Warrior by Giovann Pelayo

Index: Five Biggest Ways DC’s “The New 52” has changed.......................1 Grant Morrison: “Batman is very, very Gay”...................................20 In Movies!................................................................................................24 Jean Giraud, aka Moebius 1938 - 2012........................................27 Avengers vs X-Men - The Main Event!...............................................28 DC Announces “Before Watchmen”...................................................31

Five Biggest Ways DC’s “The New 52” Has Changed....

This Superman does things his own way. He’ll barge in and intimidate the bad guys. He’ll use his strength and bully those that normally bully others. The biggest change is he doesn’t work with the police department. He is a vigilante. He is on the run from them because he chooses to think of himself as above the law. Ironically, Superman was a bit of a super-powered jerk in his very first appearance as well.

Five Biggest Ways DC’s ‘The New 52’ Has Changed the Superman in Action Comics In the second week of DC’s ‘The New 52,” Action Comics #1 arrives and gives us a very different looking Superman. Set in a his early days, we don’t start from the very beginning of Superman’s career but in a time before his first run-in with Batman and Green Lantern in last week’s Justice League #1.

Superman can’t fly Similar to being a jerk, Superman is back to not being able to fly. Originally Superman could only leap tall buildings in a single bound. Eventually he gained the ability to fly. With that, he was soon flying out into space and doing all sorts of other things he originally couldn’t. This is where Superman’s character started to decline. Being too powerful made him boring. He had the ability to take on anyone. Writers had to come with new ways month after month. He was depowered slightly but the ability to fly at super-speed still gave him an edge that should make him more than the villains can handle.

Grant Morrison and Rags Morales have taken over the reigns on guiding us along Superman’s journey to becoming one of the world’s biggest superheroes. The stage is being set and this clearly isn’t the Superman we’ve gotten used to over the last couple decades.

There’s also the question of how can he fly. How is he able to defy the laws of gravity. Being able to only leap makes more sense. He’ll most likely regain the ability to fly. For now, leaping is all he needs. Superman can be injured If Superman can’t be hurt by anything other than Kryptonite, again, the stories can get repetitive. Writers had to resort to creating different varieties of Kryptonite just to add more obstacles in his path. After defeating Lex Luthor and Brainiac time and time again, it took the creation of Doomsday to finally give Superman a real challenge. Even the state of dying was something Superman could easily overcome. We want tough heroes but we need ones that are actually risking their lives when fighting evil. Otherwise it’s a given that they will always win and the suspense is thrown out the window.

The Costume This isn’t the Superman costume we’ve seen many times. It makes sense that Superman in his early days might have a make-shift costume. He simply is concerned with fighting evil and corruption. He doesn’t need a skin tight costume. It always felt odd how easily he got his costume. We know he’s going to somehow end up with his Kryptonian armor suit but for now, this makes sense. It adds a tiny bit of realism rather than witnessing him in full costume from the beginning

Lois and Clark aren’t working together Shouldn’t Lois and Clark always be working together? Isn’t that how their relationship develops? They have the competition between each other to try to get the big scoop. Clark also has to sit back and watch Lois swoon over Superman. How well do they even know each other? Clark is clearly friends with Jimmy but Lois seems bitter towards him, most likely because they are not working together. How will Lois eventually fall for Clark if they aren’t both working at the Daily Planet?

Superman’s a bit of a jerk There’s been ongoing commentary that Superman’s been a jerk over the years. That was pretty much how he was during the Silver Age. Countless covers have been commented on showing absurd scenes where Superman appeared to have little concern over others.

We have seen a preview for Superman #1, presumably set in the present. Lois and Clark are working together only...Lois now has a new boyfriend. We’ll have to keep reading to see how long these differences stick and if Superman will eventually become closer to the version we’ve had the last few decades.

In the “New 52,” Superman is fighting for good. He is determined to put a stop to crime. His methods aren’t the ones we’ve seen lately. Superman has done things by the book. He’s a boy scout. He follows the letter of the law.

Four Biggest Ways DC’s ‘New 52’ Changed ‘Batgirl’ As you probably already know, DC Comics will be releasing 52 new ongoing titles over the course of September which will both reintroduce new interpretations of some of DC’s classic characters, and introduce new ones to fans. Of all the major changes brought on by “the new 52” one of the most controversial to any character were the changes made to Barbara Gordon. Not only would Barbara Gordon be returning to the role of Batgirl, but she would be out of the wheelchair and walking on her own once again -- something she hadn’t been able to do for over 20 years. For a long time fans had anticipated this change to her character, so the decision to have her walk again may not have been altogether surprising to fans, but that didn’t make it any less controversial. Yet, this isn’t the only thing to have altered Babs’ character with the launch of the “new DC Universe.” Therefore we’ve identified what we believe to be the five major changes to Barbara’s character (so far) based on the first issue of Batgirl and listed them below. The Wheelchair

The New ‘Batgirl’, but what about ‘Oracle’?

