James Robinson Walks Off Of Earth-2 And DC Comics

Not gonna lie, that's very shocking news to wake up to considering James Robinson was actually one of DC's best selling writers and got an entire fanbase interested in Earth-2.

Not to mention in ALL of his interviews he spoke of long term plans to continue building Earth-2 for 2014. So what the hell happened?

I haven't been a fan of all of the creative decisions he's made to Earth-2 continuity, but there is no denying he was actually selling the book and got many people excited for any new developments.

Whatever went down here, I'm sure we'll find out soon. But the fact that this is yet another A-List writer leaving DC Comics in such a short timeframe (remember Andy Diggle?) can't be a good thing, especially since Robinson frames his tweets in a way that seems to suggest he may have been fired.

I'm sure DC is scrambling for a new writer right now, but if I had to personally pick one, I'd go with Geoff Johns since he has a thorough knowledge of Earth-2 history and is a fan of this continuity.

The fact that he did great work on Justice Society of America and even stayed true to the essence of the pre-Crisis Earth-2 when he briefly explored this world pre-Flashpoint, I don't think there is anyone else better suited for the job.

Has Pandora Kept Tabs on Helena Wayne in the New 52?

Today DC Comics released the spread for Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1 on their news page, and Helena Wayne can be seen on the far left side of Pandora's collage.

Straight from the source itself, DC Comics has this to say about the spread:

Back in September of 2011, we launched The New 52. And in each #1 issue, Pandora made a cameo appearance. But what was she doing in each of these books?  

Well next month, this question will finally start to get answered. TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA will find this mysterious character starring in her own ongoing series. Today, take a look at this incredible spread from the series’ debut issue, which shows Pandora’s appearances in all of the New 52 #1s. The twist? They’re all seen from her perspective for the very first time. She’s clearly on a mission to find something … but what – or who – could that be? 

The interesting thing here is that Helena Wayne did not make her debut in the New 52 until a month after the initial relaunch, and the other two books that she appeared in didn’t launch until eight months later.

Between her Huntress miniseries, Earth-2, and Worlds’ Finest, Pandora was no where to be found in either of those books. So unless I really missed something here, I think it’s safe to say her debut book next month will be the first time Pandora sees Helena Wayne in the New 52?

Looks like I have one more book to check out next month.

[EDIT]: So Pandora DID appear in Worlds' Finest after all. Don't know how I missed it all the times I read the first issue, but she's there alright. Kind of eerie, but there. How daft of me to not have looked before making this post. :P

Supergirl #20 Preview

Comicvine has the preview for Supergirl #20 up and it's been around since last Thursday.

Right now it doesn't look like Michael Allan Nelson has as good a handle as Mike Johnson on both Power Girl and Supergirl, but at least his Power Girl is still recognisable as Power Girl which is good enough for me. Considering what the alternative is at the moment, I'll take it---cliché dialogue and everything.

Look forward to a review this week!

Power Girl's Classic Costume Finalised in the New 52?

Looks like the costume Kara got from Supergirl's wardrobe is here to stay. Or at least I certainly hope so for consistency's sake.

Now if only we can get a new writer and art team on board this series, all necessary changes needed on this book will be complete.

The Best of the Huntress: The Lion Roars At Midnight

Title: Wonder Woman #278 - #280
Story: The Lion Roars At Midnight/Lion Hunt/Lion At Bay
Characters: Huntress (Helena Wayne), Catwoman, Harry Sims, Lionmane
Creators: Paul Levitz (writer), Joe Staton (artist)
Publication Date: April - June 1981

Review: The story arc begins with the Huntress paying a visit to Gull's Island Prison where her boyfriend, Harry Sims, decided to spend the night in order to ponder his relationship with her alter ego, Helena Wayne. Inside the prison walls, Harry thinks about whether or not he's in love with Helena despite knowing her secret, but is then confronted by Huntress who wants to talk about their relationship. Harry says that he needs time to think things through and whether or not he's ready to accept the fact that she leads a double life. Huntress agrees to give him the time he needs, and though he agrees to keep her secret safe, she's not certain that'll be enough given the circumstances.

Badass Comic Woman of the Week: 8 May 2013

This week's 'Badass Comic Woman' is a tie between two of my childhood favourites. First up:

Catwoman in Justice Leave of America #3

Since the start of the New 52, Selina Kyle has suffered from the same problem as her Earth-2 daughter, Helena Wayne, in that she has yet to be written by someone who actually understands her character in her own book. The only difference being that Selina at least has the excuse of being written badly by people who aren't her actual creator.

Between Judd Winick and Ann Nocenti, there's been a complete misinterpretation of Selina's character in the New 52 from what actually drives her character, what her personality is like, to even getting her relationship with Batman completely wrong which I didn't think that was possible.

