52

[Raph's Girl]

With the 52's series coming out soon DC comics has launched a website for it.

For those that aren't aware the 52 is a weekly series of stories about what happened between Infinite Crisis and One Year Later. Obviously there will be 52 issues all together.

http://www.52thecomic.com and if that doesn't work for ya use this addy http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/

Each week the website will have articles reflecting on certain events that occured in the issue out as well as sports scores (HAHA! The Indiana Pacers lost to the Gotham Guardsmen! )

[Raven]

if I had the money I would be all over this, guess I'll wait for the trades to come out.

[Anarky]

The first issue was pretty good. Of course, that can change, but I'm pretty optimistic about the whole thing. The best thing was

Spoiler:

The "?"-signal. I just like The Question. He's totally nuts. Not Bats-nuts, but really, really nuts. I love describing him with the phrase he muttered in JLU (although I know that it isn't official continuity) "Oh please... I go through everyone's trash."

But why did Skeets crash? I mean, wouldn't an Error 404 have done the job as well?

[Dr. Doom]

Skeets? NOOOOOOOOO!

[DrSpengler]

It was pretty good

Spoiler:

Loved the bit with the Question. Watchmen and JLU have made me love the character (glad DCU Question is gradually acting more like Rorschach these days).

Though Booster Gold having corporate advertisements on his costume was a total rip-off of Mystery Men

[Raph's Girl]

Welp I liked the first issue of 52. Next week we find out who all survived the merging of the multiverses.

Meanwhile tho there's a new article up at 52thecomic.com. A rather harsh anti-superman, anti-Batman, anti-Wonder Woman article.

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5821

[ZariusTwo]

Heh, Supes and Diana got schooled, Batman's rep is more human and therefore open to public opinion, but some of the better Superman storylines have come from Clark being told point blank he's full of it, or Diana giving in to her Amazonian nature as displayed in Kingdom Come and CTIC

[Space Lieutenant Josh]

The one thing that really gets me-- and I'm speaking as a big Booster Gold fan-- is I have no idea what they're doing with him! In OMAC Project, his entire goal was to protect his friends (hell, in Countdown he was constantly trying to protect Ted), and all the sudden he gets back and it's like nothing matters to him anymore except selling out.

Not that it's a terrible change in his character-- it definitely was the best part of 52-- but they really did throw all those years of character development out the window.

I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes, anyway. I'd really like to see a soul on Booster eventually, though. Y'know, since I'm sure I have before.

---Josh

[Raph's Girl]

Some more info c/o wikipedia:

A back-up storyline entitled "History of the DC Universe" will run in ten parts from issues 2 to 11, just as DC Comics published a similar history in two one-shots at the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985.

From issue 12 to issue 52, the back-up feature will change to Secret Origins, beginning with the updated origin of Wonder Woman by Mark Waid and Adam Hughes.

WTF?! A new origin for Wonder Woman?!

[DrSpengler]

Good, Wonder Woman needed an origin revision.

One thing I hated about the Gods & Monsters reboot was that they made so Diana wasn't a founding member of the JLA and that she didn't meet Superman and the rest until the Legends arc, which was the event right after the Crisis. Making her a relative newbie.

It was an unnecessary change that needlessly screwed up continuity.

But NOW instead of retroactively removing Wonder Woman from all those old JLA stories and replacing her with Black Canary, now we have to go back to JLA: Year One and retroactively remove Black Canary and replace her with Wonder Woman. Gah!

[Raph's Girl]

New article is up at 52thecomic.com

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5827

Star City, May 15 — With smoke still hanging in the skies above Star City, and federal disaster relief bogged down by bureaucratic entanglements, local authorities are turning to the surrounding communities for aid in an ongoing rescue operations.

"Of course we're searching the rubble for clues, but at this point we're concentrating the majority of our efforts on finding people that might be hurt or trapped" said a visibly shaken Fire Chief Garman at a press conference yesterday.

The routine hustle and bustle of an otherwise normal day in downtown Star City was shattered early Wednesday when an explosion incinerated a building on the Northeast corner of Amsterdam Avenue. Initially thought to be a ruptured gas line, municipal repair crews were evacuated when a second explosion rocked Amsterdam Avenue 52 minutes later. Responding quickly to the threat, Star City Fire & Rescue and the S.C.P.D., in conjunction with super hero Black Lightning, worked tirelessly to both contain the damage and rescue trapped civilians. Star City's resident super hero, Green Arrow, was nowhere to be found and unconfirmed reports indicate that he may have been caught in the blast.

Unfortunately the biggest shock of the evening was yet to come as moments after the second blast a series timed explosions systematically leveled dozens of buildings through the heart of Star City along the Amsterdam corridor.

While officials would not speculate as to the number of casualties, a unidentified source within the Mayors administration said "It's real bad. It's like the city was sliced in half!"