Barbara Gordon post Alan Moore’s ‘The Killing Joke’ spent over 20 “comic years” confined to a wheelchair as a result of being shot point blank through the base of her spine by the Joker. Of all the changes made to Barbara’s character with the revamp of the DC Universe, giving Babs the ability to walk again is not only the most obvious, it’s also the most controversial of changes. For comic fans with disabilities, Barbara Gordon became a symbol of hope -- something greater than herself. Not only did the traumatizing event (The Killing Joke) put Barbara Gordon in a wheelchair, it was also a potentially damaging event that could have prevented her from continuing to pursue crime-fighting. However, rather than allowing the event to control her destiny, Barbara took matters into her own hands and became one of the most important members of the Bat-family. Barbara did not allow the event to control her life and she continued to pursue her dreams. She was an inspirational character whilst in the wheelchair, and grew to be more interesting as a result of the accident. Taking her out of the wheelchair is almost like disregarding a huge portion of the events that molded her into becoming an interesting character.

Yeah, what about ‘Oracle’? For over twenty years Barbara Gordon had evolved into a driving force in the ‘Batman’ family. Barbara trained both Batgirl’s that followed in her footsteps (Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown). She taught Cassie how to speak and Steph how to be a proper crime-fighter. Knowing she was unable to fight crime on her own, Barbara started the ‘Birds of Prey,’ bringing some of DC’s biggest female crime-fighters together and onto one team, leading them from the comfort of the Gotham Clocktower.

Oracle was also, at one time, a member of the Justice League, doing a lot of the investigative work for the team. In the first issue of ‘Batgirl,’ it is unclear whether or not the years that Barbara spent as Oracle helping the Justice League and organizing the ‘Birds of Prey’ is still a part of her continuity. Following ‘The Killing Joke’ did Barbara simply “get better” in three years? Will any of the things she accomplished as Oracle transfer over into the new 52, or did they just not ever happen? So much of what makes Barbara Gordon an interesting character happened during her time as Oracle -- Barbara became Oracle and overcame so many of her challenges, and if those aspects of her character are erased from her continuity then that would be immensely disappointing. Not only would it be disappointing to her character, but it would be a disappointment to all of her fans that looked up to her character as someone who overcame adversity and persevered. New Rogue’s gallery One of the more exciting developments to come out of Batgirl #1 is what apparently will be Barbara Gordon’s very own rogues gallery. Even though Babs had been an influential and important member of both the Justice League and the Birds of Prey, she never had any adversaries of her very own. Sure, Babs had the Calculator, (a general DC villain) who eventually became her greatest adversary; but she never had a rogues gallery of her own. In the first issue of Batgirl #1 fans are introduced to ‘The Mirror,’ a villain who will be targeting Barbara in the next upcoming books.

Five Biggest Ways DC’s ‘The New 52’ Has Changed Superboy We’re halfway through the first month of DC’s ‘The New 52.’ We’ve looked at the changes with the Justice League, Superman and Batgirl. Superboy has evolved quite a bit over the years. From being a clone with an attitude in Reign of the Supermen to the heart of the Teen Titans, Conner Kent has risen to the top of the list of favorites among many readers. With the new #1, there are some things that are familiar and others that are completely different. The very first covers shows an almost frightening image of what is supposed to pass for Superboy. With all those tubes and wires and mechanical arms, is the Superboy we know gone for good? The good news is it’s not as scary as the cover might lead you to believe. Here are the biggest differences to Superboy as a result of the ‘New 52.’ There will be some minor spoilers below. Be sure to read the issue to witness these changes (and others) as a result of Superboy #1. Superboy’s Origin There are some obvious changes. Writer Scott Lobdell has mentioned some of them. Originally he was created by Project Cadmus. This time around, he was created by scientist in a group called N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Superboy is still the result of being cloned from alien and human DNA. The true intentions of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. remains to be seen. The Women Involved With His Creation

New Costume

Superboy has not one, but two women in his life. Not too shabby for someone that has only been alive for just over four months.

Barbara Gordon has not only left her Oracle identity behind her, but she has left her old Batgirl costume behind her as well. In its place Barbara has adopted an all new, seemingly high tech costume and her very own bat-cycle in the new series. The only remnant of Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl costume adopted by Barbara is the purple cape.

There’s a little bit of controversy with the first, known as “Red” in this issue. Red is a “genius M.I.T. chick” that was brought in to work on the clone project. She is young and intelligent (she’s also a doctor). The word on the streets (or at least the internet) is this is in fact Caitlin Fairchild. This is a huge change since Caitlin is originally from the Wildstorm universe. She was transformed into the powerhouse leader of Gen 13. It should be interesting to see how her character develops here.

