52

[Raph's Girl]

52 5 proved that comics are not for kids...mostly due to the nudity of Starfire.

[Anarky]

Originally Posted by Raph's Girl

52 5 proved that comics are not for kids...mostly due to the nudity of Starfire.

You don't really care if you know what you're talking about, do you?

Seriously, they wouldn't censor the golden chick if they wouldn't try to make it available to almost everyone.

[Space Lieutenant Josh]

Originally Posted by Anarky

You don't really care if you know what you're talking about, do you?

Seriously, they wouldn't censor the golden chick if they wouldn't try to make it available to almost everyone.

Eh, I dunno... didn't issue 1 have a picture of Sue Dibny's charred corpse? How about all the times Black Adam crushed someone's head with his fist or when he ripped that hick in half? And what were Renee Montoya and that blonde doing naked in her bed when the Question popped in to say hello-- playing patty-cake? (Barely) censoring nudity doesn't necessarily make the comic available to almost everyone. If I had kids there's certainly parts of 52 and many other of these "darker DCU" comics I wouldn't want them to see.

[Dr. Doom]

Most comics seem like the writing would go over a kid's head, I'm not sure how they'd even understand what was going on half the time....but then again, we all seemed to do okay when we read comics growing up. Regardless, I don't think the fact that you can't see any of her happy bits means that it's necessarily "child friendly".

[ZariusTwo]

Not to mention one episode of Teen Titans had a demon-powered Slade tear most of Raven's clothes off...

[Dr. Doom]

-=slobbers and drools everywhere=-

[BartAllen]

52 is just now starting to get boring. I really enjoyed the first 6 issues, but now. its becoming a snooze fest.

[Space Lieutenant Josh]

I think they're still pretty good. #7 remains my personal favorite--- the last two weeks have followed it up adequately enough.

Depends on whose story you're into... the last couple weeks have been pretty Steel-centric. Me, I only really care about Booster, Ralph, and the Question, but I dunno, the Steel thing raises interesting questions, y'know?

For instance, if such a thing as superpowers were commercially available, you'd prolly need to buy them just to keep up. It's similar with baseball players and steroids in a way.

The Booster question of whether a hero should always be altruistic or whether they should be allowed to do things for the sake of personal gain is another good one-- at least when someone's saving your life for their own personal welfare, they're gonna continue to save your life, am I right?

[Anarky]

The whole thing did get kinda slow. I want to know more about the abduction of all the scientists and less about that cult about Superboy. I mean, seriously, who cares? He'll be back sooner or later. Death in comic books is not like actual death, it's more like a break from things. Also, I don't really care much for "The history of the DCU" at this point, because everyone who's followed the DCU a little should know what happened during the last couple of years.

But then again, we're not even at a fifth of 52's run so there's a lot more time to explain things.

[Space Lieutenant Josh]

Supposedly death means death now in the DCU. Any bets as to how long they'll be able to follow that rule?

[BartAllen]

Originally Posted by Space Lieutenant Josh

Supposedly death means death now in the DCU. Any bets as to how long they'll be able to follow that rule?

Um, im pretty sure sue dibney is being brought back.
issue 10 was pretty good. it picked up a little. i think what I wasnt liking was the montoya and question story.

[Raph's Girl]

New article at 52thecomic.com. A rather amusing look at the San Diego Comic Con in the DCU.

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=6181

Overcoming astonishing setbacks – a global crisis, the destruction of most area convention facilities by OMACs, and, of course, the sinking of approximately half of San Diego under the Pacific Ocean – Comic-Con, America's largest comic-book, science-fiction, and movie convention, is as popular as ever. This week, more than 10,000 eager fans donned submersible helmets to wait in line at Sub Diego's newly refurbished Norris Convention Center.

"It's hard to maintain the merchandise in these conditions," admits Denver, Colorado, comics retailer Hanley Miles, "but the enhanced Mylar bags keep the comics airtight and dry, and consumers know you can't beat the back-issue selection here at San… uh Sub Diego."

Scott Middaugh of Dallas, Texas, agrees. At age 38, this self-confessed "fanboy" didn't know how to swim (an admission requirement for Sub Diego's Department of Safety), but he signed up for a crash course at an area gym and was certified just before the show opened its airlocks on Wednesday. Says Middaugh, "There are other conventions I could go to — drier ones, certainly — but no place else offers the combination of merchandise, celebrities, and amazing programming. I'd rather swim here than walk almost anyplace else."

