Hero of the Week 2010 #11: Spider-man

SPIDER-MAN (Marvel) (2009) 
Real Name: Peter Parker
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 (August, 1962)
Group Affiliation: Secret Avengers
Gaming Credentials: Questprobe #2 Spider-man (1978); Spider-man (1982); Spider-man & Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge (1989); The Revenge of Shinobi (1989); The Amazing Spider-man (1990); Amazing Spider-man vs Kingpin (1990); Spider-man: The Video Game (1991); Punisher: The Ultimate Payback (1991); Spider-man: Return of the Sinister Six (1992); Spider-man & X-Men: Arcade's Revenge (1992); Spider-man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994); Amazing Spider-man: Lethal Foes (1994); Spider-man (1995); Spider-man & Venom: Separation Anxiety (1995); Marvel Super Heroes (1995); Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems (1996); Spider-man: Web of Fire (1996); Marvel vs Capcom (1998); Spider-man (2000); Marvel vs Capcom 2 (2000); Spider-man: Mysterio's Menace (2001); Spider-man 2: The Sinister Six (2001); Spider-man 2: Enter Electro (2001); Spider-man (2002); Spider-man 2 (2004); Ultimate Spider-man (2005); Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (2005); Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006); Spider-man: Battle for New York (2006); Spider-man 3 (2007); Spider-man: Friend or Foe (2007); Spider-man: Web of Shadows (2008); Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009); Marvel Super Hero Squad (2009); Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions (TBA)
Infinite Wars Cumulative Ranking: #2

As you can gather from the long list of video game titles above, you've had ample opportunity to know exactly what it is that a Spider-man does. It's a crucial part of what's made Spider-man one of the most enduring figures in pop culture and one of the three most iconic and recognised comic book superheroes, along with Batman and Superman, in the world. Spider-man fosters a sense of familiarity in even the most casual of fans, arguably more so than his iconic DC counterparts, due in no small part to the routine licensing of the character to cartoons (since the sixties) and video games (since the seventies, particularly in the nineties). Ponder your experiences with the character prior to the release of the feature films, and I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, time hasn't been kind to the Spider-man license in video games.
With the revolution of three-dimensional polygon graphics, the character lept into a new world more demanding and potentially reflective of a real-world Spider-man. 2000's Spider-man stripped levels down to rooftops and scaffolding, developing 3D space unfamiliar to Spidey's iconic web-swinging in previous releases, slowly building up to a fully realised city in 2004's Spider-man 2. 2007 saw a third film-based game elaborate on the interactive elements of the city further, opening up sewers and more in-door arenas, but with much less fanfare than the definitive stages included in it's precursor.

It was recently reported by 1up (via MTV) that the next game from the Activision/Marvel license deal will be Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions, a game that is supposedly set to include a greater degree of "web-slinging," as ordered by Activision CEO Bob Kotick, in an effort to restore a certain amount of intrigue the series has lost. It marks the latest in a long line of sub-titled entries that included Friend or Foe and Web of Shadows, and another deviation from the film license that took over from the comic-centric titles of 2001-02. A cunning strategy to reinvigorate a franchise that's seen by many as stagnant and over produced? I think not...

Spidey and Venom battle Doctor Octopus in the movie-inspired team-up game, Friend Or Foe.

By today's standards, it's admittedly a tad rote to lay out a list of classic villains and have players battle through them, each getting successively harder. Yet, it's been so long since such a simple concept has been applied to Spider-man, one wonders if that isn't exactly the remedy the character needs to regain relevance on the video game platform.

Spider-man has one of the very best lists of "Lethal Foes" when it comes to comic book villains.
For the last twenty-five issues of Amazing Spider-man, Marvel Comics have been taking advantage of this fact, rolling out and reinventing classics like; Doc Ock, Electro, The Mad Thinker, Sandman, Mysterio, Rhino, Vulture, and Scorpion, with Juggernaut and The Lizard on the horizon, and a string of guest spots by Daredevil, Deadpool, Black Cat, and Morbius. The Gauntlet has been part of a conceited effort to freshen up the web-slinger in comics, and with just a slice of these characters utilized, it's a compelling argument for video games, too!

2009's award winning Batman: Arkham Asylum set a new standard for what makes a great comic book video game. It combined the necessary elements of design and mechanics to finally get the experience of being The Dark Knight Detective adequately realised in gameplay, but also gained monumental kudos for utilizing established cartoon and comics writer, Paul Dini, to help create what was a heavily story-driven experience. Web-slinging and wall-crawling hasn't been much of a problem for a pixelated Spidey since the 16-bit age, and has been a developing art as technology has been able to further embellish the depiction of spider-powers, to a peak in Spider-man 2, which simulated new movie-inspired ways to web-swing. All very good for the Spider-man game legacy, but not so much for players rendered bored and frustrated by unnecessary incremental changes to the games, and gimmick hooks increasingly removed from the license and disruptive in the face of anything resembling a good story.

Web of Shadows -- Guest-stars aplenty become obscured by an overwrought plot about alien costumes.

Spider-man 2 -- named such after the film it was based on -- is worthy of recognition for developing not only gameplay mechanics of it's predecessors, but also the notion of playing as Spider-man in a real-time New York City environment. Though plotlines centred around embellishments to the movie sequel's story, the game offered up the first example of a fully realised city, complete with random spontaneous encounters and other achievement-based objectives. Though widely derided for it's repetitious fascination with runaway balloons and angry drivers, the game remains one of the most loved entries in the series for it's promising open-ended experience.

I believe a strong central storyline is a must for any game, but as The Gauntlet demonstrates in many of it's issues, the life of Spider-man revolves heavily around the city and chance encounters with danger that might arise. Area and time based triggers are perhaps the simplest, most effective way to capture the city-spirit of the character, whilst also extending play, and there's no reason the reviled mini-quests of Spider-man 2 couldn't be replaced with character-driven villain encounters, and chapters into new sagas. The possibility of downloadable additions that could be inserted into the random chance of encounters (or triggered specifically) also present promising avenues of extention.

As a Spider-man fan and reasonably enthusiastic gamer -- all I can really ask for is a chance to be Spider-man. To clash with a list of recognisable villains, maybe team-up with some classic running buddies, and just generally feel engaged by that experience of being the character from the comics.

