The Monitor Tapes for 7.13.2009
GREEN LANTERN #43
Geoff Johns (W)
Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy (A)
Green Lantern #43 is the “Official” prologue to Blackest Night (as Blackest Night #0 takes place after this issue) and the perfect jumping on point. Beginning with a brief update/ history lesson via narration by the Oan Guardian known as Scar, we’re shown the events leading into the “Blackest Night” starting all the way back to when the Manhunters first malfunctioned and wiped out 99.9% of life in Sector 666.
Post Infinite Crisis (though beginning back in Green Lantern: Rebirth), William Hand has been retconned and tweaked by Geoff Johns into a much more interesting and compelling character than he was previously. I won’t go into the “Original” origin here, especially since this issue gives all you need to know about Hand, without prior baggage.
Johns and Mahnke create a terrifying vision of the death obsessed and possibly necrophiliac William Hand, AKA the Black Hand. Little Billy was born into a family who’s business is that of the dead, as his father’s specific profession is a mortician, with the family living in a cemetery and their house a funeral home. William becomes death obsessed from a young age, dabbling in taxidermy and ultimately pushing it too far once the missing family dog is finally found.
With the disturbing discovery, he’s sent into therapy with a number of psychologists whom all attempt to cure him of his disturbed nature. Unfortunately the only thing he learns from these encounters is how to sound “normal and cured” with specific responses in regards to the treatments and inquiries.
As the black sheep of the family, he’s still involved in the family business and ends up encountering the alien fugitive from Sector 666, Atrocitus of the Five Inversions. Persued by the Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Sinestro, William is saved by their intervention and flees with Atrocitus’ cosmic divining rod (capable of draining Green Lantern Rings). The recap is interesting despite being a replay from issues #33 and #34 (found in the Green Lantern: Secret Origin TPB) as it gives insight towards Hand’s perspective.
Further fleshing out previous backstory (also showing additional scenes from prior Green Lantern issues), Hand walks through the graveyard of the family home as he hears the “voice” whispering of the dead, and those who’ve escaped “death”.
Without revealing or spoiling the rest of the issue, I can say it’s fairly grizzly and is the final pay-off in the wait and anticipation building towards next weeks Blackest Night #1. If you’ve not read Green Lantern or plan on picking up Blackest Night due to it being an “event” book, definitely pick this issue up, you wont be disappointed!
And in addition to Blackest Night comics, San Diego Comic Con exclusive Blackest Night figures by DC Direct/ Graphitti Designs, Inc.
DC Direct Blackest Night Action Figures
More info at- http://www.comic-con.org
Fully-articulated DC Direct action figures featuring Hal Jordan not only as a Green Lantern, but as a member of the Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow Corps as well, will be made available exclusively at this year’s Comic-Con. Each figure comes with its own lantern and a wearable power ring customized to specifications of each Corps. Each figure also comes in its own four-color, clam-shell styled box.
Sales of the figures will be limited to a maximum of two each of each of the five different figures that’ll be made available. Tickets will be handed-out twice each day that will allow recipients to purchase the exclusive figure designated for that day. The HAL JORDAN GREEN LANTERN Figure will be available beginning Wednesday until quantities are sold out. Each of the other four (4) figures will made available only on the days listed below
HAL JORDAN GREEN LANTERN (limited to 3000 pieces), sales to begin on Wednesday 07/22.
HAL JORDAN YELLOW LANTERN (limited to 1500 pieces), available for sale on Thursday 07/23.
HAL JORDAN BLUE LANTERN (limited to 1500 pieces), available for sale on Friday 07/24.
HAL JORDAN ORANGE LANTERN (limited to 1500 pieces), available for sale on Saturday 07/25.
HAL JORDAN RED LANTERN (limited to 1500 pieces), available for sale on Sunday 07/26.
(via comic-con.org)
Taste the rainbow! Unfortunately I’ll not be going to SDCC this year, but I’m hoping one of the many locals here in SLC who are going will be able to pick up a figure or two for me! (Leave a comment if interested and I’ll provide $$$)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #1 (OF 12)
Various Writers and artists (see dccomics.com for full list)
WOW was this AWESOME! WOW!
