Friday, December 11, 2009

The real Batman set to return!


The original Batman is set to return from the "dead" in 2010.
DC Comics will have a six-issue miniseries, "The Return of Bruce Wayne," starting in April.
Wiped out from existence by Darkseid's omega beams at the end of the latest "Crisis" in 2008, Dick Grayson (formerly Robin) has most recently been "Batman."
As the "world's greatest detective," Bruce Wayne is lost in the timestream, with much of his memory lost.
He wanders from caveman times to the old west and more, seeking answers of where he belongs.
Everyone knew the real Batman wouldn't remain "dead" forever. And, it has never been said the omega beams "kill" you -- they wipe you from existence.
Batman is DC's hottest property of late and no one can replace Bruce Wayne for long as the Caped Crusader.
Time travel plots can be a real kick, if handled well and so even non-Batman comic readers might want to consider this mini-series.
Of course, if Superman showed up somewhere in the series too, that would be excellent, since the Man of Steel was there when Batman was wiped out.
--In a related matter, DC has a revamped "World's Finest" series running. It is a weak series and is an insult to the original "World's Finest" team of Superman and Batman.
I don't care for it and if it fades away, that would not be much of a loss.
(Above image is from the "Brave and the Bold" animated series -- a great production, but again one where Superman is strangely absent!)

Another version of Superman; "War of the Supermen"


Superman turns 72 in 2010 and despite the non-milestone age, it will still be a pivotal year for the Man of Steel in the DC Comics world.
Forget that there's no new major motion picture starring Superman on the horizon. DC is looking to pick up that slack and here's three reasons to prove it:
1. Another Superman reboot is planned in "Superman: Earth One." This is a new graphic novel coming out sometime in 2010 that will retell the Man of Tomorrow's roots in an all-new continuity.
Never mind that "Earth One" used to be where the mainstream Superman was supposed to live. This new "Earth One" is apparently going to be different than that.
Graphic novels can be expensive, but if this new alternate Earth storyline is creative, it should be well worth it. Also, hopefully it will explore more of Superman's teenage years, as they were skimmed over in the current "Superman: Secret Origin."
Earth Prime was traditionally our real world; Earth One was where Superman of the main Superman comics lived; and Earth Two was where the older, original Man of Steel lived. Is all that out the window now?
2. "War of the Supermen" is another series that will spotlight the Man of Steel — and many super-powered men. It premieres on May 1 on "Free Comic Book Day" with issue No. 0 (and as the occasion suggests, it really is free for first issue).
This saga appears that it might be Superman and many other fellow Kryptonians in some kind of battle.
Is this the follow up to the "New Krypton" series? It looks like it is.
DC boasts that this series will show that "no cows are sacred."
3. The "New Krypton" series will conclude on Feb. 3 with its final issue No. 12, where a skull-shaped ship is headed for New Krypton. Could that be Brainiac?
This series needs a great villain and this computerized alien is a great one.
(in fact, if a new Superman movie is ever made, Brainiac should be the villain, not the overdone on the silver screen Lex Luthor!)
This Krypton series has dragged on far too long and its conclusion hopefully means that Superman will return to Action and Superman comics, where he has been absent for a year (minus one brief appearance).
With some lackluster super-hero wanabees having taken over those two comics, for the real deal returning would be great news for 2010.
(Image is from DC Comics.)