It remains to be seen what Shattered Dimensions actually means.
The name may conjure images of Spidey's less characteristic sci-fi exploits, but there's every chance the title refers to developments in the way players are able to interact with the space of the game; a character-driven epic of more pedestrian origins; or a reference to attempts to take Spider-man off the page and flesh sequential storytelling out in the digital domain.

A science-fiction alternate universe hopping adventure, while not inherently displeasing, seems like the exact opposite to the refreshment the character needs. While there's plenty of precedent for strange adventures in the comics, we saw how precedent could go awry in 2008's Web of Shadows, which took video games' obsession with Symbiote characters and completely obscured what makes the character attractive. Namely; more urban superheroics with the occasional twist.

The Gauntlet has been a true revelation since beginning in late 2009!
Amazing Spider-man, for the time being at least, remains an absolute must-read, and is available weekly from Marvel Comics! As always, you can find more information by checking out the Marvel website. Spidey's also a part of the New Avengers and Marvel's Early '09 event, Siege. The Gauntlet and versions of Avengers are all subject to change, though, so do your research!

<< Hero of the Week 03/28: Captain America      [Home]       Hero of the Week 03/14: Atom >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9024484

SHIPPING LIST: MARCH 17, 2010
Additional Note: Back for another week of slightly more elaborate solicitations that these shipping lists used to be. I figure I'll see how long I can keep these up, at the very least, while traditional Infinite Wars updates continue somewhere below. Keep your eyes peeled for changes in the "Recent Battles" index for those. Also be sure to vote in the poll, which all of you thousands of people passing are allowed to do, but never seem to. Also be sure to enjoy the archive of material on the site and take advantage of Amazon links, while you're at it! It helps the site! Cheers!

You can probably find complete shipping list updates on most major comics sites. Consider this an opportunity to either do all your info-shopping in the one place, or get a speculative perspective on what might be worth checking out. These are untested reads. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths can offer no guarantee or endorsement of quality. These are simply titles that may be of potential interest. Some items may ship late.

The Infinite Wars now has a gift shop!
Now you'll find Amazon purchase links to hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and other collections, not only on regular entries -- but also new releases at the bottom of the Shipping List, and now a whole catalogue of potential purchases via the Infinite Wars: Amazonian Gift Shop. [Men are also welcome!] By shopping with Amazon via our purchase links, you not only find yourself a great deal, but also sponsor future entries on the Infinite Wars.

The Independents...
DEC090725 28 DAYS LATER #8 $3.99
JAN100734 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #179 $3.99
JAN100458 CHOKER #2 (MR) $3.99
JAN100412 DEAD AT 17 WITCH QUEEN #1 Of(4) $2.99
JAN101019 DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES 3 #1 $3.99
JAN101017 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING #9 $3.99
JAN100419 FADE TO BLACK #1 (OF 5) $3.50
JAN100884 GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS #4 (OF 9) FIREFLY PART 1 (MR) $3.50
FEB100809 GREEN HORNET YEAR ONE #1 $3.99
SEP090286 I KILL GIANTS TITAN ED HC VOL 01 $39.99
JAN100735 JUGHEAD #200 $2.50
DEC090971 TICK GOLDEN AGE COMPLETE WORKS TP $10.95

The Corporates...
DEC098499 BLACKEST NIGHT #5 (OF 8) 2ND PTG $3.99
JAN100507 DARK AVENGERS #15 $3.99
JAN100571 DOOMWAR #2 (OF 6) $3.99
JAN100277 GREEN ARROW #31 $2.99
JAN100236 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #46 (BLACKEST NIGHT) $3.99
JAN100573 HERCULES FALL OF AN AVENGER #1 (OF 2) $3.99
JAN100578 HULK #21 FOH $3.99
JAN100518 WOMEN OF MARVEL CELEBRATING SEVEN DECADES #1 $9.99

The Spotlight...
- JAN100555 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #625 $2.99
It was back in #617 that we learnt Aleksei Sytsevich, aka; Rhino, has moved on with his life after a string of less-than-impressive appearances in the comics, which included a drunken encounter with Black Cat. Now Rhino's a changed man with a changed name and someone to love -- too bad things don't just go away that easy when you're part of the super-human criminal underworld!

It's time for Round 2 as the original Rhino is forced to suit-up again and face his obsessed would-be successor! It's a good thing he's back in the game, too, because little does Spidey know that this new Rhino is all part of an assembly co-ordinated by the living heirs of Kraven the Hunter! After a couple of lulls, it looks like The Gauntlet is heating up again! Let's hope it isn't just a last hurrah for the series that's become one of Marvel's monthly best!

- JAN100240 BATMAN #697 $2.99
I have to admit, I haven't been paying a lot of attention to Batman during the Reborn relaunch in large part to an unflattering opinion of Tony Daniel's work. For all intents and purposes, it's certainly been a great way to get some extra mileage out of Dick Grayson's reign as Batman -- something that will no doubt be cut short soon when The Return of Bruce Wayne wraps up mid-year.

Longterm, I'm really looking forward to how this period of Dick Grayson's crime-fighting career will influence his future.
In some ways, by becoming Batman, it's given the Grayson character a mainstream opportunity to escape the shadow that typically rendered him second-class to Batman. Before Reborn, there was some effort to attach Two-Face as an arch-nemesis for Nightwing, and I'll be interested to see if his run as Batman will carry through to continue the effort to establish Nightwing as a solo hero. A new Black Mask -- one introduced as a Gotham mastermind akin to the original, in Battle for the Cowl -- would be a very natural piece of transferrable mythology. Which means any longterm fans might want to check out this week's Batman as we grow ever closer to discovering the true identity behind this mysterious replacement.

- JAN100816 IRREDEEMABLE #12 $3.99
As a budding independent writer/publisher, I often feel deeply conflicted about maintaining a website almost exclusively focused on comics from DC and Marvel -- the two biggest publishers in the industry. I haven't had a chance to discuss or read much of Irredeemable, but it seems worth a mention, if nothing else, because it looks to be a very good spin on the big ideas that DC and Marvel represent. For those who don't know, it's essentially a What if... Superman got sick of humans? tale, published by BOOM! and written by Mark Waid, who has all but restored his status between this and his recent work on Amazing Spider-man. Hardly the first of it's kind, but well worth a look, excelling in the all-important field of execution!

