Here we go. Weather prevents me from thinking a trip to my regular comic store is a good idea just yet, but I did stop by a closer, local option to snag JSA Classified, JSA, and 52. (As well as X-Factor #13, because I missed it before.)
52 - Very, very not happy.
[spoiler]Did they have to kill Buddy??? Do they have something against heroes being happily married?
And Question isn’t dead after all? That whole teary scene at the end of issue # 34 wasn’t really anything happening, just another random moment within his ongoing illness??[/spoiler]
Interesting appearance of Supernova and a certain someone else, who I won’t spoil. Also, it’s been a while since we’ve seen the mad scientists.
JSA is amazing, Geoff Johns does a fantastic job. JSA Classified was meh…maybe if I were reading Hawkgirl it would mean more to me.
Welcome to Tranquility #2: Love the Undertaker. My copy had some kind of printing error, so the whole thing seemed somewhat off. But still enjoyable. The characters are all really cool. The solution to the mystery is pretty obvious, though.
Green Lantern Corps #8: Love the villain, still not sold on the Corpse. Although it’s strange to be on the same side as Guy Gardner.
52 Week 26: Fuck.
Batman #662: Meh.
Martian Manhunter #6: Double meh. Triple meh even. Oh well, with this revelation, the book just made itself even more irrelevant. At least Miss Martian is cool.
52 - Other than the 
moment - which was really well done, anyway - very good issue. Sobek and Osiris are adorable. The Power Girl origin was one of the worst written ones yet - if I didn’t already know her origin, I don’t think I could have followed it, and as it was, parts had me scratching my head because they were implying things happened differently than they did.
JSofA - JSA - the heart of the DCU. And the past, present and future. The focus on family, bridging the past and present is strung through all the story-lines, and all the major characterizations save Starman. Starman (whose identity isn’t really a shock, is it?) and the other Kingdom Come elements point to the future. Speaking of KC elements - Swastika, one of the violent metas in KC makes an appearance as one of the Fourth Reich. Does anyone know if the Fourth Reichers who aren’t him or Captain Nazi are existing characters? And speaking of Starman, most of his more cryptic lines, I can figure out which part of his prior history he’s referring to. But ‘Do you hear her? She’s crying. I wish she would stop crying. She said it’s a doctor, and a bad one, too.’ has me stumped.
Tales of the Unexpected - The Dr 13 backup continues to be the greatest comic book story ever. ‘Robert E. Leave-me-alone’. ‘I’m not mom.’… Gorillas with the worst German accents ever. INFECTIOUS LASS!!! Watching poor Doc 13’s composure slipping away and his rantings begin is well worth the price of admission.
Welcome to Tranquillity - This is a beautiful, beautiful book. The Crypt Keeper undertaker, the coroner… Emoticon’s reference to the Mr A story that opened the issue was identical to my reaction. The sheriff is going to drive herself nuts insisting the old boy was straight, at this rate. One of my favourite bits was the Sampson Twins insulting him for being too loquacious. Do they not hear themselves?
As far as I know they’re new. Maybe even a new Captain Nazi? It was hinted they’re from the future. The chick in yellow and purple looks to be a new Zyklon.
With regard to 52, Animal-Man’s death made sense in that the whole space saga would be pointless with no consequences.
I assumed she was Reichmark since she’s the one who responded when Captain Nazi addressed Reichmark. But that was just an assumption - she could be Zyklon, or anything else, just as easily. SOMETHING about her mask is annoyingly familiar. She does read as a speedster, though - although a lot of that is the sturm runes around her legs, with their resemblance to lightning-bolts, so I’m not sure how much I’d put into that reading.
I read it as Captain Nazi responding to the metallic guy, and the woman responding to Cap. The original Zyklon also had those symbols/lightning bolts on his costume, which is what made me think she’s also a Zyklon.
shrug We’ll find out soon enough.
Licentous Ectomorph:
I agree with the last part of your statement, but I’d much rather Starfire bought it than Animal Man. Especially coming on the heels of Elongated Man’s happy marriage shot to pieces.
Blasphemer! I cast thee out!
If he had said Adam Strange, I would have torched his entire Legion connection.
Tomorrow I’ll get the bulk of my books for the week.
What I have -
X-Factor #13 - Re-X-Aminations. Hilarious, and nice to see Doc Samson.
Catwoman - Details of the baby’s father and the missing year revealed. Nothing terribly surprising.
JSA Classified : So glad to see Hawkman back, and this issue starts to make sense of Hawkgirl, at least retroactively.
JSA : Hell yes. Some great character moments all around, intriguing villains, Nazis, Hawkman! And the secret of Starman revealed. Somewhat.
52 - Now we’re getting some momentum. Very happy to see that Vic has not yet kicked the bucket, and that Montoya finally has a plan about that. Poor Osiris.
Regarding Space Heroes, and Supernova/Rip Hunter:
[spoiler] Ah, poor Animal Man. He died as his most famous author lives - frothing at the mouth with drugs coursing through his veins. I’m not convinced that it’s a final demise, though. I would’ve liked DC’s editorial prophecy of doom to be fulfilled by Lobo - or, failing that, Starfire.
The Supernova/Rip Hunter interaction gives us some more clues about SN’s identity, and I’m really leaning towards Booster now. GREAT reveal on their location - and on the waiting menace outside. [/spoiler]
Newsarama just announced that Week 50 will have four tie-in one-shots that expands on the World War III event that is 52’s climax; they will not be necessary to follow the plot thread, but will explain some of the odder continuity weirdness during the one-year gap.
Oh, and apparently, some guy named John Ostrander is going to do a Suicide Squad miniseries.
I haven’t read Kingdom Come - Who is Starman?
Put in a spoiler box, just in case…
The pre-Zero Hour version of Thom Kallor, AKA, Star Boy of the Legion of Superheroes. Most of the nonsense he spouts - the stuff that doesn’t have to do with sloppy joes, in any case - is references to his time with the Legion. The stuff he starts talking about when Mr America drops through the skylight, for instance, is reference to The Legionnaire Who Killed, a story from the early 60s when he was booted from the Legion (temporarily) for killing a man in self-defence.[/spoiler] He’s a LOOOONG way from home. [spoiler]Time-lost and from a timeline that won’t exist any more.
I am so, so excited about this! I went back and read the whole run of the old book and loved it.
Green Arrow - OK, know what? I am convinced that Judd’s starting to make fun of himself/the people who call his writing too issue-y. There’s no other explanation for suddenly having the gun smuggling thugs discussing politically correct terms for people.
Well, they also made the joke, in print, that was on the lips of tens of thousands in the Silver Age.
That the Comics Code could never permit!
Dr 13: What do they call you, Rachael Manta-Ray?
IF: Infectous Lass
Traci: Doesn’t sound like she’s JUST the cook.
Regarding Animal Man in 52:
As part of his whole “animal” thing, he had a second wife and possibly a child by her. Ellen seemingly accepted this. Has she been seen since his series ended? Will we get to see her grieve for him?
Or do I remember that whole subplot horribly incorrectly?
Let’s see - the rest. Gen13 - meh. Outsiders - Hmmm. Martian Manhunter - Sigh. Green Lantern Corps - Huh. Batman - Oh. Tales of the Unexpected - Wow. Welcome to Tranquility - Nice.
As far as I know - you remember correctly, but that portion of Animal Man’s title - I never read it, and I don’t know how well-acknowledged it is in continuity.