Indie director Tom Schaefer Jr. cancelled a scheduled appearance due to a case of the bends ("he was so eager to be there, he descended too quickly" explained spokeswoman Jeanine Palmer), but exclusive clips from his new film "Karate Monkey" will have a special screening on Saturday night. Other highlights for the weekend include appearances by former "Space Trek 2099" star Garfield Logan and actor-director Fletcher Carlin, promoting this summer's "Shaolin Hustler."

Organizers anticipate losing money this year and next, as labor costs are extremely high for a consumer-oriented show held entirely underwater. However, tax breaks from Sub Diego have defrayed many of the costs, and the show's long aboveground history makes it a beloved local institution likely to endure. Explains Sub Diego Chamber of Commerce member Elizabeth Stuart, "Comics people are some of the most devoted fans you'll ever meet and this show is important to them. We're thrilled that this show has managed to both sink and swim."

Comic-Con: Sub Diego runs through Sunday and tickets are still available a $25/day for all certified swimmers. Citizens of Bludhaven, Star City and Opal City with proper identification are admitted at half-price.

There's also a new Ask Prof. Expert article that has somebody complaining about the lack of articles the last couple weeks.
http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=6182

[Brodie]

I was just reading an article about Lobo's role in 52, and Griffen, the creator of Lobo said "I still get royalty checks from Germany, to this day." I thought that was funny because it's probably just from Anarky.

[Anarky]

Yeah, Lobo is pretty big over here. I mean, comic books aren't particularily famous and trendy and whatnot here, but Lobo managed to get himself a little cult following. And since there's still some unpublished stuff left, Paninicomics (german DC/Marvel distributor) does what it can to get our Lobo-fix for us.

Lobo's especially popular in the Metal-scene, since he used to have CD-reviews in the books of the ongoing series over here. Also, people with morbid humour are all for Lobo. And last but not least, people just like the word "frag" which is "Frägg" over here.

And I still can't wait for #17!

[Raph's Girl]

New article up at 52thecomic.com:

Metropolis, August 8 —

Across America, families are scrambling to fill the last gasps of summer - trying to use the new grill one more time, getting out to the ballpark to watch their virtually out-of-contention baseball team before the post season, soaking up some sun on the beach.

But for some Opal City schoolteachers, summer ended early this year, as fallout from the Crisis continues to wreak havoc on classrooms. The Opal is just one of dozens of U.S. cities that have brought their history teachers in more than a month ahead of schedule, trying to reconcile conflicting accounts of world history from textbooks that have been part of school curricula for decades.

"In May, we were completing a unit on World War II and how the Spear of Destiny kept most of the superhero community from acting directly against the Axis powers on foreign soil," recalls Heather Nicholas, a social-studies teacher at Ted Knight Junior High in Opal City's "Old Town" neighborhood, "and as I explained that the heroes of the Justice Society devoted most of their activities to fighting saboteurs in Gotham City, one of my students asked if Superman was a member of the JSA in the 1940s. I had one answer, our textbook had another, and once the kids realized that there was no single right answer, well, we didn't get a lot of teaching done that day."

Nicholas continues, "Honestly, when I got home, I was so confused I walked right into a wall."

While history lessons always vary depending on the age of the student - most adults recall that what they learned about American history in elementary school was very different from what they learned about the same period in high school or college - and some topics are highly subjective, the level of change experienced last year is unprecedented.

DC CHALLENGE, a Washington, D.C., textbook publisher, devoted considerable effort to rushing completion of the 520-page Brave New World History, a just-released volume that attempts to boil down contradictory material into a handful of "threads", with an emphasis on the elements common across virtually all the conflicting memories of world events before the recent Crisis. The publisher has restored material from the out-of print Armageddon 2001, a text focusing on super-heroes and their role in shaping contemporary culture, while eliminating nearly all traces of Zero Hour, a more-comprehensive volume which has been largely invalidated by recent events.

Says a spokesperson, "We expect this to be the definitive contemporary-history text for years to come... unless, of course, history gets rewritten again. But how likely is that?"

Raph's Girl note: Spot the hidden 52! The book Brave New World History has 520 pages!

[BartAllen]

Originally Posted by Raph's Girl

New article up at 52thecomic.com:

Metropolis, August 8 —

Across America, families are scrambling to fill the last gasps of summer - trying to use the new grill one more time, getting out to the ballpark to watch their virtually out-of-contention baseball team before the post season, soaking up some sun on the beach.

