Arcade's Arena

I've yet to bring up Marvel's Avengers Arena during these posts and that's mostly because the series ended several months ago.  In AA a long-time X-Men foe, Arcade, has grown weary of his multitude of losses against the active super-hero community of the Marvel Universe. So on one of his many "29th" birthdays (which also happens to end with Arcade's hospitalization) The villain reads some books. The books are never actually named but I'm 100% positive that the books were Hunger Games and a Japanese manga series titled: Battle Royal.

I'm sure everyone knows what the Hunger Games is by this point, but Battle Royal is a manga series featuring a world where classes of students are randomly selected to fight each other to the death. Highlander rules apply: There can be only one.

Back to AA. Arcade finds inspiration in the pages of his books. After his hospitalization Arcade spends countless hours and money to convert his private island into what is essentially a teenage death-trap.

The fruit of Arcade's labor is an all or nothing  fight to the death between a number of Marvel's famous teen heroes as well as  a few new-comers, and let me tell you, this thing gets brutal. That isn't to say this series was just mindless violence. While reading the series you begin to see that there is a reason for each death. That the deaths serve a purpose to the greater story. (Well maybe except for Red Raven, but who needs her anyway?)

Personally, i grabbed the series because of the appearance of Mettle, Hazmat, Reptil, and X-23  from the Avengers Academy series as well as Niko and Chase from The Runaways. (Sorry, they don't have super-hero names to identify them.) Cammie the teenage space-girl and Dark Hawk are also featured in the series for older fans.

So why even bring up Avengers Arena if the series is over? Aside from the title being a great read for any Marvel fan or even Hunger Games or Battle Royal fans, a sequel title has been released titled: Avengers Undercover. The series takes place three months after AA and the survivors are doing their bests to deal with life after AA. The events of which Arcade has posted to the internet. The series teases that these kids will be going undercover in the Masters of Evil for some reason or another. Who knows how the series will pan out, but i can say AU had a stellar first issue.

Forever...

Forever Evil is the first company-wide cross over event DC Comics has released since The New 52 reboot. The cross over occurs in the aftermath of  Trinity War, itself a three title cross over occurring in the Justice League, Justice League Dark, and Justice League of America titles. With all these Leagues involved it is little surprise that the end of Trinity War resulted in the introduction of The Crime Syndicate.

The Crime Syndicate is the other-world counterpart to the Justice League. It's members, Ultraman, Super Woman, Owl-Man, Johnny Quick, Death-Storm, Atomica, and Power Ring, act as twisted reflections of the Justice League  and act as those reflections as well. The Syndicate appear in the final pages of Trinity War and proceed to cripple the world by shutting off all power, moving the moon the block the sun, and eliminating the Justice League.

Forever Evil is a 7 issue event with three 6 issue limited series showing what else is happening in the world. These titles include Arkham War, where Batman's rouges gallery faces off against the forces of Bane for control of Gotham City; Rouges Rebelion, where the Flash's Rouges... rebel against the Syndicate; and A.R.G.U.S, which focuses on the last stand of the forces of good.

Along with these titles, regular series like Suicide Squad, Justice League, Constantine, Justice League, Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger, Justice League of America, Trinity of Sin: Pandora, and Justice League Dark have been used to tell additional stories in the Forever Evil story-arc. The most notable would be Forever Evil: Blight which has been taking place in the combined titles of Phantom Stranger, Constantine, Pandora, and Justice League Dark.

Something else I'd like to point out is how Forever Evil has been handled. The month before the release of Forever Evil #1, DC Comics held "Villains Month' Where every title under the New 52 was put on hold and replaced by 52 Villains issues. I bring this up because this month helped to distance me from the heroes. By the time Forever Evil rolled around, it felt like the heroes have been gone for a good while.

Well done. 

The Superior Comic Book

I talk a lot about DC Comics' New 52, however they aren't the only big name company to forge a new path for themselves. Marvel NOW! focuses on revitalizing old titles by putting the characters in wild, off the wall scenarios. Case in point: Superior Spider-Man.