But then enter Geoff Johns and Justice League of America, and we are finally getting the Selina Kyle in the New 52 that many of us have been waiting for. In just three issues, Selina has been depicted as intelligent, witty, emotionally stable, meticulous, and self-assured as a thief. In this week's issue of JLA, we got to see all of that, plus Selina demonstrate her skills as a team player.

True to her character, Selina agrees to play along with the JLA's plans, provided that she gets to do so on her own terms. She fulfils her end of the bargain, but that doesn't mean she allows herself to get captured easily and gives the entire JLA a run for their money, mostly for her own amusement. And let's not forget her souvenir for the 'Catcave' which in itself has a lot of ummm...pun potential. All in all, if you are looking for a book in the New 52 that features the version of Catwoman many of us grew up with, JLA is your go-to book for that!

Next up:

Harley Quinn in Legends of the Dark Knight #49

Another character who's been missing from the New 52 is the version of Harley Quinn that Paul Dini first created in Batman: The Animated Series and later in the mainstream comics. Like Catwoman in the New 52, Harley has seen her fair share of having her character misinterpreted by writers who have a very superficial understanding of her character.

While Legends of the Dark Knight is an out-of-continuity anthology series taking place in the Batverse, Skullkickers writer Jim Zubkavich delivers a fun, energetic, pun-filled story that pays hommage to the animated series. It is a definite must for any fan of Harley Quinn out there who is longing for a rightful interpretation of her character.

Throughout the story there is non-stop action between Batman and Harley as Batman is determined to find the Joker's hideout, but Quinn is much more interested in playing a game with the Caped Crusader. True to her character, Harley showcases her playful sense of humour and gymnastic skills as she has her fun with the Dark Knight, but before Quinn can give away her Puddin's location, Batman has to pass her 'psychological exam' or the alarm in Harley's clock will cue to the Joker to do something terrible!

Dun, dun, dun! Tune in next week for part 2!

Batman: Li'l Gotham #10 Review

Title: Batman: Li'l Gotham
Story: Cinco de Madness
Characters: Robin (Damian Wayne), Red Robin, Katana, Bane, Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Batfamily
Creators: Derek Fridolfs (writer), Dustin Nguyen (artist)
Publication Date: May 2013

Summary: The issue begins with illegal street racing and the match is between Bane and Damian's friend Colin. Among the crowd is Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, and Tatsu Yamashiro who are waiting to bust Bane for illegal ware. Colin ends up winning the race against Bane and an argument breaks out between the two over the possibility of cheating via venom. It turns out both Bane and Colin cheated as they were both on venom.

The Best of Huntress and Power Girl: Infinity Inc #1

Title: Infinity Inc #1
Story: Generations
Characters: Power Girl (Kara Zor-L), Huntress (Helena Wayne), Justice Society, Infinity Inc
Creators: Roy Thomas (writer), Jerry Ordway (artist)
Publication Date: March 1984

Summary: The issue begins with a meeting of the Justice Society during the holiday season and Hawkman begins session by calling roll. Just as he mentions a shortage of help due to both Sandman and Superman's absences, a group of new costumed superheroes barges in offering to lend their help.

Badass Comic Woman of the Week: 1 May 2013

Katherine Bishop in Hawkeye #10

Possibly the only time I'll ever post anything Marvel related on this blog, this week's Hawkeye was yet another solid issue by Matt Fraction with Francesco Francavilla on pencils.

This week's issue was more Kate Bishop-centric since the bulk of the story was her getting to know the killer from last month's issue. In addition to Kate being depicted maturely in all of her scenes with Kazi (the assassin), I have to say that Kate's best moment in this book was when she went to check up on her friend and mentor, Clint Barton, who has hit a low point in his life.

Even though Clint himself is not in the mood to see anyone and is off his game, Kate nevertheless reminds him that despite all the shite he's been through recently that he still has a friend in her that he can confide in, and asserts that even though she understands how he's feeling right now, that it is still no reason for him to push away all of the important people in his life, including herself.

Deep down, he knows she's right!

Earth-2 Continuity In Review: Year One

As everyone who's been following the New 52 since the relaunch knows, the month of May marks the first year anniversary of Earth-2's debut into the fold of the New 52.

Over the course of the first year, we saw many new developments that were made to the Earth-2 continuity, some of which were positive and others were not.

The Positives

Beginning with the positives, I do have to admit that Earth-2 writer James Robinson has actually taken DC Comics' initiative for diversity to heart. Over the course of the year, he not only rebooted fan favourite characters like the original Earth-2 Trinity and prominent Justice Society members Jay Garrick and Alan Scott for a newer readership, but he has also taken the liberties of diversifying the line of Earth-2's heroes.