It will be interesting to see whether or not more changes will be made to Barbara Gordon’s character in the upcoming issues of Batgirl by Gail Simone; but so far, the changes have been pretty big. What did you think of the first issue of ‘Batgirl,’ and are you looking forward to reading more? Do you think these changes made to her character are for the best or do you wish some things would go back to the way they were? The second issue of ‘Batgirl’ hits stores on October 12th, 2011. Superboy Has a New Attitude

Remember when Superboy first emerged from his cloning test tube? He immediately had a chip on his shoulder and declared, “Don’t EVER call me Superboy!” Here, he has a more serene view on life. He is aware the scientists call him Superboy and that is his name. He shows signs of his immense power but is very calm about everything. He seems to be silently biding his time. Could he be a powder keg about to explode in the face of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.?

Superboy is Very Smart

Her Arrival

I wouldn’t say Superboy was dumb before but he wasn’t really known for having all the answers. The Superboy we knew busted out of his test tube right away and started living his life on his own. This Superboy has been aware of his stay at the lab. His consciousness has spread equally throughout his body to his every atoms. While the scientists have been studying him, he’s been studying them. He doesn’t know how he knows things, he is just able to recall facts. This should add another layer to him in future adventures. It makes sense that he should have a super-brain if you consider who his ‘parents’ were before. The idea of him being able to outthink his opponents will change the need for him to simply smash things as a way out.

If we stick with the recent version, Kara’s Kryptonian ship crashed into Gotham Harbor a couple years ago (in comic time). She emerged fully nude and it was Batman that was the first to encounter her after running from the local law enforcement. Supergirl does crash on Earth in a ship still. Her location is completely different. The impact of the ship results in Supergirl coming out in a completely different location. Let’s just say, “We’re not in Kansas anymore...” With the amount of force and impact her ship causes, it’s obvious that her arrival will not go unnoticed. She is immediately met by humans but you’ll have to read the issue to see what sort of welcoming committee she encounters.

His Costume

Her Clothing A lot of heroes are getting updates to their costumes. Superboy is no exception. In his case, it’s a containment suit provided by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to monitor his telekinesis. We have to assume there’s another reason that will pop up that will make him want to continue to wear it. From the covers and pages we’ve seen to issue #2 and 3 he’s still wearing it. Maybe it’ll help him control his powers.

It’s possible he’ll simply be willing to do what the scientists tell him. But that seems too far out of character. He does have a lot of power and is aware of his surroundings. It’s only a matter of time that he’ll decided he wants to do what he feels like rather than what he’s told. Again from the previews, Superboy and Rose will be going out on what appears to be a mission of sorts. How well they get along remains to be seen. How long will he allow N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to study him? Will Red turn into the Fairchild from the Wildstorm universe. Which one will capture his heart first? Four Biggest Ways DC’s ‘The New 52’ Has Changed Supergirl DC’s ‘The New 52’ continues and each issue builds up the suspense in what we’re going to get. Some characters remain virtually untouched from before while others have been given tweaks and changes as the DC Universe moves forward in a new direction. We have already seen some of the changes with Superman in the pages of Justice League #1 and Action Comics #1. Now it is time to see what changes Superman’s cousin is facing. Supergirl is a character that has changed several times over the years. Originally she started out as Kal-El’s cousin, Kara Zor-El. After her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, we saw the Matrix version of Supergirl, from a parallel universe. Then we had 80 issues of Peter David’s Linda Danvers version. A return to the character’s original roots, courtesy of Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner, gave us the return of Kara. She was older than Superman but had been in suspended animation longer, thus she was still considered a seventeen-year-old girl. In the little glimpses of this new DC Universe, the attitude towards superheroes has changed. This is something Supergirl will be facing. From the first issue, it is evident that we will be seeing some changes. There will be some minor spoilers below. Be sure to check out the issue. These are the biggest changes that have happened to Supergirl.

I mentioned how originally she arrived with no clothing. Despite many of ‘The New 52’ books focusing on the... female form, Supergirl was allowed to emerge from her ship fully dressed. Not only was she fully dressed, but she had on her (new) costume. What we why she ing it. ally, know why

don’t know is arrives wearshe doesn’t even she’s wearing it.

Her Memory When Supergirl arrived last time, she knew what was going on. Here, Supergirl believes she is dreaming at first. She has no idea where she’s at. She doesn’t understand why it’s snowing and she’s cold. She doesn’t know why she’s wearing her costume. She finds herself on a strange planet and doesn’t have any answers. There is mention of her parents. It remains to be seen what part they play into her arriving on Earth. We can assume that part will remain the same. She was sent before Krypton’s destruction. What we don’t know is her relationship to Kal-El. Yet another reason to read the next issue. Powers Kryptonians have different powers in ‘The New 52.” That’s what we can gather from Action Comics #1. Superman was younger and clearly less powerful. Superman couldn’t fly and struggled a little with his strength. Supergirl shows sign of being cold in the snow. This makes perfect sense if she’s been trapped in a ship for (what we assume) is many years. We’ve seen stories where the ship was designed to collect energy from the sun and Superman emerged from his ship with superpowers. Because of his portrayal in Action Comics, we have to assume that he’s been slowly building up his powers.

