Saturday, February 26, 2011

All Star Superman Video Review

What can I say? The new "All Star Superman" animated video that DC released in late February is simply worth four full stars ...
It is nearly perfect and a joy to watch in both action and drama.
It has a classic love story for the tender-hearted, all-out action for the roughhousers and puts the Man of Steel where he should be ... on a super level.
Even though I had read the comic book it was based on, the video streamlined the tale and actually improved a B+ comic book story to an "A" video.
It was more than worth the $13.99 pre-order Amazon price I paid for it.
The lone criticism I have is why animaters often times fail to put an "S" symbol on the back of Superman's cape? This new video also overlooked the cape symbol. But,other than that, it's excellent.
Now the $64 million question --- why can DC do so well on some animated movies, like this one, and yet not so well usually in the live motion picture realm?
Is this saying DC needs to use previous great Superman comic book scripts for its live movies too? I don't know, but I'm asking the question, cause live movies is where DC needs help.
-Finally, as far as DC animated movies about Superman go, I'm still waiting for the story from the "Secret Identity" graphic novel of Superman to be made into an animated movie. I feel that and another tale, "Speeding Bullets," are both worthy of animated movies in the future.

Next Superman Movie Villain

I'm tired of Lex Luthor as the key villain in most of the past Superman movies.
Now it looks like ZOD will return as the next villain for the December 2012 movie.
Why?
Can writers do nothing but rehash previous movie villains? Do they not know how many better villains are out there?
Darkseid or Brainiac would have been my two obvious choices as superior villains.

Throwing out Bad Comics

OK, so I am finally starting to separate and will eventually get rid of all those bad DC comic books, that in retrospect, I should have never brought.
Top of the list is the year-long "Trinity" DC tale. Worst comic in years.
Second are all the Action comics without Superman -- the ones with other heroes and Lex Luthor only.
Third is "Time Masters." That was an awful work with no inspiration or direction. I could have found any fifth-grader with enough imagination to have outdone that go nowhere plot.
Next are all the JLAs with far lesser heroes.
I'm tired of running across all these and other comics on my shelves that I will never re-read, they are so bad.
DC are you taking notice of this? I am going to quit purchasing such crap. If a series starts out bad, it rarely ever gets much better.
I'm going to cut my losses early in the future.
In the meantime, I figure I've wasted at least $450 on this junk.
DC, you need better quality control.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Second or Third String JLA Doesn't Work!

DC Comics -- you never learn do you?
You put in a fourth-string Justice League of America back in the early 1990s and ruined that comic for several years. Now for many new issues, you are almost doing the same sub-standard thing?
What are you thinking?
Would I keep paying to see San Antonio or Boston play in the NBA if they kept using primarily back up players?
Well, that's what you are doing with the JLA and there is no sense to it.
Either bring back the original 7 (or close to it) or I may be canceling my subscription.
(Yes, I have a subscription to Action, Superman and JLA Comics.)
You have tested my limits already in Action comics with the bizarre all-Luthor stint, going well beyond reason and now are you out to ruin the JLA too?
Well, the JLA isn't the world's greatest super-heroes now -- that's not opinion, just fact.
What's the use of having super-heroes better than than the Marvel Universe if you stop using them?
I'm already spending less than half on comics that I did last year, because Superman is featured far less than ever before and now the JLA is following that trend.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

DC Doing Less Superman

There's no question that DC Comics has less stories on Superman this year than for many years. By this time in 2010 (mid-February), I had spent about $60 on comics. So far in 2011, the total is just $36.
Since all I purchase are Superman stories, that's a pretty good indicator of less Man of Steel features.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Superman is Super Again

After several years of lackluster Superman comic stories, "Superman" issue No. 708 finally created some magical awe and "wonder."
Although the Superman writers got their geography mixed up and had some of the story take place in Lincoln, Nebraska, instead of Omaha, as previously announced, this was one of the best Man of Steel sagas in a few years.
There was good action and imagination -- a glimpse at Supermen and Superwomen of the future, a new female villain and a heavy-hitting guest star -- Wonder Woman.
Here's a comic that will be fun to re-read over the years.
This is how all Superman comics should be.
When Superman returns to Action comics soon, hopefully 2011 will be a banner year for Kal-El.
As a sidelight in the latest Superman issue, Wonder Woman has "re-started" her career from scratch. All written about her before is apparently gone.
So, how Superman can not know her is somewhat absurd, but hey, anything is possible in comics!