- JAN100502 SIEGE #3 (OF 4) $3.99
Siege limps along to a third issue and frankly, I think Marvel should feel a little bit embarassed. Not just by the solicitation which reads "MARVEL BLOCKBUSTER OF THE YEAR!!" but also by pre-hype claims that this would be the series that gets straight to the point -- something most of Marvel's recent efforts have failed to do.

Unfortunately, all a four-issue series has meant for Siege is less opportunity to make up for the plodding and navel-gazing irrelevance. Brian Bendis certainly has strengths as a writer, but after a string of mediocre company event books, I really think lynchpinning isn't one of them! A favourite Macbeth quote comes to mind, "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Specific references to Mark Millar's efforts with Civil War in 2006 only make it feel all the more insulting, reminding us how well similar conventions worked in a superior series. If redemption lies in the back-half of the series, a blessing will be that we're already there. I can't help but feel skeptical about the value of my dollar when picking this one up, though. Not terrible, but not at all impressive.

- JAN100626 X-FACTOR FOREVER #1 $3.99
If ever there were a concept that sounded like a bad idea -- it's a series exclusively dedicated to indulging X-Men fans!

To their credit, X-fans have every reason to feel nostalgic, with Grant Morrison's New X-Men among the few and far between bright sparks to come in the last decade. Returning home to the glory days of the eighties and early nineties has garnered truly bizarre results in Chris Claremont's X-Men Forever, but based on early previews, I actually think the original X-Factor line-up might have better luck of it! This optemism is due, in no small part, to the artwork of Dan Panosian, who offers a visual contrast to the more conventional trappings of the time period he and legacy writer, Louise Simonson, are revisiting. $3.99 is a big ask for casual fans, but as it's probably carefully targetted fan service for an already obsessive readership, it's probably not all together surprising. Approach with caution, even if departures from canon and sanity are unlikely to be as broad as Claremont's.

READ THE PREVIEW - VISIT THE SITE - BUY THE COMIC
Know Your Trade...
DEC090203 BATMAN INTERNATIONAL TP $17.99
SEP090286 I KILL GIANTS TITAN ED HC VOL 01 $39.99
JAN100639 IRON MAN ARMOR WARS PROLOGUE TP $29.99
JAN100642 IRON MAN END TP $16.99
OCT090606 IRON MAN IRON MONGER PREM HC $29.99
DEC090247 MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE TP $17.99
DEC090215 SHOWCASE PRESENTS WORLDS FINEST TP VOL 03 $17.99
DEC090971 TICK GOLDEN AGE COMPLETE WORKS TP $10.95
DEC090222 WONDER WOMAN CHRONICLES TP VOL 01 $17.99

Hero of the Week 2010 #10: Atom

ATOM (DC)
Real Name: Dr. Ray Palmer
First Appearance: Showcase #34 (September, 1961)
Group Affiliation: Justice League, Indigo Tribe, New Guardians
Gaming Credentials: DC Universe Online (TBR/2010); Batman: Brave and the Bold (TBA/2010)
Infinite Wars Ranking: #73


Since experiencing a boom period of mainstream relevance in the eighties and nineties, comic books and video games have shared a similar fate -- an aging population. There may still be people who associate these mediums with children, but the fact is, both have veered ever closer to an adult market as fans from previous decades have maintained their interests.

Video games have arguably done a much better job of staying in touch with the young'ns, so it makes plenty of sense that DC Comics and Warner Brothers would bring their successful cartoon take on the Dark Knight Detective over to the kid-friendly Nintendo Wii and DS!

It was just a couple of weeks ago now that 1UP reported announcement of Batman: The Brave and the Bold exclusive to the Nintendo platforms. Like Super Hero Squad before it, the game taps in to the brightly coloured mythology of a cartoon-based-on-a-comic, giving players of all ages the chance to co-op their way through the villains in a variety of team-up formations. Among the heroes that will no doubt find their way into the game is Atom -- a shrinking scientist who appeared on the show to not only save Batman from a deadly virus, but also teamed-up with Aquaman to do so!

Neo Classic: Brave and the Bold borrows it's distinct visual style in part from 1950s comic artists like Dick Sprang.

When it comes to Batman, I'm a fan of the super-serious Dark Knight like most others, but Brave and The Bold proves a refreshing take on the DC Universe, borrowing brilliantly from a variety of sources as diverse as the cringe-worthy post-Comics Code stories of the 1950s, the equally dismal 1960s live-action Adam West Batman, the 1990s feature films, and comics ranging from the original late '30s right up to present day. All of which makes for a whimsical and creatively intelligent depature from the confused continuity of other recent animated efforts, like the much-loved Bruce Timm-attribute series' of Justice League cartoons.

One of the most admirable qualities of Brave and the Bold is the way it reflects the traditions of it's classic comic book namesake, drawing upon not just familiar characters, but every unlikely ally to co-exist with Batman in the DC Universe. It's a quality that seems sure to create a new generation of readers who are less intimidated by the perception of volume that monthly comics present, helping create the kind of familiarity that four decades of Spider-man cartoons created for Marvel.

Among the long list of allies that could potentially find their way into the game, many for the first time, are: Aquaman, Red Tornado, Jonah Hex, Kamandi, The Demon, Green Arrow, Huntress, Adam Strange, Wildcat, and Blue Beetle [all pictured above].

Of course, there's much more to this week's HOTW than shrinking and appearing as a guest-star on a cartoon! Those comics, which have indeed loitered in slightly more adult subjects, have taken what was once a straight forward hero with the ability to shrink to the size of an atom, and made him an emotionally complex creature.

Over in the comics; Atom spent time in obscurity after his ex-wife was featured as an imbalanced killer in the much publicized 2004 story by novelist Brad Meltzer, Identity Crisis. He got back into the action recently, however, battling against the menace of rising dead that has swept across the entire DC Universe in the biggest story of 2009: Blackest Night!

Like previous featured heroes; Atom has taken possession of one of the power rings borne of the energies of the cosmic emotional spectrum. In other words, he's now an Indigo Lantern, powered by the light of compassion which was brought about as a result of encounters with those who suffered at the hand of his estranged wife, and indeed, the risen corpse of the mentally unstable woman herself. An event which has been used to redefine the moxxy of Atom as a hero, who not only uses the science of dwarf stars to travel in light particles and strike with the focused power of his natural size (in miniature), but also glows with the spirit of a super-human!