Yet when Supergirl is first exposed to Earth’s sun, she is suddenly showing superhuman abilities. It’s been said that Supergirl is more powerful than her cousin. Could that be the case and she simply processes the sun’s energy more quickly and efficiently or is there another reason for this sudden burst or strength and powers? What other changes will there be? What is her attitude like? What will she think of Superman? Where is she going to live and with who? These are just some of the questions we’ll have to continue reading to see how everything unfolds. Supergirl is off to a great start. We may have lost some history since it’s easy to assume this story takes place in current times (based on the appearance of a character at the end). This book also shows that you don’t need to inject sexual elements in order to make a relaunch book interesting. Four Biggest Ways DC’s ‘The New 52’ Has Changed Wonder Woman One thing that has remained consistent throughout the ‘new 52’ books at DC is the level of change. We have seen costume changes and character changes. In fact, when Sterling Gates came in for our podcast last week, we spent a lot of time discussing the changes being made to many popular DC characters and the reasons why. Many of these characters are getting a completely new interpretation -- they are being re-invented in order to attract a growing and diverse audience; however many other characters are staying the same. Yesterday one of DC’s most anticipated books of the relaunch, ‘Wonder Woman #1’ finally hit store shelves, and many fans who anticipated the release of the issue immediately begged the question, what is it about Wonder Woman that is different? We’ve read the issue, and we’ve reviewed it (almost gave it a perfect score-- it was that good) so what’s different? Location Wonder Woman’s home base is something that changed pretty frequently. Unlike Batman and Superman who had the Fortress of Solitude and the Batcave (respectively) to go home to, Wonder Woman never really had a home base. Yes, she would often visit and defend Themyscira, but she didn’t necessarily live there all the time. Where Bruce Wayne had his mansion and Clark Kent had his apartment, Diana never really had a home. Based on the first issue of Wonder Woman it seems like writer Brian Azzarello is establishing where she lives right off the bat. The first scene where we see Wonder Woman she appears to be in a London apartment or penthouse in bed asleep (or at least pretending to be). The bed has a simple wooden frame, and across from the bed is an armoire where she stores her costume and weapons. Pretty simple little place for the Amazon Princess, right? The decision to give Diana a London location could be left over from Flashpoint; after all; the destruction of Themyscira is what led the Amazon’s to take over Great Britain.

Is she still a Princess?

Four Biggest Ways DC’s ‘The New 52’ Has Changed the Flash

In Diana’s first interaction with Hermes, the messenger to the Greek Gods and the guide to the underworld, he calls her “Amazon” and makes no mention of her being a Princess. The fact that Diana’s home base appears to be in London might also be another hint; does Themyscira even exist anymore? And if it does exist, what is her relationship to her homeland? She appeared to be laying in bed in an empty apartment, so what is her relationship with the Amazons? Are they no longer a nation of female warriors and have they been dispersed? This also begs the question, what is her relationship to the Gods? In this issue we see three Gods, Apollo (in the first few pages), Hera (who births assassins to attack Zola), and Hermes who appears to try to save Zola’s life. However, this does not explain what her relationship is with “the Gods.” Is she at odds with them? Whose side is Diana on?

We’re in the final week of the first month of DC’s ‘New 52.’ Despite this, it’s a safe bet that we will be seeing a lot more changes in the coming months. Barry Allen has had a convoluted history. He became the Flash, died, turned out not to be dead and then returned the current DCU. With Barry Allen back in Central City as (apparently) the only Flash around (not counting Kid Flash), he is essentially getting a third lease on life. We’re not completely sure what has still happened in his past or even how long he’s been active as the Flash. Some changes are apparent.

The tone There’s been a whole heck of a lot of talk about making characters “darker” and “edgier” in order to make them appeal to a wider audience. That has often included a higher level of...well...gratuitous violence in several of the new 52 books. The amount of violence in the first issue of Wonder Woman, however, is appropriate. The comic rated T for teen, and Diana is after all a warrior; so while she doesn’t necessarily kill the assassin’s that Hera created she does manage to incapacitate them to the point that they are forced to flee. Her character also seems to talk a lot less, showing a certain level of compassion (in the scene with Hermes) but knowing that she must get the job done at whatever cost. She seems stronger here than in her previous series; more confident and self assured. These characteristics make her interesting. Azzarello has also cited in a recent interview that Diana will be very different, and that the tone of the book will be “less superhero” and more likening to a “horror comic.” I would argue that giving her character this kind of edge is empowering and exciting. No ‘Odyssey’ here...so far If Straczynski ‘Odyssey’ story arc (the final story arc in the last Wonder Woman series) is going to stick, it doesn’t feel like that’s the case in this issue. The entire Odyssey story revolved around the idea that Wonder Woman had no idea who she was or where she had come from, and she read as very unsure of herself. Here Diana means business. She doesn’t ask for something; she demands it. In the scene with Zola she doesn’t ask for the key, she gives her a choice: she can hand it over willingly, or Wonder Woman can take it from her by force. Even though Diana only appears a third of the way into this issue, Azzarello still manages to relay the strength and confidence of her character in the few words that she does speak. This series is one of the more interesting starts to any of the new 52 series. Diana appears to be a stronger, more interesting character; so perhaps the changes we’ve seen here are positive ones.

