Well, with September coming soon, there is something other than the return to college/school that is going to affect some of us Comic Book League people... With September comes the end of Flashpoint and the beginning of the "totally not a reboot" DC Comics - The New 52.
For those cool cats who aren't familiar of what's happening, apparently the Flash (a superhero that runs really fast) and his enemy the Reverse Flash (a super villain who also runs really fast) pulled some kind of Back to the Future on us all and jacked up the timeline of the DC universe. This makes it so that the most jacked up scenario could possibly happen in the DC universe did happen: like the Amazons and Atlanteans jacking everything up and Cyborg of the Titans becoming a major hero. Now, the Flash has to fix this by running really fast or going back to the future or whatever (1.21 JIGAWATTS!!!)
But enough of that, what's important is what's to come after that, the beginning and end of some comic series. Although I personally am looking forward to seeing some of the series they are to publish (Static Shock and Blue Beetle), the casualties are that of seeing some comics I actually liked coming to an end. And so, here's to commemorate the now ending comics DC decided to cancel. These are but some of the ones I've read (and I know that DC made a lot of other great titles as well but these are the ones I've personally read regularly):
Justice League: Generation Lost - Well, not to be a spoil sport, but I was kind of wishing to see some more conflict to come out of Maxwell Lord, since they bothered to bring him BACK FROM THE FRIGGIN DEAD and all. Granted, a lot of the characters from JL:GL will be showing up in the new Justice League International, but for me it feels like they're making a whole different comic with just the same characters. While it was true that the series ended on April 2011, it also holds true that the reboot will guarantee that nothing will follow from this. My guess is that the new JLI will feature nothing but "team spirit build up" for months. It'd take years for them to get back to the Justice League group I know and love. I could be wrong and I could like the new JLI more than Generation Lost, but as of now all I can do is bid Generation Lost a bitter farewell...
Zatanna - While there is magic to speaking backwards, there was also magic for me with how enjoyable the Zatanna comics were. I personally didn't read many sorcerer-based comics until picking up this comic series, so it's kind of sad for me to see a magic-based superhero book canceled right when I was getting into it. With this series, we learned so much about Zatanna besides being a friend of Batman and the daughter of father Zatara. For example, I found it interesting when they introduced Zatanna's crippling fear of puppets, which ultimately manifests when a cursed puppet tries to get back at her for what her father did to said puppet. (let's hope she never has to perform at the Muppet's theater...) While I don't have to worry about her disappearing into obscurity (Justice League Dark), it's kind of sad to see her loose the spotlight. Not to mention the unsatisfying end of her book was unsatisfying (the last comic wasn't supposed to be as New 52 was planned without most people's knowledge). The stories were mystifying and the humor great, so as I remember this series all I have to say is "Sknaht rof eht shgual, Annataz."
Power Girl - I was thoroughly surprised to learn that DC isn't going to have Power Girl show up in any of their titles (even the Superman-oriented ones), let alone let her keep her comic. It's one thing to cancel a character's book and then shoving them into a team-based comic, but what I feel sad about is that they decided not to show PG in any way. Granted, her back story was kind of hard to follow for some viewers (she's a Silver Age Super Girl or something) but I think that's the only reason why she's not back. Unlike the other Kryptonian comics, Power Girl's silly tales always seem to grab my attention more (and it's not because of her costume whole). For example, I remember a funny tale when some punk kid bribed her with embarrassing photos and all he wanted her to do was make him more popular with the kids at school. Granted, if I were given some leverage to bribe a super heroine, it would turn out much differently.................................................................................................................................
I would make her punch Bruno Mattei in the face. Her series, like Zatanna, ended with not much satisfaction but at least it ended better (in an ironic sort of way). But anyway, it feels as though Power Girl's constant stream of survival is indeed ended with her book ending and Power Girl loosing her spotlight as a stand-alone heroine. I just hope that we'll be able to see her again some time in the future.
The Great Ten (Issue 10 of 10) - Remember when I said that they would bring most characters back from JL:GL to JLI? I said most because they decided to drag characters from other books into the Justice League International title. One of whom is Augustine General in Iron of the Great Ten. What does this means to me? It kind of means that the Great Ten might possibly no longer exist in the new DC Universe. While I did find it slightly... biased in cultural direction, the Great Ten was one of the few Chinese superhero teams to come out so I readily embraced it (though let me say that not all Chinese heroes have to be based on obscure mythology or Communism or based on government control. Some can just simply be heroes who happen to be Chinese. Just saying...). As a Chinese American of all people, to see a Chinese super hero team taken away is sad. Granted, the reboot might have nothing to do with the fact that the tenth book of the series never got released (ending on issue 9 near the end), but mankind needs something to complain about from time to time...
The Justice Society of America - With the reboot comes DC's desire to make there only one...two Justice-based groups. Thus, the two Justice Leagues will be the only ones they plan to be the "first." What does this mean? It means that the old school Golden Age group that is the JSA make indeed be screwed over. Most recently, the last issue of JSA was released, but unlike Zatanna or Power Girl it seems like they actually planned an ending of some sort. Let's just say that they are emphasizing some aspects of the new DC universe over the others by...getting rid of some characters. Granted, in the continuity of things the JSA may still exist in the new DC universe, but it could also hold that they no longer are together as, you know, JSA has World War 2 super heroes in it. Worse case scenerio is that we don't see characters like Jay Garrick (Flash) and Rick Tyler (Hourman) in the limelight since they would be in their 80's or 90's by the reboot time. It's sad to see comic book history's first super hero team also to be the first to go in the reboot...
Booster Gold- Fittingly, Booster Gold seems to be treated with the same scorn and lack of appreciation with his series' handling as the hero himself as portrayed with close to all the times he's shown in any DC animated series. While Booster's intentions of being a super hero were indeed sketchy (to be rich and famous and stuff), he did eventually become a hero onto himself as his character developed. He's not a goody goody two shoe like Superman or Captain Marvel, but he's a hero when he needed to be. Plus, Booster's involvement with the DC time stream was always interesting to see for me. In fact, him being a time traveler is what made him keep his memory of the "old" DC universe in Flashpoint and maybe through the new DC universe. Ironic that he of all people would remember the DC universe as we knew it before. He's going to be part of the new JLI, so it's not like we're not seeing him anymore. However, to see his solo series gone due to Flashpoint boils my blood a little...
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Ghost Sweeper Mikami- One of my favorite comics of all time. Ghost Sweeper Mikami was the closest thing to the Ghostbusters Japan had to offer, and with comedy and T&A to boot! After all, everyone loves Comedy! (and T&A) This in fact influenced my views on comic narration that episodic and character driven subplots could indeed carry a series for many years, and I find no other comic series did it better than this. The dramatic moments were tense, the comedy light and the romantic tensions between Yokoshima (the male apprentice) with Mikami (our misery protagonist) and Okinu (their ghost friend, who's the Slimer of the series) was indeed the best parts of the series. And- What's that? This has nothing to do with the DC reboot? In fact, this has nothing to do with DC and American comics in general? TO HELL WITH YOU, this is my favorite manga of all time and I'll be damned if I let anyone talk bad about it.
Well, that's all I have to say about now. Until next time...
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