For more on the expansion of Lanterns, check out these previous HOTWs: Black Hand (black), Wonder Woman (violet), The Flash (blue), Lex Luthor (orange), Sinestro (yellow/white). The energies manifested from the various lanterns make up the white light of life and create an entire spectrum of emotion and would-be ring barers: Yellow (fear), Orange (avarice), Red (rage), Violet (love), Blue (hope), Indigo (compassion). A fact I'm sure you aren't sick of hearing about!

If you ask me, Atom is the superhero who just about has the greatest potential for innovation in a video game experience. Afterall, imagine what it would mean to gaming to not only battle alongside fellow heroes against villains in a fully developed overworld, but what if you could shrink to atomic size and reevaluate that space on a whole new level? It's a concept that exists, to some degree, in the zooming/rendering technologies that have come about in other games, like World of Warcraft, or Spider-man 2 (to use a superhero example). I can't wait to see what Brave and the Bold does with it -- but that might be a topic for another, less garbled blog, eh?

For those interested, you'll find Atom and the New Guardians battling Nekron and the Black Lanterns in the last couple of issues of Blackest Night, from DC Comics. Atom is also likely to feature regularly in the recently relaunched Justice League of America, and might put in a guest spot in the kid-friendly Johnny DC comic based on the cartoon, Batman: Brave and the Bold. You can find more information on these and other comics at DCcomics.com. Atom will also likely appear in the upcoming action MMO, DC Universe Online.

<< Hero of the Week 03/21: Spider-man       [Home]       Hero of the Week 03/07: Green Arrow >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9023554

SHIPPING LIST: MARCH 10, 2010
Special Note: Things have been quiet on the Infinite Wars front over the past few months. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'm going to find the necessary time and energy to keep the machine moving the way it used to. To get a bit more life in the place, however, I thought I might at least start looking at the shipping list from week to week, especially while I'm still actively reading! Be sure to enjoy the archive of material on the site and take advantage of Amazon links, while you're at it! Cheers!

You can probably find complete shipping list updates on most major comics sites. Consider this an opportunity to either do all your info-shopping in the one place, or get a speculative perspective on what might be worth checking out. These are untested reads. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths can offer no guarantee or endorsement of quality. These are simply titles that may be of potential interest. Some items may ship late.

The Infinite Wars now has a gift shop!
Now you'll find Amazon purchase links to hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and other collections, not only on regular entries -- but also new releases at the bottom of the Shipping List, and now a whole catalogue of potential purchases via the Infinite Wars: Amazonian Gift Shop. [Men are also welcome!] By shopping with Amazon via our purchase links, you not only find yourself a great deal, but also sponsor future entries on the Infinite Wars.

The Independents...
JAN100801 ANCHOR #6 $3.99
JAN100728 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #141 $2.50
JAN100730 ARCHIE DIGEST #262 $2.69
JAN100870 BOYS TP VOL 06 SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY (MR) $19.99
JAN100190 BPRD KING OF FEAR #3 (OF 5) $2.99
JAN101021 DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS TP VOL 05 $17.99
JAN101020 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING TP VOL 01 FUGITIVE $19.99
NOV090380 ELEPHANTMEN #24 $3.50
DEC090946 GRIMJACK OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $24.99
DEC090410 JERSEY GODS #11 $3.50
DEC090952 PHANTOM GHOST WHO WALKS #8 $3.99 [learn more @Chronicle Chamber]
JAN100466 SAVAGE DRAGON #158 $3.50
JAN100124 SOLOMON KANE DEATHS BLACK RIDERS #3 (OF 4) $3.50
DEC090991 TANK GIRL SKIDMARKS #4 (OF 4) $3.99
OCT091038 TICK COLOR SERIES COMPLETE WORKS TP VOL 02 $34.95
JAN101098 WWE HEROES #1 $3.99

The Corporates...
DEC090243 EX MACHINA #48 (MR) $2.99
JAN100577 HULK LET BATTLE BEGIN #1 $3.99
JAN100587 MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #21 $2.99
JAN100630 PUNISHERMAX #5 (MR) $3.99
JAN100247 RED ROBIN #10 $2.99
JAN100288 SECRET SIX #19 $2.99
JAN101129 STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS IBUKI #1 (OF 4) A CVR DOGAN $3.95
JAN100249 SUPERMAN LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON #1 (OF 3) $3.99
JAN100551 ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #8 $3.99
JAN100365 UNWRITTEN #11 (MR) $2.99
JAN100623 WOLVERINE MR X #1 $3.99

The Spotlight...
- JAN100554 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #624 $2.99
The Gauntlet has been one of the highlights of the last six months, but alas, all good things must come to an end. With the most recent few issues, it feels as if the quality of storytelling has petered out, or is that just my indifference to Peter Parker's next gen supporting cast talking? The tour through villains both classic and new has been a lot of fun, and with certain reinventions and twists on the formula, it's almost as if Marvel are investing in some longterm thinking. I'm a traditionalist at heart when it comes to Spidey, but I've also made a habit of accepting invested change (part of what made OMD/BND such an insult). I'll be keen to learn more about this new Vulture, even if I'm a little sad to see the likes of Adrian Toomes, Rhino, and to some extent, Doc Ock, slipping towards retirement. What I'm not sad about is reading and loving Spider-man. With great characters, writing, and a subdued trendy art direction that isn't quite obnoxious, must come great responsibility. Keep up the quality, Marvel! Don't sell the book on the back of less-than-funny memes, like Spidey getting fired, or meddlesome returns to the Brand New Day fiasco.

- JAN100238 BATMAN AND ROBIN #10 $2.99
For me, the excitement I'm feeling toward this book has been relative to the number of issues printed. As he has done in the past, Grant Morrison delivers a story that benefits from being enjoyable on multiple levels. The superhero action remains a constant of each bite-sized three-issue arc, but one cannot escape the constant sense of sub-text, and the growing legend of what appears to be a singular massive saga built out of the entirety of Morrison's contributions to the character. A mystery is unfolding, and I'm quite enjoying being stuck in the limbo of being smart enough to know I don't know what's going on. Run-off from the last few years of Morrison's Bruce Wayne-Batman work might be a frustration, but each arc has something to offer, along with the multitude of subtle references. The last arc's trip to the UK (completed with Knight and Squire), and battle with a Final Crisis Batman clone, were utter fun. Here's looking forward to what promises to be a meaty finish to a year's worth of Batman and Robin. If only it were set to maintain the fortnightly schedule!

