Random Happenstance

RE: Fun in the DC Universe. (And other things.)

I don't know if it's dead exactly, but it's been out for a while, and I'm not sure I see it coming back soon. That's a broad generalization over a bunch of varied books, but I don't think I've bought a regular, DC universe title on a monthly basis since Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

The worst part? If you have a good pile of Impulse, Flash, or older Teen Titans issues; you will probably stumble across a ton of panels just like J'onn's there, where the older hero or mentor laments how Bart's headed for an early grave unless he uses his head. All fun and games until it actually happens...

I scanned this one in, um, about a year ago, but now that's J'onn's allegedly dead, better throw it in now. That and I'm kinda tired...good news is, last week I bought Steve Niles and Kelley Jones' Batman: Gotham After Midnight, and it was a solid, straightforward story that doesn't expect me to buy or read anything other than the next issue. So, even though I'll be dodging the rest of the latest Crisis, there's a year's worth of comics.

From Adventures in the DC Universe #13, "Sometime in New York City" Written by Steve Vance, pencils by John DeLaney, inks by Ron Boyd.

This is supposedly still a comics blog, but I'm not sure I read any comics this week until today. Slow week for me: I picked up the last issue of the Abe Sapien mini and some quarter books. I bought the first issue of Wildcats 3.0 and the Brendan McCarthy Solo issue...again. I liked 'em both, but it was disappointing to realize, oh, yeah, that's in the basement somewhere.

I bought two back issues of Marvel's Lunatik, and hell, I may have had one of them before too. #3 has a Sienkiewicz cover, and #1 has the origin. Short form: every time you see the word 'Lunatik,' read 'Lobo.' (Issue #2 has an Avengers fight that's actually pretty entertaining, but I know I have that one...)

And lastly, I picked up three more issues of Kelley Jones' the Hammer. I need to re-read the first series and the Hammer's origin again, but if you're a fan of Lovecraftian horror, it's for you. The class in the panel above is at Miskatonic University, for example.

I've read most of the Hammer, and while it has it's moments, compare it to something like Hellboy and you see it's flaws: The Hammer isn't as personable. Although he's fighting to protect earth from the Old Ones, he takes a bit more of a long view/big picture approach, concerned with saving the world but not every little person on it. The book also doesn't have the oddball suppporting cast that Hellboy built up: the human characters in the Hammer are usually, in typical Lovecraftian fashion, doomed sad-sacks. The titular Outsider of this last mini-series is trying to save earth so the Old Ones don't come pouring through it to his world, but can't understand why earth's stupid primates aren't helping him, which leads to several murders.

Still. The art is moody and creepy and scary. And while it's often grim, the Hammer sticks to it's Lovecraft roots. I'll find the first ones some other time, and see if I change my mind. Panels from The Hammer: The Outsider #1, story and art by Kelley Jones.