The Flash #1 has set the tone for fun and adventure with Barry Allen. We’ll have to wait and see how others in his life have changed, including the Rogues. There will be some minor spoilers below. It’s strongly suggested you check out the first issue to see what the fun is all about The Ring/Costume Barry Allen was always with his costume. In his civilian guise, he was able to keep his ring in a secret compartment in a special ring. Through a combination of special fabric, compression, a special gas and comic book physics, Barry could store the costume neatly at his fingertip. When trouble came about, he simply needed to pop it open and his costume would shoot out. We can assume he would change at superspeed without needing to worry about anyone seeing him. The new ring acts a tiny bit differently. It still comes out of his ring but you see it appears to be a harder material and is in multiple pieces. The curious part is it looks like the costume is worn over his civilian clothes. This would save him the problem of having to fold his clothes or worry about where to store them while running around after the bad guys. With the form-fitting nature of the costume, you have to wonder if the costume is so snug it just pushes down his clothing. That doesn’t seem too comfortable and could cause his shirt or slacks to get a little wrinkled. Perhaps we’ll see an explanation in a future issue or in the back of an annual (like the old days). Barry Isn’t an Expert With His Powers Barry was the ultimate Flash. He’s the one able to help put a stop the the Crisis and managed to out run death. He could do things that it took Wally years to figure out, such as vibrating through walls and traveling through time on the Cosmic Treadmill. This Flash seems a little less experienced. There’s no indication that this issue takes place five years ago like Justice League #1 did. When trying to put a stop to a group of bad guys, things don’t go quite so smoothly. You could say he causes a little bit of damage to the city. He knows how to use his powers but it feels like he’s still testing them out.

This isn’t to say he just got his powers. People know who ‘The Flash’ is. Iris West introduces herself to him as does a scientist that says, “Thank you, Flash. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Flash has been in action. The people of Central City do know of his existence. Barry just needs to start practicing using his powers more and get a full grasp of what he’s capable of before causing any more damage...or worse. Barry’s Love Life

Since we’re getting a bit more in depth into the first issue, you may see some spoilers below so be warned. Aquaman is always a character who goes through some changes. At one point, he lost his hand and became a shirtless pirate, and another time he had a hand made of water, granted to him by the Land of the Lake. Aquaman is a character who deals with not only real and super-hero life, but he’s delved into the mystical aspect as well. Location Aquaman may still technically be king of Atlantis, but in his own mind, he’s done with it. It seems as though Aquaman will be spending most of his days guarding coastal cities, rather than fighting villains in the deep. No more “Sub Diego” or “King of Atlantis.” Aquaman wants to focus using his abilities to help humans.

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato mentioned back at San Diego Comic-Con that Barry was not dating Iris. When Barry Allen made his first appearance, he was immediately interested in Iris. It’s unclear what past Barry and Iris share. They clearly know each other. She tries using their friendship in order to get information on the Flash to report on the story. She also has his home phone number.

Makes sense though. Aquaman is half-human, so you can understand why he wants to spend some time with his people, humans. This will only make the book better. Many people are turned off by a man swimming underwater fighting giant fish. Well, at least that’s what they think the book used to be about. Aquaman spends 100% of his time in this book on land, and it seems like the majority of this series will be the same way, or at least Aquaman will try to live on land... until something pulls him back in.

The issue opens with Barry taking his old friend Patty Spivot on a date. She mentions that it’s taken him two years to get the nerve to ask her out. What has Barry been up to during those two years? Barry Allen’s Secret Identity When Barry was the Flash, eventually the world became aware of his secret identity. Everyone knew Barry was the Flash. His identity was mostly a secret. Iris eventually found out but she is unaware here. She’s trying to report on a story involving the Flash. Because of Barry’s job as a police scientist, she’s hoping he can give her any information on what happened including Flash’s involvement.

