Welcome back.  After months of build up, Secret Wars finally starts.  Was it worth the wait?  Plus DC Comics releases it’s sneak peek at its June plans.  Were they worth it?  Check it out below in this week’s Spandex and Capes!

Review List
May 3rd, 2015

“I feel like you're not listening to me.” - K. Page

PREVIOUSLY…

Self-Righteous Suicide: So they released a photo for the upcoming Suicide Squad movie as well as some shots of Deadshot and Harley Quinn.  I like what I’ve seen so far.  Everyone more or less looks like who they’re supposed to be, plus they confirmed Slipknot and El Diablo.  But it got me thinking, there are a lot of characters in this movie – this shot doesn’t include the Joker or Waller – so 1) Who’s the villain in this movie?  And 2) how many of these guys are cannon fodder?

Webshows: DC Entertainment continues to try to bring good things to world as they team with Machinima to bring us #4Hero (a modern day update of Dial H for Hero) and Starman (a reality show about making a live action short about the character Starman).  Both sound interesting and I’m looking forward to when to when they come out.

Television News: So it is with great delight that I can now say that “Supergirl” has landed a series order at CBS, the “Legends of Tomorrow” (the Flash/Arrow spinoff) has been picked up by WB, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D will continue to Season 3, and “Agent Carter” will get a second season.  However, on the downside – NBC has decided not to renew “Constantine“.  Though the fan base is pushing for another network to pick it up – including Stephen Amell.

Marvel Movie News: In Marvel news, Hugh Jackman has decided to call it quits after Wolverine 3.  The question is who will play Wolverine next?  In other news, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, and Paul Rudd will joining the cast of Captain America: Civil War – or as it’s shaping up Avengers Lite: Civil War.  I mean seriously, outside of Thor and Hulk every Avenger is in this damn movie at this point.  I’m worried that we’re going to lose the title character in all of this.  And finally, the writers from Avengers: Infinity War have been picked – together they have written all three Captain America movies, Thor: Dark World, and the Agent Carter show, so I think this is going to be an all right movie.

REVIEWS

Convergence: Superman #2 (DC)
With story and art by Dan Jurgens
The Pre-New 52 Superman goes off into the sunset with the same thing he came to us with: hope and a smile.  Mr. Jurgens wraps up the fight with Flashpoint heroes quickly by having Superman prove once and for all why he is the standard to which all other heroes must be measure.  He takes quick stock of his opponents, then when Lois calls for him, he ends the fight and rushes to her aid.  While most of the fight between the two Supermen happen off screen, it’s a testament to this Superman’s experience.  We also get Superman giving hope to the hopeless Flashpoint Batman, giving us the strangest World’s Finest to date.  By the end, we have a brand new life for the Pre-Flashpoint universe: Jonathan Samuel Kent.  And I hope that in some way or fashion, these Kents – my Kents – survive this Convergence.

 

Convergence #5 (DC)
By Jeff King with art by Andy Kubert
The yo-yo that is Convergence comes back up at the halfway point as Deimos proves to be a much better villain than Telos has been.  The idea that the cities must fight for survival is shelved – kind of spoiling the endings for some of the upcoming books.  It also makes you wish some of those books had been less battle oriented and a little more character oriented, but that’s not this book.  This book shows the Earth 2 heroes realizing they had been had and vowing to seek help from the cities around them.  While I wish we had gotten here sooner, I like that we have arrived.  Hopefully we will see the heroes interact with the other heroes of the cities and get some of the interactions that we have been hoping for since this started.

Secret Wars #1 (Marvel)
By Jonathan Hickman with art by Esad Ribic
This was a solid opening for Marvel’s version of Battleworld.  As Mr. Hickman’s magnum opus reaches it’s crescendo, the 616 and Ultimate worlds collide.  In a decision that shows the difference between the worlds, one of them decides that the other has to go and launches an attack to save their world.  In the end though, the fight, the planning, the lives lost – all boiled down to sound and fury and noise as both worlds ended in a void of black punctuated by a white Doom.  There were losses on both sides and Hickman chooses his final Avengers for the Battleworld to come.  And it is an eclectic group to say the least.  The other surprise I had was that the Phoenix Egg actually held a Phoenix in it – one that Scott wanted to merge with.  Not sure if that was entirely in character for him.