It seems as if Star City's geography wasn't the only thing rocked by the detonations. As activist groups decry the federal response time and local politicians engage in a blatant partisan blame game, the political situation in Star City is volatile. Exactly how this will affect the ongoing rescue and rebuilding efforts remains to be seen.

Raph's Girl note: Anybody else notice all the #52 showing up? In the first issue there was a bar, a hot dog stand, and a fireman. And now in this article "when a second explosion rocked Amsterdam Avenue 52 minutes later"

Anybody read 52 #2??? I thought it was rather interesting...especially the start of the history of the DCU and what Superman's symbol means.

Meanwhile tho there's a new article up at 52thecomic.com. With all the networks announcing their fall schedule...it looks like it's happening somewhat even in the DCU!

Now.. Why can't we have shows like "Good Knight and Good Luck"???

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5834

Last week, the series finale of "The Worst Wing" – a fictionalized version of the Luthor Administration – got its biggest ratings ever for a two-hour special where President Rex Boother pardoned himself on his way out of the Oval Office, only to be killed in an accident involving a lobbyist's limo.

This week, summer series and specials dominate. Check local listings for date and time.

SPECIAL:
CRISIS OF INFINITE MIRTH
Comedians claiming to be from different dimensions offer their humorous looks at race, relationships and superheroes in a benefit for Star City.

SERIES PREMIERE:
LEADER OF THE BAND: SCARE TACTICS
Following last summer's surprisingly popular reality show about the revived 1970s band Great Frog, this incarnation follows the cult-favorite "monster rock" phenomenon Scare Tactics as they look for a new lead singer. In the debut, singer Susie Kavanaugh has a voice unlike any the band has ever heard… but will being a soul-draining banshee keep her in the running, or make her the first contestant to be eliminated?

RETURNING SERIES:
I WANT A HOUSE! NO, A BIGGER HOUSE!
Master carpenter Roger Gail and country singer Alison Stevens travel the country, creating homes for people who need them. In the heartbreaking premiere, it's a family who fled Bludhaven. Does a townhouse in Coast City offer them a second chance, or just a sad reminder of what they've lost?

GOOD KNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
The sitcom about King Arthur's trusted squire (Kevin McKinley) working at a Medieval-themed restaurant in 21st-century Metropolis returns for a third season. In the premiere, Sir Tristan decides to reveal his true background to his best friend, "mead wench" Traci (Alyssa Barrett) but will she believe him? Plus, comedian Frankie Sennett makes one of his popular cameos as Tristan's meddling Uncle Modred.

MOVIE:
THE NEW FRONTIER
Director Darwyn Cooke's award-winning 2004 epic about superheroics during the Kennedy era makes its network-television debut. HDTV viewers can enjoy the movie with enhanced "Absolute" features.

TV MOVIE:
INTERAMERICAN
Fact-based drama follows a suburban advertising executive (Gregg Rice) who quits his job and drives across country in search of the daughter he never knew he had… because her mother was his girlfriend on a parallel Earth.

[Anarky]

#2 was a bit of a letdown, nothing really happened. Okay, I must admit, there's still a lot more time left to resolve anything, but I never was fond of issues that only start storylines without going into them any further.

But at least Ralph Dibney isn't thinking about suicide again...

Hahaha! Awesome. Happiness ensues.

Lobo will be back to the DCU. How do I know that? The cover to 52 #17.

Looking good, I daresay.

[Raph's Girl]

Originally Posted by Anarky

Lobo will be back to the DCU. How do I know that? The cover to 52 #17.

Yep.. #17 will feature Lobo's origin story.

[Brodie]

Wow, that's one of the stupidest ****ing pictures of Lobo, ever.

(Not the art, or style mind you, just the rendition.)

[Anarky]

I've seen worse. A lot worse. Do you remember that issue of the ongoing, the second part of the brawl of bounty hunters? Now that's what I call crap-art.

I hope they don't change his origin too much. I liked Lobo the way he is now. And he was my first DC-comic ever.

[DrSpengler]

Yesssss.

I've missed Lobo something fierce. Gonna be hard waiting for #17.

I liked the origin Kieth Giffen wrote for him in the first Lobo mini series. That was one of the funniest comics I've ever read. Hopefully they won't screw around with it too much, though I assume they're gonna suck the comedy aspects out of his origin a bit. But ya never know.

I'm just happy to have him back.

[Raph's Girl]

New article at 52thecomic.com:

Karim Abdadam, acting as a spokesman for the ruler of the middle-eastern nation of Kahndaq announced the official opening of the Kahndaqi embassy in New York City. "The people of Kahndaq are proud to be members of the international community," said Abdadam. "It is our sincere desire that, through our dedication, Kahndaq be admired for its diplomacy and leadership".