He’s Not in it for the Glory

She doesn’t seem to know that he is the Flash.Also, after his death, Barry was honored at the Flash Museum as being the Flash. I recently read Flash #200 where Wally was talking to a statue of Barry with the inscription “The Flash -- Barry Allen - Savior of the World.” It was Hal Jordan (as the Spectre) that erased people’s memory of who the Flash was but that’s another story altogether. What other changes might we see? Is this all the differences there are with Barry? We’ll soon see the Rogues. With Iris here and Bart in Teen Titans, where does that leave Wally? Be sure to check out the first issue. You won’t regret it. There’s a particularly cool panel on the bottom of page 13 (counting ads). Four Biggest Ways DC’s ‘The New 52’ Has Changed Aquaman Aquaman has never really gotten the respect he deserves from the masses, and part of that is due to his appearances on the 70s cartoon Super-Friends. Aquaman was portrayed as a pretty worthless character who rode a giant seahorse and could talk to “fishies.” Although he’s had some incredibly solid comic book runs, throughout the years, that stigma still sticks with the character. With the relaunch of DC comics comes a brand new Aquaman on-going series, one that hopes to break idea that Aquaman is worthless. The book takes place in Boston, where Aquaman may be taking up residence. Written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, there’s a lot of hype behind the book. and with hype, comes changes. There are a few here and there, but what are the biggest changes with Aquaman and the world he lives in that readers got to see in issue #1?

Most super-heroes enjoy the praise they receive from the people they save. Some even have a hidden agenda, whether it be avenging the death of a loved one or catching the eye of someone they secretly admire. Aquaman does what’s right because it’s what’s right. In a few scenes, within the issue, readers get to see moments where he interacts with the common folk. In the past, Aquaman was friendly, polite, and wouldn’t mind talking to the humans around him. In this series, he isn’t exactly responsive. Aquaman, in short, is, well short with people. He does is duty and gets out quick. Even in situations where he wants to get a bite to eat, Aquaman doesn’t seem to be the biggest fan of people chatting it up with him while he’s trying to eat some old fashion fish and chips. He doesn’t want praise for a job well-done, he wants to get on his way to more important matters, like lunch. Well Defined Super-powers Hey Aquafans! How many times have you gotten in a debate with someone about who’s stronger, Aquaman or some other mid-level strong-guy, only to have the person, who knows nothing about Aquaman, think you’re insane because “Aquaman can only talk to fish.” Well, the first issue of this new series does a great job of defining Aquaman’s powers.

There’s no more mystery to the character. Throughout the issue, the readers are treated to moments of Aquaman’s awesomeness. Not only can the man take AK-47 shots to the body and head, but he can also lift an entire armored truck off the ground with ease. Later on, his whole “talking to fish” power is also explained, where he technically doesn’t talk to fish. He “telepathically pushes them [sea creatures] to help [Aquaman] out.” With a well defined power set, it will be easier for new readers to enjoy and understand the character, but one question still remains: Is there a water hand under that glove? He’s the Punchline to all the Jokes In the real world, Aquaman has been the butt of super-hero jokes since, well, Super-Friends. This never really got reflected in any of Aquaman’s books, until now. There’s a good amount of evidence that it’s not just the comic book fans that don’t take Aquaman seriously, it’s everyone in the world, especially Boston.

Grant Morrison: ‘Batman Is Very, Very Gay’ In its May issue, Playboy Magazine features an interview with Grant Morrison, current writer of Batman Incorporated and Action Comics, about his career in the comics world as one of its articles you’ll claim to read. While you can see scantily clad women elsewhere on Crave Online, too, this particular channel would rather take note of one of DC’s most influential creators spouting off about the characters for whom he’s charting courses for the future. You can read the whole piece in the link above, including his likening of the Joker to David Bowie, but here are some interesting excerpts from one of the most controversial writers out there - some love him, some hate him.

Criminals laugh when they see him. Cops don’t take him seriously (above). Even a local blogger gives Aquaman the 3rd degree. This is one tough obstacle to overcome for the former King of Atlantis. More so than anything else though, the BIGGEST change with Aquaman, this time around, is that it is a well written book with great art. Geoff Johns has turned around Justice Society of America and Green Lantern in the past few years, and now he has his sites on Aquaman, and frankly, he and the art team, have the talent to take this book and character to the next level. Are there any other changes you guys see with this book and character compared to his previous series? What did you guys think of the first issue?

On Wonder Woman: “William Moulton Marston, the guy who created Wonder Woman, was a noted psychiatrist. He’s the guy who invented the polygraph, the lie detector. He was one of those bohemian free-love guys; he and his wife, Elizabeth, shared a lover, Olive, who was the physical model for Wonder Woman. What he and Elizabeth did was to consider an Amazonian society of women that had been cut off from men for 3,000 years. That developed along the lines of Marston’s most fevered fantasies into a lesbian utopia. Although they’re supposedly a peace-loving culture, all these supergirls’ pursuits seem to revolve around fighting one another, and this mad, ritualistic stuff where girls dress as stags and get chased and tied up and eaten symbolically on a banquet table. The whole thing was lush with bondage and slavery. Wonder Woman was constantly being tied up or shackled—and it was hugely successful. When Marston died in 1947, they got rid of the pervy elements, and instantly sales plummeted. Wonder Woman should be the most sexually attractive, intelligent, potent woman you can imagine. Instead she became this weird cross between the Virgin Mary and Mary Tyler Moore that didn’t even appeal to girls.”