- JAN100190 BPRD KING OF FEAR #3 (OF 5) $2.99
In the recent past, there have been times when I've felt somewhat let down by the BPRD or Hellboy offerings and their typically sombre stillness. King of Fear has managed to strike a wonderful balance, maintaining the quiet tone that makes the comics so much better than their movie adaptations, but not at the price of reader nutrition. Pulp-hero Lobster Johnson is always a welcome party, but for all the sentimental pleasures of his spectral visit, this isn't really his story. Dr. Kate Corrigan is an ironic curiosity, rendered out-of-place by her physical normality, which is an enjoyable co-subject of examination in King of Fear. Exactly what the title refers to remains to be seen, but I suspect on the basis of the last issue's key developments, an eerie and delicious answer awaits in the next chapter for our BPRD heroes! Namely a disappearing Liz Sherman, who wandered away from the pack last issue, and is starting to feel a little bit too much like her movie counterpart, if you ask me.

- JAN100275 JUSTICE LEAGUE RISE AND FALL SPECIAL #1 $3.99
To buy, or not to buy, is the big question concerning this DC one-shot that sets up some of the goings on for the JLA. I don't think it's an overstatement to say James Robinson put in one of the worst efforts of the year with his seven-issues of Justice League: Cry For Justice. In the end, the series managed to inflict lasting change on Green Arrow -- who is apparently responsible for executing series villain Prometheus, in retaliation for his blowing up Star City and severing the arm of Red Arrow. It's almost an interesting premise, but reminds all too much of the mistakes made in the mid-nineties with restored cashcow, Green Lantern. Like the promise that Cry For Justice would restore Prometheus to his former glory -- a notion I suspected prior to the series' release to be an uncashable cheque for a villain of this sort -- it seems any positive change coming from this new initiative is highly unlikely. We'll see.

- JAN100589 THE MYSTIC HANDS OF DR STRANGE #1 $3.99
The good doctor might not be Earth's Sorcerer Supreme in the pages of Avengers anymore, but that doesn't mean Brother Voodoo gets to have all the fun! Following on from the seventies-inspired black-and-white Shang-Chi special from October last year, The Mystic Hands of Dr. Strange promises another anthological helping of retro action! One buys into such a project with the knowledge that it's bound to be a mixed bag of differing styles and opinions, but at a super-sized scale, it'll be worth it for anyone with a taste for modern-retro magic and old time superhero fun, I'm sure. The recent adjectiveless Strange mini-series, which followed a post-retirement Stephen Strange on a stand-alone adventure in magic, was a bit of a bust. So, if nothing else, this will be a traditionalist's return to what makes the character great.

- JAN101129 STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS IBUKI #1 (OF 4) A CVR DOGAN $3.95
The last character to join the updated cast of Super Street Fighter IV was just announced today, so there's still a Street Fighter buzz in the air. Unfortunately, there's a significant gap between the culture of American comic books, and the fan service UDON have focused their comic book efforts on. After Legends series focusing on Sakura and a young Chun-Li; I would've liked to have seen a different approach. Not necessarily a male character, just something a little less cutesy and shallow. The story of UDON's run with the trademark, eh?

- JAN101098 WWE HEROES #1 $3.99
I'm a pro wrestling fan and former writer on prowrestling.com. I'm pretty okay with that, even if you aren't. It's logical that pro wrestling, with it's costumed burly men and trademark fighting techniques, would attract comic book readers. While they were far from masterpieces of the medium, I thought Chaos! got a bit of mileage out of creative wrestlers like The Undertaker with their WWF comics in the late nineties/early double-ohs, but this... does not look promising. This will almost certainly not win you over to the pseudo-sport of WWE, who are themselves in less than stellar shape, these days. One of the biggest complaints I have is about a very real reason the comics probably won't do too well -- the distinct lack of interesting characters. Love or hate it, wrestling used to have a bit of imagination, but no longer. WWE Heroes looks sure to be another log of infamy on the comics blogging fire, where stories of missed opportunities (ie; The Hurricane) will no doubt be told.

READ THE PREVIEW - VISIT THE SITE - BUY THE COMIC
Know Your Trade...
DEC090202 BATMAN HEART OF HUSH TP $14.99
JAN100870 BOYS TP VOL 06 SELF-PRESERVATION SOCIETY (MR) $19.99
JAN101021 DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS TP VOL 05 $17.99
JAN101020 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING TP VOL 01 FUGITIVE $19.99
DEC090273 GREEK STREET TP VOL 01 BLOOD CALLS FOR BLOOD (MR) $9.99
DEC090946 GRIMJACK OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 $24.99
NOV090045 HELLBOY TP VOL 09 WILD HUNT $19.99
APR090361 KABUKI TP VOL 01 CIRCLE OF BLOOD (NEW PTG) $19.99
DEC090251 PROTOTYPE TP (MR) $19.99
JAN100670 SUPER HERO SQUAD TP GET YER HERO ON DIGEST $9.99
NOV090178 SUPERMAN NEW KRYPTON HC VOL 03 $24.99
OCT091038 TICK COLOR SERIES COMPLETE WORKS TP VOL 02 $34.95

Hero of the Week 2010 #9: Green Arrow

GREEN ARROW (DC) (2009)
Real Name: Oliver Queen
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 (November, 1941)
Group Affiliation: Justice League, Black Lantern Corps
Gaming Credentials: Justice League: Task Force (1995); Justice League Heroes (2006); Batman: Brave and the Bold (TBA/2010); DC Universe Online (TBR/2010)
Infinite Wars Ranking: #25


A few weeks ago, the HOTW featured Golden Age Green Lantern in response to a brief cameo in the JSA movie-length special, Justice for All. Let's face it, though. If you want green jeans in a feature role, you can look no further than the DCU's most proficient archer in arms, Green Arrow.