However it is precisely this "leadership" that has the global community, NATO and other world leaders on edge. Earlier this week Khandqi leader Teth-Adam, also known as the infamous Black Adam, made headlines as he personally foiled an attempted suicide bomb attack in his capital city by disarming the would-be terrorist – literally. Denouncing terrorism in general and insulting the attacker personally, the super-powered de facto dictator tore the perpetrators arms from his body shortly after tossing the explosive device out of harms way. With the exception of the attacker, nobody was injured.

While many applaud Kahndaq's hard stance on terrorism and their ongoing, some say miraculous, economic recovery efforts following last years coup-de-tat others are less optimistic. "He's a sociopath!" said Max Reyes, resident New Yorker. "I guess if you want a world full of crazy maniacs then this embassy is a good idea."

While the powerful Black Adam may be able to shrug off controversy with a flick of his magical muscles it remains to be seen exactly how the all-too-human Khadaqi diplomats will fare on the world stage by having their national identity inexorably intertwined with a former super villain.

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5837

[Raph's Girl]

52thecomic.com has 2 new articles: A new Ask Prof. Expert and an article on Lex Luthor. Note: The article on Lex Luthor is a rather big spoiler if ya haven't read 52 #03 yet:

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5861
(Ask Prof Expert)

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5862
(Lex Luthor article)

As for 52 03 itself. I've found that as the series goes on it gets better with every issue. I like this one.

[Raph's Girl]

New rather interesting article up at 52thecomic.com:

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/52/?ac...adlines&i=5874

Sometimes we take heroes for granted. Other times we expect them to solve all our problems. Occasionally, we hold them responsible for all our woes. Still, we always wonder: why do they do what they do? Well, for one of these "super heroes", some of what motivates him is obvious, but there may be more to it.

Booster Gold, an on-and-off Justice League member, has broadly proclaimed his interest and pursuit of corporate sponsorships. In a world of very well-paid sport stars and celebrities, should we be surprised at this commercialization? Perhaps not. He has still proven his ability to handle dangers beyond the means off normal law enforcement and given us no reason to publicly doubt his intent and bravery.

We live in a world where doing good for its own end has become increasingly rare and we have to ask ourselves: would we have the same confidence in a policeman who proudly proclaimed his allegiance with Homesafe, the leading home safety and alarm system service or a fireman who acted as a huckster for a particular brand of fire extinguishers, like FoamFriendly?

We must ask ourselves, what is the harm in that kind of behavior? Why should we expect better of these normal working people, who risk life and limb for us, earning salaries not much greater than, say, transit workers who, though well-meaning individuals, risk nothing more coming to work in the morning than a surly look from a disgruntled tourist. Then, we wonder, why should we expect more from these oddly-outfitted individuals with, as they say, powers beyond normal men? They face even greater dangers than polic and firefighters. Is it irrational to think they are basically that much different from the rest of us?

Perhaps they are. Perhaps they need to be viewed through a different lens than the rest of us. If the stories are true, many of these superpeople have seen worlds, even dimensions, that the rest of us haven't even suspected exist. They have dealt with power on a level none of us have been raised to conceive of, let alone know how to deal with.

I make no secret of the complaints I have registered towards these super-powered beings in the past decade. Their actions, or those of whom they've fought, have leveled city blocks and in more than one urban landscape that I've lived in. Still, my convenience or even the immediate safety of my life or my family's isn't always the larger issue nor the greater concern.

We are a nation of people who have grown to expect life to be convenient and complacent, appropriate to our income and desires. Of late, I've come to question that. My family and I would not be here today but for the actions of a few virtually unrecognizable gaudily-outfitted individuals who fought for the safety of us, as strangers, at a cost of their own lives. Why did they do that? Not for our gratitude and no visible means of reward. They seemed truly motivated by the most noble of causes-to do the right thing.

What if, and I beg your indulgence for a few moments, what if we did not have a stable environment at all. What if the standard for life was an unending series of attacks and oppression and turmoil? Why should we think things will or should always be calm and controllable? Perhaps we've been fortunate and protected for many years from everything but the most outrageous attacks on our way of life, defended only by the beings we think of as heroic intrusions into our lives. Those caped and cowled characters that pop up when outsized danger strikes, but whom we blame for any inconvenience.

Perhaps now is the time to examine what really happens and why. Perhaps the more important issue is not why a "superhero" has corporate endorsements but rather why he's willing to sacrifice his life for the rest of us at all.

[Anarky]

So, now a while has passed and we got to see more of Montoya and The Question (who apparently has mystical disappearing and reappearing powers nowadays) and some heroes from space came back, severely mutated and two of them were even fused together, the rest is somewhere away on some planet where an eyeless Adam strange tries to fix their ship.

Now this is all pretty weird and all, but I feel DC's trying a bit too hard. It's like Sasuke from Naruto, who fails at being badass by trying. It's just too much of formulated badassery to be good. So my concerns about the whole 52 project, which is a nice idea altogether, have risen but as they say, hope dies last.