In issue 700 of The Amazing Spider-Man, Doctor Octavius has somehow switched minds with Peter Park right before the Doctor's death. This means he was free to enjoy Parker's body while Peter was free to... die along with The aging Doc Ock's fragile body. This brings me to today's point: Superior Spider-Man is an amazing title.

I've read through issue 7 and so far Octavius has irrevocably ruined any chance of a future with Mary-Jane Watson (shame on you if you don't recognize the name), began to hook up with a... little person, got kicked out of the Avengers, and brutally "taken care of" a plethora of Spider-Man villains. This man means business.

The most appealing aspect of this title is that it can't exist for too long. Not with Peter Parker dead, not with Doctor Otto Octavius, Dr. Octopus, inhabiting Peter Parker's body. Eventually, it will become known that Doc Ock has switched minds with his greatest foe and there will be real and immediate consequences.

What interests me the most is what will eventually be left for Peter Parker. Whereas he's as dead as a door nail right now, we know that in comic books dead rarely means dead. My guess is Peter Parker will be coming back, and he'll have to pick up the pieces left behind by the Doctor's madness.

Speaking of Spider-man... only one more issue Ultimate Cataclysm draws to a close and the Ultimate Universe restarts once again! This time the list of ongoing titles will be Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Ultimate FF, and Young Ultimates. As a person who generally prefers DC to Marvel, I have to say: Marvel sure has become rather exciting.       

Titans Monthly- Issue 28

 -Teen Titans 28 Spoilers-

Since I've only just started blogging and I've yet to find a particular style or whatever that suits me, i figured I'd try something else. So starting with this post I'll be reviewing each entry in a particular comic book series. This month's entry will be over Teen Titans 28.

In an earlier post i stated that after issue 30, the Teen Titans is being cancelled, so in a couple months it looks like I'll be changing focus...

SO, I've stated in the past that Bart Allen, a.k.a. Bar Tor a.k.a Kid-Flash, had in truth been a time lost revolutionary. Once in his original timeline (Some 1000 years into the future) Kid-Flash reverts to what seems to be a morally ambiguous and somewhat frenzied state. His team mates are left to question if the friend they have known for so long exists, or if the Bart Allen they knew has only been a lie.

Well, in the pages of Teen Titans 28, the battle between Kid-Flash and his army of rebels and the government of the 31th century reaches its climax. Both sides war without abandon, leaving the Titans stuck in the middle, searching for a way to preserve life on both sides of the conflict as well as trying find a way to save their friend.

The battle ends once Bar Tor's sister (who is working for ECHO, a time-based division of the government.) Brings Tor to the realization that what he's doing is wrong, soon after the conflict ends and the young speedster is forced to pay for his crimes against the universe, but TWIST!!!

Solstice, Kid-Flash's teammate and love interest refuses to let the man she loves go. So she decides that she will work on a "labor planet" (gotta love the future.) However, the high council or whatever they call themselves tell her she hasn't done anything illegal. Her response? How about sending a pillar of pure light energy through the chest of one of the government officials. How's that for illegal?

With only 2 issues (and an annual) left, the Teen Titans has become a pretty intense title. Bart Allen's Kid-Flash has always been my favorite Titan, so the Trial of Kid-Flash story line has been especially thrilling for me... 

Dr. Hochenauer's Visit

Dr. Kurt Hochenauer visited my class today and gave some helpful words of advice for up and coming bloggers. What i picked up was that blogging provides more challenges and difficulties than I initially believed. 

I'd say the most important thing Dr. Hochenauer said would be regarding the writing put into the blogs. He proposed that we write everyday, to continue writing no matter how boring the activity became, because the most effective way to procure more blog hits is to have a well-written blog that's worth reading. 

Honestly, what i took away from the experience was that blogging would take a lot more time and effort than I originally suspected. Especially a blog, like mine, that's only just starting out. 

Dr. Hochenauer also said something about pandering. That the way to acquire a greater number of hits would be through pandering to the masses, without selling out to the lowest common denominator. That seems like a complicated balancing act that I'm afraid to attempt for fear of just selling out altogether.   