GA found his way into the HOTW proceedings last year, and if you missed out on that laboured entry, you might like to go back and acquaint yourself with it. For those not so inclined, allow me to reassure you that the goateed adult Green Arrow of the DC comics isn't nearly as much of a punk as the guy in Smallville. He's a bowman whose skills and character have gone far beyond the Robin Hood tinged exploits of a poor man's Batman, creating a legacy within the DCU that includes long running membership with the JLA, a partnership with Black Canary in all senses of the word, and a string of allies and partners who've trained beneath him.

It's those people closest to Green Arrow who've suffered the most in the comics, however, which is what has brought the emerald archer to my attentions for this week's feature.

Printed concurrent to DC's epic Blackest Night event, but taking place before (and after); Justice League: Cry for Justice has been an exercise in infamy.

Writer James Robinson -- better known for his work on Starman -- turned in what was admittedly one of the worst comics I read in 2009.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to review more than the first issue [elsewhere], but I'm sure you can find plenty of other sensible reviews that adequately describe just how awful this mini-series was, and how mentally challenged it's depictions of justice and the Justice League were.

Over the course of six issues, the story meandered through different events, spotlighting different characters, but in the end, despite all the attention heaped upon Mikaal and Congorilla, the heaviest consequences of the final issue were reserved for Green Arrow and co. In brief; it all came down to the destruction of Green Arrow's iconic home, Star City, and the death of it's residents by the will of JLA uber-villain, Prometheus. Which itself was preceeded (in issue #5) by the dismemberment of GA's bow-slinging son, Red Arrow (aka; Arsenal), who will no doubt miss the arm Prometheus removed whilst disguised as Captain Marvel.

If all of this sounds slightly ridiculous to you, don't worry. It is!
The pay-off of the entire series, which was originally conceived as the opening arc to a new JLA on-going series, is Green Arrow's choice to seek the ultimate "justice" -- by putting an arrow through the skull of the unbeatable villain. Something that occurs, canonically, after GA spends some time as a Black Lantern in other series, but doesn't seem especially influenced by that.

The wanton destruction of a home city was part of a 1994 shake-up of the Green Lantern franchise, which resulted in a contrived fall from grace for the most famous Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. That decision, which led to his villainous turn as Parallax, was finally rescinded with the 2005 mini-series, Green Lantern: Rebirth, which effectively acknowledged the stunt as a long-running bad idea. One has to wonder if Green Arrow's predicament, which kicks off a promised big year for the character with a bang, won't lead to the same regrettable and avoidable conclusion.

Green Arrow's exploits continue in next week's Justice League: Rise and Fall special, before unfolding into mini-series detailing The Rise of Arsenal and The Fall of Green Arrow. It will be here that the success of the Cry For Justice story may really be determined, assuming anyone can forgive what was otherwise an incredibly poorly executed seven issue arc. For more info, be sure to check out DCcomics.com!

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Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9022700

Hero of the Week 2010 #8: Sinestro

SINESTRO (DC)
Real Name: Thaal Sinestro
First Appearance: Green Lantern #7 (August, 1961)
Group Affiliation: Sinestro Corps, New Guardians, White Lantern Corps
Gaming Credentials: DC Universe Online (TBR/2010); Green Lantern (TBR/2011)
Infinite Wars Ranking: #284



'And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from darkness,' - Genesis 1:2-1:4.

In the world of DC comics, the first light to splinter from the white of existence was green -- representing the fundamental expression of life's will to live. This power of will was harnessed by the Guardians of the Universe, who granted control over it's power to their intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps. Other energies manifested from life to create an entire spectrum of emotion and would-be ring barers: Yellow (fear), Orange (avarice), Red (rage), Violet (love), Blue (hope), Indigo (compassion).

It was in the Green Lantern saga, Sinestro Corps War, that we were first introduced to Sinestro as leader of his own Yellow Corps of fear-inspiring baddies. He was defeated by his protege and arch-nemesis, Hal Jordan (with help from Kyle Rayner), but not removed entirely from the board. The actions of he and his Corps inspired the initiation of a new Green Lantern law -- authorized lethal force. It also resulted in the defeat of Anti-Monitor, whose helpless form was tossed through the gulf of space until it landed in Sector 666, from whence a new threat to the universe did rise -- the central power battery of the Black Lantern Corps!

Flash forward a couple of years, and you have the biggest event of 2009/2010 -- Blackest Night!
It turns out the darkness didn't much appreciate the creation of light, and thinks the universe would be a much more peaceful place if the light of life were extinguished! Enter Black Hand and Scar; heralds of a creature representative of the darkness personified, and master over death -- Nekron!

Sinestro and representatives of all the other Lantern Corps have no only had to unite against the power of Nekron and his endless hordes of raised Black Lantern corpses, but also deputize several representatives in order to double their might as the affectionately dubbed, New Guardians!
The universe's champions of light line-up as: Hal Jordan (green), Ganthet (green), Sinestro (yellow), Scarecrow (yellow), Carol Ferris (violet), Wonder Woman (violet), Atrocitus (red), Mera (red), Saint Walker (blue), Barry Allen (blue), Indigo-1 (indigo), Atom (indigo), Larfleeze (orange), and Lex Luthor (orange). Unfortunately, as we've seen in the pages of Blackest Night, even this mighty assembly hasn't had much luck against Nekron and the Black Lantern battery.

In Blackest Night #7, we've seen the situation go from bad to worse as the end game finally becomes apparent. Nekron, who's nested on Earth and enslaved the heroes you once thought had died but he allowed to be resurrected (Superman, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, etc) -- and he's uncovered his ultimate prize: THE ENTITY!

What's The Entity, I hear you ask, intrepid reader?
Each power in the cosmic emotional spectrum has a creature inherently linked to it. When Green Lantern went nuts and started calling himself Parallax? Huh! That was actually the sinister machinations of the yellow fear creature! Similarly, Kyle Rayner and Sodam Yat, a couple of green ring slingers, have also been boosted up by possessing the power of the green will whale, Ion!

The Entity represents all life in existence and is a shiney white creature that -- if destroyed -- will wipe out all existence. Which would be really bad news for all of us pathetic humans, but fortunately, just as the other creatures can be used for great power, so too can the white light of The Entity be taken as a weapon. ENTER SINESTRO: the most qualified guy you never expected to save the day at the last minute!