On Superman: “When Superman was created during the Great Depression, he was the champion of the oppressed and fought on the side of the working man. He was lawless. If you were a wife beater, he’d throw you out the window. If you were a corrupt congressman, he’d swing you from the rooftops until you confessed. I think it appealed to people who were losing their jobs to machines: Suddenly you had Superman wrecking machines and punching robots. But his popularity has declined—nobody wants to be the son of a farmer now. American writers often say they find it difficult to write Superman. They say he’s too powerful; you can’t give him problems. But Superman is a metaphor. For me, Superman has the same problems we do, but on a Paul Bunyan scale. If Superman walks the dog, he walks it around the asteroid belt because it can fly in space. When Superman’s relatives visit, they come from the 31st century and bring some hellish monster conqueror from the future. But it’s still a story about your relatives visiting.”

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On Batman:

In Movies!

“He’s a rich man who beats up poor people. It’s quite a bizarre mission to go out at night dressed as a bat and punch the hell out of junkies. And then he goes home and lives in this mansion. There’s an aspirational quality to him—he’s an outlaw and he can buy anything. He has a new Batmobile every movie. He’s very plutonian in the sense that he’s wealthy and also in the sense that he’s sexually deviant. Gayness is built into Batman. I’m not using gay in the pejorative sense, but Batman is very, very gay. There’s just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he’s intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay. I think that’s why people like it. All these women fancy him and they all wear fetish clothes and jump around rooftops to get to him. He doesn’t care—he’s more interested in hanging out with the old guy and the kid.”

‘Flashpoint’ Animated Feature Film? Oh, Dear. A confused Kevin Conroy’s offhand remark sparks an internet rumorstorm and fills comic fans with dread. This is how the rumor-mill gets its grist. Kevin Conroy, longtime voice of Batman in the DC animated universe of films and television, was asked about his next project. The quote was thus: “Oh I just, just last night, I recording a new animated movie...that features The Flash, it’s more about The Flash, but Batman is in it as well. It’s a Flash...Flashpoint! Flashpoint? I think it’s Flashpoint.”

Morrison even addressed his rocky past with the X-Men and, more specifically, Magneto: “Magneto’s an old terrorist bastard. I got into trouble—the X-Men fans hated me because I made him into a stupid old drug-addicted idiot. He had started out as this sneering, grim terrorist character, so I thought, Well, that’s who he really is. [Writer] Chris Claremont had done a lot of good work over the years to redeem the character: He made him a survivor of the death camps and this noble antihero. And I went in and shat on all of it. It was right after 9/11, and I said there’s nothing fucking noble about this at all.”

Oh, god, really? Well, maybe not really, as it was obvious Conroy wasn’t 100% solid on the name. It’s also possible that they’re just using the name for some other Flash-related animated film, because the actual story of DC’s Flashpoint does not seem like it would translate well at all to a non-comics-specific format. Hell, it didn’t even translate to comics very well. We were not Flashpoint fans. For the uninitiated, Flashpoint was the bridge between the DC Universe of old and the current New 52 version of it, and it basically boiled down to the fact that everything changed from what you knew and loved because Barry Allen missed his mom. Sure, an animated version could just focus on the time travel malarkey with Zoom and a weird alternate reality where Aquaman and Wonder Woman were at war, but the story was little more than a means to an end. It doesn’t feel like a great idea.

So what do you think, fanboys and fangirls? Do you still love him or still hate him? Do you agree with these takes on such iconic characters?

And it may not even be the actual idea. Half-remembered remarks, grain of salt and all.

Marvel Studios’ Next Event After Avengers The Avengers movie will be coming to theaters in May 2012. A lot is riding on this movie as it will determine the future of Marvel Studios and the direction they take in adapting their characters. Last week Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment, said Marvel has decided not to go the team route with their superhero movies. Yet, Marvel Studios is banking everything on a team movie; The Avengers in 2012. Once that movie rebuts, what’s left? I have some good news for you. That might sound like the market will be flooded with random Marvel products. Hopefully it will be done in a tasteful way and not simply annoy everyone into not wanting to see the movie. The more attention Marvel can get, especially in reaching those millions of movie-goers that don’t read comics, the more successful the movie and the future of Marvel & superhero movies will be. What makes this marketing blitz interesting is Gitter alludes to “a plan in development” that will hit in 2017. Obviously the success of The Avengers will determine how intense these plans could get. What could they do to top the momentum they’re already building with Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Avengers? Will Marvel Studios continue with the existing characters by making Iron Man 3 and other spin-off/sequels? Will we see more focus on other “brands” such as Black Widow, Ant-Man and Doctor Strange? Perhaps the stage will be set up to take on an ambitious project such as Civil War. The problem with thinking about 2017 is it is seven years away. As great as all the current actors are, will they still want to do the roles and would we still want to see them in those roles? Comic characters don’t really age. Sure Hollywood has some tricks to slow down the aging process among actors but I feel like we’ll see some recasting if they continue with these core characters. Shouldn’t be a problem since we’re already seeing so many different Hulks, right? Either way, I think it’s great (even if it’s an obvious move) that Marvel is indeed looking beyond The Avengers. Obviously comic book movies have never been better and I just hope that this fun won’t end any time soon.