Wednesday Comics is fantastic! Frankly the only flaw I could find in it was the fact I can’t wait till next week to read the next issue!
Just to get it out of the way, Wednesday Comics is bold, in both format and being the fourth weekly from DC. The huge formant is fantastic, but may be off putting to fans of the standard comic size and paper. Though it’s not the slick glossy paper most fans are use to, the heavy newsprint used is great in how it both allows the large format and retain bright, brilliant colors that don’t rub off on your fingers (or silly putty if so inclined). Also, the weekly format is one many fans have been burned out or burned on, though this being 12 issues over as many weeks I don’t think allow a real gripe on the latter. As for the content it’s self? It’s all fantastic!
All the stories start very well and make excellent use of the format. They hit the ground running and drop you right into the story. I’d initially expected some of the strips to be weak, but much to my surprise, they all were really good in my opinion.
Now, with this being weekly for the remaining 11 issues, I’m going to try in an unbiased fashion to spotlight the best single strip week to week. True, the stories are serial in nature, but I’ll be looking at what really grabs me issue to issue.
For the first issue, it was really hard but I ended up selecting one. My tastes automatically leaned towards Gaiman and Allred’s Metamorpho strip (due to my love of those creators, the character, and the story going back to his “Swinging 60’s” roots). I own a handful of original Metamorpho comics (from both his early first appearances in Brave & the Bold, to his title series). I’m also a huge fan of Mike Allred and fond of Neil Gaiman’s writing as well. So rather than go with the obvious, I ended up settling on this instead.
Kamandi is also a character I’ve a fondness for (though again going back to the original stuff by Jack Kirby in the 70’s). However, the way Dave Gibbons and Ryan Sook (who’s rapidly becoming one of my favorite artists) utilize the single-page-strip format is something to behold. Riffing on Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant strips, the story is told in narration in the art of the panel, rather than traditional word balloons. It fits perfectly into the world of Kamandi and also complements the artwork immensely.
Also, an honorary mention and shout out for The Flash, by Karl Kerschl and Brenden Fletcher, who split their Flash page into two strips flowing into each other. The first strip Flash Comics (with “The Flash”), features Barry Allen fighting Gorilla Grodd while worrying about losing Iris. Moving into the second strip “Iris West”, shows a distraught Iris leaving Barry due to his tendency to be consistently and constantly late. I love how it’s set up as two strips in one!
If you’re still on the fence about picking it up or managed to pass it over while “waiting for the trade”, I suggest you pick this up NOW, as most likely when reprinted will not actually maintain the huge format. Plus it’s just fun to read! After the trip to my local comic shop (http://www.blackcat-comics.com/), my friend Dan and I sat down at my house, each with our own copies pouring over the pages! Get a friend or two and go get some Wednesday Comics!
DC COMICS AVAILABLE ON 7/15/2009
DC/JOHNNY DC
* ACTION COMICS #879
* BATMAN #608 SPECIAL EDITION
* BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #2
* BATMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? DELUXE EDITION
* BLACKEST NIGHT #1 (OF 8)
* BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #1 (OF 3)
* THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #25
* FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: ESCAPE #3 (OF 6)
* JSA VS. KOBRA: ENGINES OF FAITH #2 (OF 6)
* THE LIGHT BRIGADE NEW PRINTING
* SUPER FRIENDS #17
* SUPER FRIENDS: CALLING ALL SUPER FRIENDS
* SUPERMAN AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES
* SUPERMAN/BATMAN #62
* TITANS #15
* VIGILANTE #8
* WEDNESDAY COMICS #2 (OF 12)
VERTIGO
* AIR #11
* DMZ #43
* FABLES #86
* FABLES #1 – PETER AND MAX PREVIEW
* MADAME XANADU VOL. 1: DISENCHANTED
* PREACHER BOOK 1
* SCALPED #30
* YOUNG LIARS #17
WILDSTORM
* ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE BOOK 1
* WORLD OF WARCRAFT #21
For more info on all things DC, make sure to check out http://www.dccomics.com and DC’s blog The Source http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/ for news, previews, and more!
As always, thanks for reading!