More info on what’s reviewed after the jump!
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...Or like this?

Show of hands: Next year, do you think Wonder Woman will be dressed like this...?

Let’s get the elephant out of the room right now:  I loathe the new costume. Call me a rigid traditionalist if you must, but if DC is going to update an admittedly impractical and anachronistic costume, they should replace it with something less bland and more modern. I can just imagine Tim Gunn seeing it for the first time: “Biker jackets and black tights? Is it 1994 again already?”

Now that we’re past the publicity stunt, let’s talk about the issue itself. Like Superman #700 from a few weeks ago, this comic consists of short stories and pin-ups, begins with a story by the outgoing writer, and ends with a prologue of J. Michael Stracyznski’s upcoming story arc. Expect a few spoilers, and maybe some more whining about the costume after the break…

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A face only a comics fan can love...

What Has Come Before: A hideously scarred bounty hunter roams the Wild West and kills outlaws in a manner that is usually ironic, always gruesome, and often awesome.

I am a recent convert to Jonah Hex. I absolutely love what Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti are doing with this title. Nearly every issue is a self-contained story (with an occasional two or three parter). The rotation of artists forces the writers to tell stories that play to the strengths of that month’s artist, which helps to keep the title from feeling stale. And each issue is full of action, violence,  and some wonderfully twisted humor.

Since DC is expecting an influx of new readers due to the upcoming movie (and this review, of course), they commissioned Palmiotti and Gray to write an original graphic novel that touches on the past of this mysterious gunslinger. To draw this book, they hired Tony DeZuniga, who co-created Hex back in the 70s. The result is something truly special.

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More powerful than an oversized logo...

What has come before:
“Rocketed to Earth from a dying planet, he was born with powers far beyond those of mortal man. Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Able to bend steel with his bare hands and change the course of mighty rivers. Who, disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, fights a never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.”

That’s all you really need to know to enjoy this one-shot, containing a handful of short stories by various writers and artists that I have never heard of. Most of the stories are “man on the street” stories where the average person crosses paths with the Man of Steel. Others feature flashbacks to Clark’s childhood, or Clark taking care of Lois while she’s home sick. It’s certainly not action-packed, but the stories are mostly poignant, often touching, and sometimes very funny. Plus, it gives some fresh, upcoming voices in the industry a chance to play with the shiniest toy in the DC toybox.

Highly Recommended.

More info about this video after the break.

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More info on what’s reviewed after the jump!
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More info on what’s reviewed after the jump!
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Alright, so here’s the deal. I attended the DC Nation panel at Chicago Comic-Con on Friday completely ready with my laptop to take notes and give you guys a great rundown of what DC announced at CCC and all of the spectacle that comes with these kinds of panels.

Except… I can’t do that. Because for some reason, DC decided that this year, they don’t want to talk about shit. I started off the panel taking notes of everything that was said, but about 10 minutes in, I realized that nothing was being said. All DC was giving us was a rundown of all the books that they are publishing. That’s it. So I stopped taking notes.

Now, I’m not here to rag on DC and say anything bad about them, but seriously, when  you come to a major comic book convention, you have to come with a least something to get people excited. I can’t say that Marvel really announced a lot of stuff at their panels, but at least they gave fans something, instead of just saying that you should buy their books.

And then, to make matters worse, the Q&A portion of the panel turned into the moderator bashing the fans asking questions because they were asking for spoilers. Yes, they may have been asking for hints at what was coming in the big DC storylines, but that’s no reason to bash them. And then other fans started to yell at each other for asking dumb questions.

Bottom line, this panel was a mess. It put a terrible taste in my mouth. I decided to skip the Sunday Conversation because of this panel and am not sure if I will ever attend another DC panel at a convention.

Secret Six #10

Secret Six #10 Cover

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Daniel LuVisi

After a couple of breather issues a new arc starts with issue 10 of a continually excellent series.  This issue brings a bit more darkness and serious tone to the series, yet still maintains tension breaking humor and continues to grow these characters individually and as a team.  Ms. Simone has written these characters in such a way that we start caring for them, we get invested in their lives.   Then she reminds us that they are amoral at best and they aren’t the “do-gooder” heroes that we normally read.

I’m excited to see where this arc takes us.  Character issues from the first arc are being addressed here. Character motivations, especially Deadshot’s, are being examined more closely.

Plus a new mystery around an old name surfaces.

In depth review spoilers abound

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DC’s big summer crossover for 2009 is here at last. Geoff Johns has teased this comic since 2007, since the end of The Sinestro Corps War, and appears to have laid the groundwork for it since 2004′s Green Lantern:  Rebirth. Issue #1 finally made it to the stands, as did the first issue of the Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps miniseries. So how were they?

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