Yes, indeed! The fallen Green Lantern who became one of the greatest villains in the universe actually managed to do what he'd always set out to do -- save us!

Sinestro's version of saving us led to some distinctly Nazi overtones, which actually makes his possession of the white power somewhat unpleasant, but I trust the heroes will have an ace up their sleeve if they need it. For the time being, this exciting development makes Sinestro the undisputed Hero of this Week!

If you've missed out on the exploits of Blackest Night, extra print runs of this top selling series should make it possible for you to catch-up. Don't let the plethora of tie-in titles intimidate or confuse you. Satellite stories add plenty of character-specific fun, but to get all the key points of the story, check out Blackest Night #1-7 (already on sale), Blackest Night #8 at the end of the month, and Green Lantern #44+! Hopefully you'll enjoy the epic cosmic madness! More information is available, as always, at DCcomics.com!

Sinestro deals damage with the yellow light of fear in test screens for DC Universe Online!

Sinestro also recently appeared in his earliest guise (as a dodgy Green Lantern) in the Direct-To-Video animated feature, Green Lantern: First Flight. He'll appear alongside Hal Jordan again, in 2011, when Ryan Reynolds takes the feature role in the first live-action Green Lantern movie. As if that wasn't enough, you'll also find Sinestro front-and-centre in the inevitable movie tie-in game, and DC's long coming Sony MMO, DC Universe Online. So fret not, you'll be able to Sinestro to your heart's content for years to come!

<< Hero of the Week 03/07: Green Arrow       [Home]       Hero of the Week 02/21: Lex Luthor >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9021745

Hero of the Week 2010 #7: Lex Luthor

LEX LUTHOR (DC)
Real Name: Alexander Luthor
First Appearance: Action Comics #23 (April, 1940)
Group Affiliation: Orange Lantern Corps, New Guardians
Gaming Credentials: Superman (1978); Superman: The Game (1985); Superman (1987); Superman: Man of Steel (1988); Superman: Man of Steel (1992); Superman 64 (1999); Justice League: Injustice for All (2002); Superman: The Man of Steel (2002); Superman: Shadow of Apokolips (2002); Superman Returns (2006); Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (2008); DC Universe Online (TBR/2010)
Infinite Wars Ranking: #323

I know what you're thinking! Lex Luthor -- Hero of the Week?!
Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary story! This week's HOTW might not be someone you want to leave your kids with, but when the Earth is in peril, he stands ready to protect it on not one, but two different Earths. Intrigued? So you should be!

It's a parallel universe Lex Luthor that joins the Justice League in DC/WB's latest DTV animated feature, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. While the name borrows from the 1985 seminal DC crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths, the story actually owes far more to Grant Morrison's 1999 heroes-as-villains graphic novel, JLA: Earth 2, which itself borrows from a mid-sixties JLA story which introduced a universe where the DCU's heroes and villains were reversed!

The Kryptonian Kal-El of this universe is Ultraman -- leader of the Crime Syndicate of America!
It's from those villains that the last hero alive, Lex Luthor, has fleed, with the hopes of recruiting a crack team of Justice League heroes who can counter the CSA and end their tyrannical reign over the Earth, once and for all. Oh, and there's also the little matter of Owlman (Batman's counterpart), who has plans to destroy all the universes. Whoops!

The story of the feature was originally conceived as a bridge between the Justice League animated TV series and it's amped-up sequel series, Justice League Unlimited. As that never eventuated, it's been dusted off and remade as a feature film unto itself, featuring a more faithful version of the DCU, rather than that of the cartoon series. You'll notice a contemporary Martian Manhunter fighting alongside fellow JLA original, Hal Jordan, Earth's feature Green Lantern and a star on the rise thanks to some incredible comics (ie; Blackest Night), and a 3D live-action feature coming next year with Ryan Reynolds in the feautre role.

What's so significant about Green Lantern?
It's in Blackest Night that Lex Luthor once again rises to the challenge of evil, joining the collective of coloured-ring baring deputies now known as The New Guardians. It was receiving an orange ring of avarice from it's principle barer, Larfleeze, that brought Luthor to the epic end game -- a battle against the guardian of non-existence, Nekron.

For those who don't know: it's Nekron that raised a Black Lantern central battery from the broken corpse of the Anti-Monitor, and spread black rings across the universe to recruit the dead as his/it's undead Corps. Yes: zombie Black Lanterns. No: it's not as silly or complicated as it sounds!

The universe's champions of light line-up as: Hal Jordan (green), Ganthet (green), Sinestro (yellow), Scarecrow (yellow), Carol Ferris (violet), Wonder Woman (violet), Atrocitus (red), Mera (red), Saint Walker (blue), Barry Allen (blue), Indigo-1 (indigo), Atom (indigo), Larfleeze (orange), and of course, Lex Luthor (orange).

As you'll already no doubt know, if you've read previous HOTW articles about the subject, the cosmic emotional spectrum that makes up the powers of life are: Will (green), Fear (yellow), Hope (blue), Love (violet), Rage (red), Compassion (indigo), Avarice (orange), Death (black). Each power in the spectrum manifests rings, most of which have abilities that somehow reflect their emotions in execution, which is possibly bad news for the New Guardians team-up -- since the greedy who wield an orange ring are only made more so!

Fortunately, Lex Luthor and other less desirable allies of the New Guardians have just as much to lose from the destruction of all life and existence in the universe, as any hero. So today, we mark Lex Luthor's two triumphs of good as our motivation for this HOTW! You'll find all the action in the Blackest Night mini-series, and in the pages of Green Lantern. For more information, be sure to check out DCcomics.com!

<< Hero of the Week 02/28: Sinestro       [Home]       Hero of the Week 02/14: Silver Surfer >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9020793

Hero of the Week 2010 #6: Silver Surfer

SILVER SURFER (Marvel)
Real Name: Norrin Radd
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (March, 1966)
Group Affiliation: Heralds of Galactus
Gaming Credentials: Silver Surfer (1989); Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems (1996); Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2006); Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007); Marvel Super Hero Squad (2009)
Infinite Wars Ranking: #35

I let these things stack up a bit there, but if we all just pretend the post-date is totally accurate, we can remember that the great, all-seeing inspiration for this week's HOTW is something I haven't really given a lot of attention. Namely, Marvel's kid-friendly super-deformed toy-inspired animated series, Super Hero Squad! The direct inspiration? Revelations about Silver Surfer's super-deformed kid-friendly past as a herald for the devourer of worlds, Galactus! [Gasp! Shock! Awe!]