Personally, I think getting the chance to hear the advice of an experienced blogger has given me the help I need to actually make my blog something. You know, like maybe get more than just 19 hits? 

Batman and...?

 -Spoilers for Batman Incorporated #8-

Batman and Robin is on one of my favorite titles from the New 52. It features Batman and the newest Robin, Damian Wayne. (Batman's son) The title focuses mainly on the father/son relationship shared between two crime-fighters.

There is, however, a problem with this dynamic. In issue 9 of Batman Incorporated Damian Wayne is... quite brutally stabbed through by a rather large blade... DC Comics killed a 10 year old half-Asian .

To recap, Batman and Robin is a popular title, Robin is dead, so obviously DC would have to cancel Batman and Robin, right?
... right?

As it turns out, DC has found a way to keep one of their most popular titles alive and running. Starting with issue 19,  the title dropped the "Robin" and has been changing its name ever since.

Batman and Red Robin #19 focuses on Batman's relationship with Tim Drake, the third Robin.
Batman and Red Hood #20 focuses on Batman's relationship with Jason Todd, the second Robin.
Batman and Batgirl #21 focuses on Batman's relationship with Barbra Gordon, one of his first allies.
Batman and Catwoman #22 focuses on Batman's relationship with Selina Kyle, his sometimes love  interest 
Batman and Nightwing #23 focuses on Batman's relationship with Dick Grayson, the first Robin.

Batman and Robin 24-29 (I think...)  is a story arc titled Batman and Two-Face. I really liked this arc, or at least all that I've read so far. With these six issues we see Harvey Dent's (a.k.a. Two-Face) back story, which involves a set of Irish twins who run a crime family.  So points for originality.

Finally, The latest issue of Comic Shop News has information on Batman and Robin issue 30. This issue is titled Batman and Wonder Woman. The storyline is about the titular characters going to Themyscira (Wonder Woman's mystical homeland) in search for the deceased Damian Wayne's body. 

Personally, I hope that this quest involves the resurrection of the dead Boy-Wonder, but who knows? Maybe another orphaned child will pick up the mantle. One thing is for certain: There needs to be a Robin for Batman and Robin to work, otherwise you just have Batman and... and that's pretty lonely.

Gone in a... Flash

 -Spoilers for Teen Titans #27-28-

The Flash is probably one of my top five DC heroes. He has an interesting cast of side characters and an even more interesting rouges gallery of villains. However my favorite aspect of the Flash's story is Kid-Flash.

The original Kid-Flash, Wally West, was a founding member of the Teen Titans, and after a cross-over titled Crisis one Infinite Earths, West became the new Flash. (The previous one had died.)

The second Kid-Flash, Bart Allen, is the one i grew up reading about. According to his back-story he is Barry Allen's (The original Flash) grandson from the 31st century. I'm not sure how Bart can be Barry's grandson and still be born 10 centuries from now, but that's a post for a different day.

This was all before the New 52. After the universe altering events of Flash-Point, The Flash legacy was changed as well as everything else.

After the New 52...

First, Wally West hasn't yet been mentioned in the pages of The Flash or Teen Titans and we're about three years into the New 52. Instead Bart Allen is now the first Kid-Flash as well as a founding member of the Teen Titans. This isn't necessarily a bad thing... As I said above, Bart Allen is the Kid-Flash i grew up reading.  However... The origins of this Kid-Flash have finally been revealed and it breaks my heart.

In the New 52, Bart Allen still comes from the future, but his REAL name is Bar Tor. So there's that. A name isn't so important though, and I'd be able to get past that, but on top of everything else it's revealed that Bar Tor is a war criminal responsible for the death of millions of people, then sent back in time as a part of a witness relocation program in the future... This was revealed in issue 27, and the series ends with issue 30. So i think it's fare to say Bart Allen's time as Kid-Flash is over...

On a related note, I have heard rumors of Wally West appearing in the New 52. Originally, West was the nephew of Iris West, whose brother (In the New 52) turns out to be the new Reverse-Flash. Which means if West becomes the Flash's sidekick once more, he could possibly have a super-villain dad.
So that could be interesting.