF!!! Gordon has devoted his life to ensuring the saftey of others. He’s also really big on the rule of law and all that. He’s made it clear that he’s willing to die for the causes he believes in. To have him say anything that callous is unbelievably out of character.
(Killing Joke Spoilers) Further since the Joker severed Barbara’s spine, took nude photos of her, tortured Gordon in an abandoned circus, stripped him naked and had midgets shock him with cattle prods, then put Gordon on a rollercoaster that featured the Joker doing a big musical number and nude photos of Babs hemmorhaging from a gunshot wound, all in an attempt to drive Jim insane, I’d say the J man has given ruining the Gordon’s lives his best effort.
Alias is a MarvelMax title written by Brian Bendis(Powers, Ultimate Spider-Man).
The story arc was from 15-21, and the title is currently on #22.
Not hard to find or incredibly expensive.
What the FUCK was that.
Thanks, Mockingbird!
It’s the beginning of a new arc of Powers, showing the development of Powers throughout history. Also, it’s got a slight allusion to Vandal Savage and the Immortal Man.
It also was a horrible execution of a concept. Good lord. Naked cavewoman presenting.
Anbody here reading The Ultimates? Issue 10 (finally) came out Tuesday but I’m a little confused on the last page. When the last page is a splash page, my mind is conditioned to realize that this must be some huge revelation. Was I supposed to recognize the man on the last page? It didn’t look like Banner, though I was wondering where he was the rest of the ish. Anyone?
I have a DC question that just occurred to me: What the HELL were the writers smoking to come up with Captain Marvel, Jr? He’s the JUNIOR version of a guy whose real identity is a twelve-year-old! Heck, Marvel himself seems kinda creepy when you get right down to it. Don’t give me all that “the purity of a child” bull. He’s fighting supervillians and saving the world and he’s not even in high school yet. Heck, I think Jr.'s secret identity is older than him, am I right?
On a non-rant side, what happened with that Taskmaster series?I only saw a little of it, but I liked it. He’s always been a character I thought they could do so much more with, and I’m hoping he’ll make an Ultimates appearance . Where would he fit in the Marvel martial arts scheme of ability?
Captain Marvel-Actually, it’s a Fawcett question. I still don’t know the answer.
TaskMaster- I liked it. I shall attempt to avoid spoilers.
The Taskmaster’s character is expanded somewhat, but he remains more of a thief than a killer. His mutant ability(for those unfamiliar, photographic reflexes-he can reproduce any action he has seen. TM made it through college on a football scholarship simply by watching the NFL) is given more uses. Sure, he can fight like Captain America. But, he can also cook like Emeril(I question this myself. IMHO cooking involves far more than mimicking the chef’s movements.). The TM series shows a character who has asked all the same questions about his powers that the readers have. The result is that he remains a worldclass supervillian(way back when, TM took on the Avengers one at a time and beat them all. He was also smart enough to see when his plans were failing and run.) but, no superhero or law enforcement group makes catching him a priority(Rather than killing a cop, TM just ties him up. Though TM is willing to kill, he does not do so without good reason. Plus, everybody searches a lot harder for a cop killer than they do for a thief, sabetour, and industrial spy).
One change I didn't like-He's given up his Bronx accent. He claims that his clients respect him more, and it's easier to get money. I sez dat I miss da way he used to talk.