But for some Opal City schoolteachers, summer ended early this year, as fallout from the Crisis continues to wreak havoc on classrooms. The Opal is just one of dozens of U.S. cities that have brought their history teachers in more than a month ahead of schedule, trying to reconcile conflicting accounts of world history from textbooks that have been part of school curricula for decades.

"In May, we were completing a unit on World War II and how the Spear of Destiny kept most of the superhero community from acting directly against the Axis powers on foreign soil," recalls Heather Nicholas, a social-studies teacher at Ted Knight Junior High in Opal City's "Old Town" neighborhood, "and as I explained that the heroes of the Justice Society devoted most of their activities to fighting saboteurs in Gotham City, one of my students asked if Superman was a member of the JSA in the 1940s. I had one answer, our textbook had another, and once the kids realized that there was no single right answer, well, we didn't get a lot of teaching done that day."

Nicholas continues, "Honestly, when I got home, I was so confused I walked right into a wall."

While history lessons always vary depending on the age of the student - most adults recall that what they learned about American history in elementary school was very different from what they learned about the same period in high school or college - and some topics are highly subjective, the level of change experienced last year is unprecedented.

DC CHALLENGE, a Washington, D.C., textbook publisher, devoted considerable effort to rushing completion of the 520-page Brave New World History, a just-released volume that attempts to boil down contradictory material into a handful of "threads", with an emphasis on the elements common across virtually all the conflicting memories of world events before the recent Crisis. The publisher has restored material from the out-of print Armageddon 2001, a text focusing on super-heroes and their role in shaping contemporary culture, while eliminating nearly all traces of Zero Hour, a more-comprehensive volume which has been largely invalidated by recent events.

Says a spokesperson, "We expect this to be the definitive contemporary-history text for years to come... unless, of course, history gets rewritten again. But how likely is that?"

Raph's Girl note: Spot the hidden 52! The book Brave New World History has 520 pages!

When i saw that at the 52 site. I seriously let out a HUGE groan. that was lame on a lot of levels.

[Raph's Girl]

Spoiler:

Booster Gold is dead!!

[Dr. Doom]

holy ****!

Spoiler:

Yanno when I saw the cover I figured it was just some sort of gimmick. But stilll.... Perhaps he faked his own death to retreive his favorable public image? I wouldn't put it past him.

[Raph's Girl]

Several new articles are up at 52thecomic.com:

One about Booster's approval ratings dropping and the mentioning of the plane he saved...flight 2824 (28+24=52 )
http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=6367

And another on Supernova (who I think is really

Spoiler:

Booster Gold

)

The mysterious masked "Supernova" continues to win the hearts and minds of the citizens of Metropolis with his widespread activities as the city's newest superhuman protector. Possessing the power of flight, super-strength, and the ability to arrive and disappear in the blink of an eye, Supernova has appeared in nearly every section of the city since his debut last month, performing tasks that had previously been associated with the still missing Superman. From thwarting the plans of foreign terrorists bent on destroying city landmarks to saving a small dog from being struck by a speeding car, Supernova's reputation grows as a hero dedicated to guarding Metropolis no matter the size of the challenge.

[Raph's Girl]

New article up at 52thecomic.com *rotflmao*@Lobo

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=6391

The space-exploration division of Science and Technology Advanced Research (S.T.A.R.) Laboratories announced they have received an unusual transmission from outer space. The transmission, received and relayed back to Earth by an unmanned S.T.A.R. deep-space probe, has fueled speculation about the status and whereabouts of several noted heroes still missing after more than four months, including famed archaeologist Adam Strange, Starfire of the Outsiders, and former Justice League Europe member Animal Man.

The transmission, mostly garbled and filled with static, nonetheless contains some moments of clarity. Sound technicians at S.T.A.R. isolated those moments, which play as follows: "Feetal's giz... get... fraggin'... freighter... out... fraggin'... way... blow... bits... stupid... bastich ... head on spear... rush... food... water... fuel... towing... golden... knockers... strange...earth."

Top linguists from around the world expressed great surprise at how much the transmission sounds like it is in English, though they acknowledge that several words are unfamiliar.

Colin Thesiger, a Professor of Linguistics at Harvard University who is also consulting with S.T.A.R., says it is currently impossible to accurately determine the context of the transmission, or to ascertain its meaning.

"To say anything now would be wild speculation on my part," Thesiger said.

According to S.T.A.R., with the transmission's origin point still unknown, trying to use it to locate the missing heroes would be the equivalent of "trying to find a microscopic needle in a haystack the size of the Pacific Ocean."

The scientists of S.T.A.R. vowed, however, that they will continue to search for any information that might bring the missing heroes home.