Something of a small week for me, what with the month-long delay for Civil War and many tie-ins.
The big news is 52, of course, about which I have a theory. I will elaborate later.
Thunderbolts had an interesting Civil War tie-in.
Catwoman - I’m undecided on if we know who Helena’s daddy is, or if we have another red herring. He was, FTR, my second choice, behind his dad.
I’m expecting that cop to get canned at some point here, for his treatment of Holly, if nothing else.
52 - OK, it’s on the cover, I don’t think we need a spoiler box - I’m still not convinced Booster’s dead. There’s something iffy about the circumstances. And the fact it’s happening at issue 15. So let’s just wait and see. I’m not sure what was going on with Question, but it was a great scene.
Nextwave - Meh…this series is sliding downhill with every issue. This one got a few chuckles out of me, but nothing up there with the first couple issues. I’ll stick around for a while longer, but it’s not a book I look forward to anymore.
Ultimate FF - Yay, Greg Land’s last issue! I’ll miss Millar, but not Land. Hell of an ending, and I definitely wasn’t expecting that. The Victor/Reed/Whoever-happened-to-be-inhabitting-the-body-at-the-time having to go to Zombieworld part, not the fact that Victor actually went through with it. On the one hand, I kind of hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Victor - I really like this version. On the other, I’d hope they don’t cheap out and ruin this bringing him back.
Deadman - I hadn’t heard about this one, but squeed when I saw it. After reading it…on the one hand, I’m a little disappointed it’s not Boston, or even a new character in the same vein. On the other, I really enjoyed the story, and since it’s Vertigo, it really has no bearing on the DCU, anyway. The ‘handshaking’ scene was a little much, but it didn’t detract, or anything. Thumbs up.
Might have more comments once I’ve read more books.
Also, for the past few days, I’ve been reading Big Bang books. Big Bang - originally published by Caliber, then Image, now self-published - does, mostly, pastiches of golden and silver age DC characters (mostly, they’ve also thrown in some Marvel elements, and there’s a couple characters published under the Big Bang title that weren’t created for BB, and thus, mostly, aren’t based on existing characters). They’re well worth checking out.
Green Lantern Corps #3: A satisfactory, if predictable conclusion. This does well keeping coherent while skipping between lanterns. A good wedding of space oepra and police procedural.
52 Week Fifteen: Yeah, Supernova is so Booster from the future. But how?
Checkmate #5: Excellent, but how do you separate the truely badass from the merely sociopathic?
I guess in some cases it just doesn’t matter. When Amanda Waller and Count Vertigo are among your bosses, being a sociopath is probably taking the path of least resistance.
On 52: I agree, I believe Supernova is really Booster, but the one from the correct timeline.
My first visceral reaction to 52 #15 was “First one half of my happy hilarious fantasy gay couple, and then the other? Screw you, DC!”
But I like the Supernova-as-Booster theory, it makes the most sense. Does this mean the character, as such, has been ‘redone’ now or is Booster going to make a reappearance?
Also–and I forget if this has been asked or answered, and I probably sound stupid–but why did DC put an embargo on any Vertigo characters?
Also, re: Civil War–BIRT Spiderman will defect to the other side, soon [del]and Sue Storm is going to apply for a divorce and hook up with Namor[/del]. Any thoughts?
I hope Supernova is anot some alternate Booster. That would be way too cliched.
I’m thinking Supernova is a powered-up Rip Hunter.
I like that better than “the real Booster” theory, but not by much. Supernova seemed to have too much snark regarding Booster’s career to be an unconnected character. I think it’s a penitent Booster from later in his personal timeline, he just pulled a Captain Atom and got blasted somehwere/when, and the skeleton was somehow faked.
Mostly because I can’t believe we’re done with Booster.
Menocchio:
But Rip Hunter is not an unconnected character. He was an integral part of Booster’s origin and his series back in the 80’s. And it was his hideout, in week 6, that had all those scribbles, culminating in the big “It’s his (Booster Gold’s) fault (that time is broken).”