 

Afterlife With Archie #8 (Archie Horror); Amazing Spider-Man #18 (Marvel); Batman: Arkham Knight #12 (DC); Convergence: Batgirl #2 (DC); Convergence: Batman and Robin #2 (DC); Convergence: Harley Quinn #2 (DC); Convergence: Justice League #2 (DC); Convergence: Speed Force #2 (DC); Convergence: The Atom #2 (DC); Convergence: The Question #2 (DC); Convergence: The Titans #2 (DC); Hulk #16 (Marvel); Inhuman Annual #1 (Marvel); Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four #1 (DC); Kanan: The Last Padawan #2 (Marvel); Masks 2 #2 (Dynamite); Mortal Kombat X #18 (DC); Operation S.I.N. #5 (Marvel); The Punisher #18 (Marvel); Rocket Raccoon #11 (Marvel); Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #33 (DC); Spider-Woman #7 (Marvel); The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #5 (Marvel)

 

Spider-Gwen #4 (Marvel)
By Jason Latour with art by Robbi Rodriguez
Is bad that I almost preferred the book with the imaginary talking pig?  So this issue was solicited that we would learn what happened the day Peter Parker died – apparently either Mr. Latour didn’t get that memo or the guy who wrote the solicitations was given the wrong information.  Because if you found that story could you let me know?  It was the one thing in this comic I was actually interested in.  The art continues to be poor, in my opinion, and the writing is subpar.  It also annoys that Aunt May can’t take Spider-Man as a hero in most books, but hey, she thinks Spider-Gwen may be a hero even though everyone thinks Gwen killed Peter.  It’s just annoying.   I don’t mind a What-If or an Elseworlds, but I think that an ongoing in an alternate reality is a bad idea.   I think I’m out on this one.

 

Peek Reviews

So here, I’m going to be giving you a quick rundown of DC’s 8 page sneak peeks.  I’ll let you know what I thought and how (or if ), I’ll be buying these books.  I’ve also given you the Comixology links if you want to download these free books to look at yourself.  By the way, Marvel should take a page out of DC’s book when their books come back from Secret Wars.  So, on to the Sneak Peeks:

Batman: Detective Comics
By Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul with art by Fernando Blanco and Francis Manapul
So this is the first time we’ve seen the new Batman in action and it’s very interesting.  Renee Montoya is also back as Harvey’s partner and something is rotten in the Gotham Police Department… so it’s business as normal.  But it looks like they’re really putting the detective back in Detective Comics.
Verdict: I’ll pick it up in trade.

Doomed
By Scott Lobdell with art by Javier Fernandez
So. the first of Mr. Lobdell’s books this week is in a world… laughable.  No seriously, I have nothing to say about this craptastic idea other than: HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Verdict: I’ll be skipping this soon to be mini-series.

Green Arrow
By Ben Percy with art by Patrick Zircher
I have no idea what’s going on in this sneak peek.  I was a little confused and had to go back to re-read the last issue before Convergence to see if I had missed something.  I didn’t – this was a just a new writer stretching his legs.  It looks like Oliver will keep a bit of the weird from Jeff Lemire’s run  which I think is good.
Verdict: I’ll pick it up in trade.

Green Lantern
By Robert Venditti with art by Billy Tan
I’m not sure what’s going on here, but unlike Green Arrow, I’m highly interested.  I’ve said before I wanted less universe spanning epics from Green Lantern and more personal, “there’s a villain” story.  It looks like I’ll be getting it here.
Verdict: I’ll check out the first arc digitally.

Midnighter
By Steve Orlando with art by ACO
I’m not a Midnighter fan, so this one really wasn’t for me.  I don’t like psychos as heroes.  But the art was good and the story was for someone else.
Verdict: While it could be good, I won’t be picking it up.

The Omega Men
By Tom King with art by Alec Morgan
So the end of Kyle Rayner – it comes not with a whimper and more of a “yeah, sure you did”.  This is probably the best of the sneak peeks this week, even with the ending.
Verdict: I’ll definitely be picking this one up.

Prez
By Mark Russell with art by Ben Caldwell
I’ve read this twice now and I’m not sure exactly what was going on here.  There are some parts that are a little unclear in what’s happening, so I hope that’s cleared up in the series.
Verdict: I’ll get it trade.

Red Hood/Arsenal
By Scott Lobdell with art by Denis Medri
Seriously, when are they going to STOP giving Mr. Lobdell work?
Verdict: Nope.  Not for me.

Section Eight
By Garth Ennis with art by John McCrea
So I’m probably in the minority, but I really didn’t like Hit-Man, so this really wasn’t for me.  At all.
Verdict: And I’m out of this one.

Starfire
By Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Emanuela Lupacchino
So if you like Harley Quinn, this is probably one that you’ll enjoy.  It was a fun book, but I don’t see how she ended up in Key West.  From what she was describing, I would think she’d end up in LA.
Verdict: I’ll check out the first arc.