On the Chopping Block

[Alan M.]

Even though issues 1 and 2 didn't overly impress me, I was planning on sticking with Flash: Rebirth out of faith that Geoff Johns would ultimately give me a good story. But issue three today convinced me that...yeah, I'm just not digging this book.

At the same time, Wonder Woman and Runaways remain on the verge for me, dependent on a new storyline and a new creative team, respectively.

I guess, given that I have something like three or four titles I want to find a space for, this could be worse news, but I'm disappointed that I'm not enjoying all these titles more.

[Alan M.]

My previous opinions on Batman: Streets of Gotham were written before reading the Manhunter backup. And while my opinions of B:SoG still stand — it felt a little disjointed, with too little indication of where it's going — the one-two of it and Manhunter makes it more likely that I'll be back for the next issue. Neither story on its own was quite enough to make me say "I must come back for this!", but both have some promise in my mind, and getting two promising stories for one cover-price is an investment I'm willing to make for at least another couple of issues.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Well, after this one-off issue of Air, I'll be going back to trade-waiting it. I like the book, but I think it reads better in big doses, overall. But that cover... wow!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

About co-features: At the Heroes Con DC Nation panel, Ian Sattler said this:

Sattler said that the co-features will be collected into their own volumes, but the "hows" and "whens" of the process are still being worked out.

Good news for tradewaiters! (And think about a trade that contains a year of 10-page stories, each one meant to deliver a chunk of entertainment. It'll be packed with goodness!)

[Alan M.]

Last week, War of Kings: Ascension #3 was sold out before I got to the shop. This week, Dark Reign: The Hood was sold out. In both cases, I'm taking that as permission to let them slip from my pull list — I enjoy the stories of them, but when faced with the question of whether or not I wanted my shop to make a special effort to get them for me, I realized...I didn't.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Alan M. said:

Last week, War of Kings: Ascension #3 was sold out before I got to the shop. This week, Dark Reign: The Hood was sold out. In both cases, I'm taking that as permission to let them slip from my pull list — I enjoy the stories of them, but when faced with the question of whether or not I wanted my shop to make a special effort to get them for me, I realized...I didn't.

The Dark Reign stuff has just about killed my interest in the Marvel universe at this time.

[Alan M.]

Doc Beechler said:

The Dark Reign stuff has just about killed my interest in the Marvel universe at this time.

You might've mentioned once or twice before. :P

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

A retroactive chop for me was Vigilante. I bailed when it started it crossover with the Titans (which ticked me off on a series just a few issues in), and then when that was done I didn't care enough to come back.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Alan M. said:

Doc Beechler said:

The Dark Reign stuff has just about killed my interest in the Marvel universe at this time.

You might've mentioned once or twice before. :P

Sorry... :)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I might be dropping JSA. I picked up the last two Jerry Ordway issues, and while I understand that he's not the creator going forward, I'm worried that the hamhanded Stargirl/Atom Smasher stuff was material he was asked to include. And man, is that subplot creepy, in a way I never found the Stargirl/Billy flirtation. (Part of it is because I have no idea how old Albert is -- but he's significantly older, and genuinely so.)

And since I've been regularly loosening my comics budget to accommodate new things -- this week's Detective Comics was STUNNING, by the way -- a new round of tightening is due. And this time I don't think JSA will make the cut.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Rob Staeger said:

I might be dropping JSA. I picked up the last two Jerry Ordway issues, and while I understand that he's not the creator going forward, I'm worried that the hamhanded Stargirl/Atom Smasher stuff was material he was asked to include. And man, is that subplot creepy, in a way I never found the Stargirl/Billy flirtation. (Part of it is because I have no idea how old Albert is -- but he's significantly older, and genuinely so.)

And since I've been regularly loosening my comics budget to accommodate new things -- this week's Detective Comics was STUNNING, by the way -- a new round of tightening is due. And this time I don't think JSA will make the cut.

Yeah that art on Detective...man! Two things...having both Batwoman and Question consult older men as info/computer people in the same issue seemed a bit repetitve...although the identity of Kate's is cool. And that two-page spread of her apartment was stunning. Second, does every female crimefighter in the Bat-family have to be a lesbian? It kinda pushes it from progressive to exploitative or just plain kinky...especially given that there are no gay males in the cast. If Batgirl is Holly (from Catwoman)...we'll be four for four.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Doc Beechler said:Yeah that art on Detective...man! Two things...having both Batwoman and Question consult older men as info/computer people in the same issue seemed a bit repetitve...although the identity of Kate's is cool. And that two-page spread of her apartment was stunning. Second, does every female crimefighter in the Bat-family have to be a lesbian? It kinda pushes it from progressive to exploitative or just plain kinky...especially given that there are no gay males in the cast. If Batgirl is Holly (from Catwoman)...we'll be four for four.

Four for Four? I'm counting one... two if you count Montoya, who has Gotham roots but I don't think of her as a Bat-Family character. But even with her, and Holly, that's three. Huntress and Oracle are straight, right? Who am I missing? (I don't know Spoiler's orientation -- she *used* to be straight, but I haven't read much of anything since she came back.)

[Alan M.]

Have they been releasing trades of Wonder Woman with any regularity? (The last one I remember seeing is the Jodi Picoult run...) I'm thinking I might trade-drop that title: removing it from my pull list, with the plan of reading it in trades unless word of mouth gets really bad. But that plan depends on there actually, um, being trades of Wonder Woman, and I'm not sure there are...

ETA: Ah! Just checked Amazon, and it looks like there are, in fact, Wonder Woman trades. Yay plan, then!