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Jean Giraud, aka Moebius 1938 - 2012 Jean Giraud, the incredibly influential French comic artist better known as Moebius, passed away this morning at the age of 73. The artistic visionary succumbed after a lengthy battle with cancer. Though his work was better known in his native France than the United States, his influence on comic book artists is beyond measure. After the news of his passing became public knowledge, Twitter was filled with well wishes from current comic icons like Greg Pak, Dan Slott, Jeff Lemire, Warren Ellis and more. Born in 1938 in the Parisian suburb of Nogent sur-Marne, Giraud was trained at the Ecole des Arts Applique in Paris before apprenticing under Belgian artist Jije. In 1963, Giraud adopted the name Moebius for use in his more experimental work involving fantasy and science fiction. The name vanished for a while before returning in 1975 when Giraud co-founded “Metal Hurlant”, the anthology series that serialized his famous comic “The Airtight Garage Of Jerry Cornelius” One of Giraud’s most infamous collaborations was with filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky on the series “The Incal”. In 1997, the two sued director Luc Besson for using “The Incal” as inspiration for his movie The Fifth Element. The two lost the lawsuit. In 2004, French director Jan Kounen adapted “Blueberry” for the big screen. The film played theaters in Europe but saw only a DVD release in America under the title Renegade. In 1988, Giraud teamed with Stan Lee for the Silver Surfer series “Parable” but his work didn’t stop there. Ridley Scott called upon Giraud to put together storyboards for Alien. He also assisted with the film Tron and Jodorowsky’s adaptation of Dune, which sadly never saw the light of day. From 2000 to 2010, Giraud published the series “Inside Moebius”, a six-volume set that spanned over 700 pages. In the story, Giraud appears in cartoon form as both creator and protagonist, trapped within the story alongside his younger self as well as his legendary characters including Blueberry, Azrak and Major Grubert from “The Airtight Garage”. Anyone who loves comic books, science fiction, fantasy, fine art and artistic inspiration should bow their heads for a second and give thanks that Jean Giraud existed in this world.

DC Announces ‘Before Watchmen’ So, the long-rumored anathema is now a reality - DC Comics is returning to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal Watchmen world without Moore’s consent or involvement with a series of prequel books starting this summer. “It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee in a joint statement. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.”

“Leaving aside the fact that the Watchmen characters were variations on pre-existing characters created for the Charleton Comics universe,” JMS explains, “it should be pointed out that Alan has spent most of the last decade writing very good stories about characters created by other writers, including Alice (from Alice in Wonderland), Dorothy (from Wizard of Oz), Wendy (from Peter Pan), as well as Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Jeyll and Hyde, and Professor Moriarty (used in the successful League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). I think one loses a little of the moral high ground to say, ‘I can write characters created by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle and Frank Baum, but it’s wrong for anyone else to write my characters.’” For his part, Moore described this project as “completely shameless” to the New York Times. “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago.” This hurts to think about, especially because the idea feels so wrong, but at the same time, Azzarello and Bermejo doing Rorschach sounds unbelievably good. Darwyn Cooke telling tales of the Minutemen, and Amanda Conner drawing the Silk Spectre? Dammit, why couldn’t these be any easier to resist?

“The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire,” said Dave Gibbons, Watchmen co-creator and original series artist. “Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction,” said DiDio and Lee. “Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant.”

Here's your first look at Before Watchmen: Curse of the Crimson Corsair, from original series editor Len Wein and original series colorist John Higgins. This story will unfold in each issue as a two-page back-up in each issue, and then another Crimson Corsair story will be in a final book called Before Watchmen: Epilogue. Here’s a look at the covers around the web for Ozymandias and Silk Spectre. Hollywood Reporter also has an image of the Nite Owl prequel cover, not to mention an interview with Straczynski, who makes every effort to deflate the notion that Moore’s wishes and intentions need to be respected after all this time.

Some very impressive creators have lined up to take part in this madness, however, and truth be told, they will probably craft some pretty cool stories. It’s just the principle of the thing that doesn’t sit right.