All I know is it’s going to take a few months longer for readers to find out, since Marvel announced the day before Civil War #4 was due on shelves that it and all its tie-in titles are being delayed due to the art not being done. That really screws the comic shops who rely on revenue from major titles to keep their lights on and rent paid, and it’s going to kill any business that might have come from the mainstream media coverage they’ve managed to generate. A big chunk of the top 20 monthly books just won’t be there, and that will hurt a lot of shops. Marvel’s explanation of “oh, this delay is for the fans! We can’t just have fill-in artists!” is major bullshit since it basically means “hey! We didn’t plan out this ‘major event’ at all!” I hope Marvel stockholders flip out over the lost revenue for the last quarter of the year, and heads roll. I’m looking at you, Joe “Daredevil: The Father is two years behind schedule” Quesada.
I like the Rip Hunter theory. I could almost buy that.
Here’re my thoughts on Booster.
One of the hints dropped by (52 Editor) Steve Wacker on Newsarama was a dialog snippet, someone offering someone else superpowers based on Booster’s DNA. This would seem to tie in with the Luthor plot. Why is Booster’s DNA special? I’m glad you asked.
One of the other hints we’ve been given in Wacker’s commentaries is that we should read the old Booster series. So far? Not a lot of reason for that. Ah, but one of the things revealed at the end of that series was that Booster had special DNA - he was a descendant of the New Guardians, from Millenium.
So here’s my wacky theory. Luthor wants Booster’s DNA. Luthor sets up Supernova specifically to drive Booster to this confrontation. A little last-minute substitution, and Luthor has Booster. I think Supernova may, in fact, BE Luthor. He’s taking Superman’s place, a long time Luthor goal. His appearance coincides with Luthor’s metahuman program. He talks like Luthor. (Calling Clark ‘Kent’ and brutally deconstructing Booster’s motivations here…)
So… I dunno. It’s a thought. But I agree, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Gold.
Ooh. That’s a good one. Especially given that we only really have Clark’s word as a judge of characters that Supernova is legit, and we know that his skills as a journalist have been blunted by the loss of his powers.
My only problem with it is that we already know what Luthor’s plan to replace Superman is (the Syndrome-esque “if everyone in super, no one is”), and I think the Booster/Supernova scuffle must link to the time problems somehow, which this theory doesn’t account for.
The time stuff has to do with Booster, not necessarily with Supernova. Amusingly, as I saw pointed out elsewhere - Booster actually causes the blackout and carjacking that Skeets reported as future events early in the issue.
Nightwing - Blah. Hurry up, Marv! We need you!
Manhunter - Last issue before a brief hiatus. Awesomeness. Buy Manhunter.
Ion - Well, at least the story’s shaping up. Art still sucks.
Shadowpact - Blue Devil-centric outing. Interesting - though not as good as the Devil’s old series.
Robin - Solid.
GL Corps - I likes it, but I saw it coming.
Checkmate - Rocks as usual.
Ult FF - Good stuff.
Robin - If I were Owen, I would have smacked Tim so many times in this issue. Hell, by the end, I’d have put a boomerang in his back, just to shut the twerp up.
I like Tim. A lot. Really. But hating Owen for Digger’s crimes is obnoxious.
Shadowpact - Good stuff, all around, but the highlight was when he foiled the mugging. The woman’s reaction was brilliant.
Ah, but they’re (possibly) now together forever in happy smiling slash heaven, where they can pull pranks, and generally have a good time. Just keep telling yourself that. 
True Story, Swear to God - Good recovery for the switch to Image and the divorce announcement in real life.
Shadowpact - Poor Blue Devil. Willingham knows his writing.
The Escapists - GREAT book. Am I the only one reading this in the entire world?
Ultimate FF: Sorry, I just didn’t care for the wrap-up here, I kept waiting for the twist. Victor just happens to mispronounce the spell? Reed just happens to be there? Or Victor planned the whole thing? But why?
Checkmate was good, but I was surprised that there weren’t any super-powered people trying out to join up as a Knight. Am I over-spoilerizing?
And Patrick Gleason draws hot chicks.
You’re not; my husband and I read it too. That book is indeed great. If you don’t read The Escapists and Manhunter, you suck and don’t like things that are good.
If Booster really is SuperNova, then this might well explain why Rip blames Booster for breaking time. His stunt in rebirhing himself and his image screws up the timeline somehow. That one Booster DIES, and yet his future self is still around (this is, I guess, the physics based time travel idea rather than the Back to the Future “slowly vanishing images in a photo” time travel) REALLY screws up time.
Nextwave #7
The Rorkannu scene killed me. “Yes! I have a hundred of the earth dollars!” Classic.
Thunderbolts #105
Pardon me while I sit over here and cry like a big weenie at the possibility of Zemo dying. WAH.