Superhero History Lesson: Norrin Radd was chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool, shootin' some B-ball with his favourite lady squeeze, Shalla-Bal, when disaster struck! Galactus showed up with a serious case of the cosmic munchies and decided the peaceful planet Zenn-La was ripe for the picking. Recognising that the consumption of all life on their planet would put a serious crimp on his love-life, Radd made the noble sacrifice of offering himself as a herald to Galactus in exchange for the promise that the Devourer of Worlds leave Zenn-La alone.

One cosmic chrome coating later -- Norrin Radd is the Silver Surfer.
Perks include a cool energy-based surfboard to cruise around on, near limitless abilities granted by the power cosmic, but on the major bummer side, he was stripped of his emotions and sent to find other planets to condemn to death. Heavy, dude! Fortunately, when it came to consuming Earth, the Surfer got slapped around, fell into the loft of blind sculptress (and Thing's main squeeze), Alicia Masters, and remembers his inner humanity and uses the power cosmic against his master. Yay!

Chances are you'd know all this if Rise of the Silver Surfer had managed to be a better film.
Otherwise, there's probably an equally good chance that you picked this oh-so useful information up along your way through life from other cartoons and video games. Which you'll get another opportunity to do through Super Hero Squad, which, as already mention, squishes the Marvel Universe action down to funny little squat dimensions, and generally makes it silly and cute.

It's fun, it's got a buttload of superheroes and villains that once never had a shot at cartoon stardom, and it's not all together awful. All in all, a great gateway drug to get you hooked on the real thing. As far as cartoons based on toylines go, it puts a lot of the eighties to shame, while playfully winking at the decade and making a Hulk poop joke.

Over the past few decades he's fallen into supporting character obscurity, but the Silver Surfer remains one of the great Marvel characters. I was disappointed that he didn't return for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, but what're you gonna do? Maybe check out some of Marvel's cosmic comics, which have made a quiet but successful return throughout the late 2000's!

It wasn't too long ago that Silver Surfer locked horns with Beta Ray Bill [who recently replaced him in the Planet Hulk animated feature] in the three-issue Godhunter mini-series, and you'll probably find him hanging around in a variety of series Marvel have teased for 2010! I'd love to give you more information, but it's a bit sketchy right now. So be sure to stay tuned to Marvel.com for more information!

<< Hero of the Week 02/21: Lex Luthor       [Home]       Hero of the Week 02/07: Green Lantern >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9019970

Hero of the Week 2010 #5: Green Lantern

GREEN LANTERN (DC)
Real Name: Alan Scott
First Appearance: All-American Comics #16 (July, 1940)
Group Affiliation: Justice Society of America
Gaming Credentials: DC Universe Online (TBR/2010)
Infinite Wars Ranking: #115



The first thing you might have noticed about this Green Lantern is that he's wearing a lot of red.
It's fair to say that this probably isn't your father's Green Lantern, your Green Lantern, and maybe, if you're a super-advanced-infant, not even your grandfather's! If you aren't a genetic freak, however, it probably is just your grandfather's GL -- the 1940s Golden Age original, Alan Scott!

If the runaway success of the Green Lantern franchise in comics hasn't captured your imagination yet, then there's a good chance it will very soon, when Ryan Reynolds steps into the role of Hal Jordan in his third comic book feature, Green Lantern. Of course, that's only a tangential point of interest, because the chances of seeing the original Green Lantern in there any time soon are slim!

Unlike the multitude of other Green Lanterns you'll find in DC comics (and animation), Alan Scott does not hold ties with the ring wielding cosmic policeforce created by the Guardians of the Galaxy. [Scott]'s ring is fashioned from an ancient mystic lantern that existed for thousands of years on Earth, before falling into his hands. Which, believe it or not, makes this particular Green Lantern a very interesting and unique character in the pages of DC comics.

Scott possesses many of the quaint traits that might turn your nose upward when examining older superheroes, but don't let his ring's inability to effect wood and his subsequent battles with the villainous Sportsmaster (wielder of sports equipment) put you off a classic. Afterall, not all of the Green Lantern's exploits have suffered the so-assumed maturation of the comics medium.

The Lantern's undying arch-nemesis, Solomon Grundy, is one of the facets that have withstood the test of time, launching last year into a simple but interesting action-packed mini-series [featured accordingly as HOTW]. There's also the modern incarnation of the Justice Society of America, which is what's hopefully been featured to it's fullest potential in Smallville, running alongside the introduction of Checkmate, another organization Scott briefly held membership with. Not to mention the inspiration the character provided for that previously mentioned franchise which has already been turned into one of DC's biggest cashcows with Blackest Night, and will no doubt continue to expand as we look forward to the feature film -- [now confirmed to be in full 3D, kids]!

I'm surely not doing a great job of selling the character, but sometimes the best way to experience the expansive universe of comic books is to learn at your own pace. I've written in the past about certain popular misconceptions that surround the penetrability of comic book fiction. The simple truth is: as a pulp medium in constant production, one of comics' greatest talents is to tell a story about neverending worlds, which in turn, does not mean you need to catch-up on the last sixty years, but rather, should jump in wherever you like and appreciate the massive world you can play in.

A product like the Smallville TV-movie will probably struggle to adequately capture the spirit that made the mid-2000's resurrection of the JSA brand delightful, but it provides the asterisk that will hopefully spur some of you to explore more. As you do, you will find new branching points, and this is how you will learn to love these characters, and decide which ones it is you do. That's certainly how I came to regard Green Lantern Alan Scott as one of my favourites.

You'll meet Alan Scott and many other characters in the Sony MMO coming some time in the future, DC Universe Online. Another fine cross-promotional product that will give you a glimpse through the looking glass, and provide threads for you to follow to exciting new comic book adventures. It's a good time to become a fan! You can also find Alan Scott fighting the good fight in the pages of JSA, JSA: Blackest Night, and in tiny cameos in the core Blackest Night. Check out DCcomics.com for more info on all that!

<< Hero of the Week 02/14: Silver Surfer       [Home]       Hero of the Week 01/31: Black Panther >>

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9019133