clipped wings

drive-by readings

Birds of Prey #24 (DC) "Endrun Part 4: Impact Fracture" Gail Simone Ed Benes/Adriana Melo J.P. Mayer Nei Ruffino Steve Wands Alina Urusov (cover) Ryan Sook/Joel Gomez/Fernando Pasarin/Randy Mayor/Carrie Strachan (variant cover)

what we learned: just when we thought the Birds were down, they get back into the game. the White Canary is the sister of 12 brothers Dinah bitchslapped years ago, and now their sister is here to reclaim the family honor. Dove finds the mettle to introduce her fist to Penguin, who's already counting his birds before the eggs have even hatched. meanwhile, Creote and Savant attempt to push Barb off the edge, but its actually Savant who wants to die. and its all been a gay thing. oi.
oh shit moment: can we have Yuen Wo-Ping coordinate the fight scenes between Black and White Canaries? awesome!
what's next: what, Shiva framed Dinah?


Michael Phelps would be proud.

motoring

drive-by readings

Superman #702 (DC) "Grounded" J. Michael Straczynski Eddy Barrows J.P. Mayer Rod Reis John J. Hill John Cassaday/David Baron (cover) Kevin Nowlan (variant cover)

what we learned: Superman helps out Detroit via some aliens who provide an excuse for some fisticuffs (or else the action fans will be bored outta their skulls) and job creation for the unemployed. a feel-good story, that one hopes were true.
oh shit moment: Batman is such a damper. what, are you breaking out your protocols again? put down that K-gun!
what's next: Arizona needs some assistance on this illegal immigration thing.


hey! that's definitely not Dwight Howard!

snaps: Superman #701

... where Forrest Gump Superman takes his long walk cross country, but with a lot more sense and direction. he's around Route 80 now, if you wanna catch him.


pet peeves: idiot reporters. who does he look like again? Harry Knowles?



first, Danny Rand had a dollar. now Superman has one. can't Dr. Fate or Zatanna keep a magic petty cashbox for the heroes to use when they need a burger and fries in between punching villains?



and you're something off Drag Race, you jerk.


the sequence theisb calls "stupendous!", "amazing!" and "what a douche!". hey, Superman wants YOU to take responsibility for your goddamn health problems.


screw The View! they're discussing the Wendy Williams Show!!!



and while you're ruminating on politics and talking to this jumper-wannabe, there were two plane crashes, four train derailments, three heart attacks, nine burned houses, and a couple of tsunamis and tornados. and oh, Fletcher Chu-Fong is up to his ears organizing the DC panels for the SDCC!!! it just ... is.


"of course not, Officer. what do you think i am, some kind of powerful alien dressed in a colorful costume who wants your adoration but somehow am tired of you all depending on me for everything you want?"

" ... "

up and down

drive-by readings

Superman #700 (DC) "The Comeback" James Robinson Bernard Chang Blond "Geometry" Dan Jurgens Norm Rapmund Pete Pantazis "Prologue: The Slap Heard 'Round The World" J. Michael Straczynski Eddy Barrows J.P. Mayer Rod Reis John J. Hill Gary Frank/Brad Anderson (cover)

have not been following the Man of Steel that closely after All Star Superman ended, save for some peeks at War of the Supermen, and i was kinda turned off with the whole let's-bring-back-the-Kryptonians thing. turns out they're all gonna be whacked anyway. but still.

the lead story from outgoing writer James Robinson, has the long-awaited reunion between Lois and Clark. if anything, i was happy for the two of them, and i haven't felt like that in a while. you take these two for granted too much.

there's a fill-in story (but doesn't feel like one) by Jurgens in the early years when Robin disobeys Bruce Wayne's orders and goes after some gunrunners, and his bacon gets saved by Superman (along with his geometry assignment). its weird to see Dick in his classic child-molester-attracting duds, but hey, that's part of history multiple Crises can't erase.

what really intrigues me is new direction set by Straczynski, who takes over the main book and will set the tone for the Superman stories to come (who isn't excited about Paul Cornell putting Lex Luthor on center stage in Action Comics?). in this prologue, Superman attends a press conference in the aftermath of War of the Supermen, and his previous dalliance with the idea of New Krypton, and a distraught woman slaps him to everyone's surprise (this recalls a similar incident in the Marvel Universe where a woman spits on Tony Stark during Civil War). Superman hears her story out, and though its an unfair burden, seeks out the meaning of what is "important" in the scheme of things and as the premier superhero of the planet. where this takes him will shape how he will be reacting to the DC Universe from hereon.